Book Review--The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

Stieg Larsson, author of The Girl Who Played with Fire, had a massive heart attack in 2004 at age 50, which resulted in his death. Larsson reportedly had been working 2 jobs at that time, according to stieglarsson.com. He had worked as a magazine editor and a graphic designer. Stieg Larsson built a reputation as a left-wing activist in his home country of Sweden before his death.

After engaging in considerable research of political parties in Sweden, Stieg Larsson completed Right-wing Extremism, his first book, in 1991. The Stieg Larsson website reported that his lifestyle of working too much and smoking led to his death.

Stieg Larsson's Millennium series-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest were all published posthumously. The Millennium series has enjoyed great success in over 40 countries, having sold over 20 million copies.

Stieg Larsson was no stranger to writing and publishing. Before producing the Millennium series, Larsson wrote 2 nonfiction books and several magazine articles. Stieg Larsson's first novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is loved worldwide.

First published in Sweden in 2006 under the name of Flickan som Lekte med Elden, The Girl Who Played with Fire was translated into English and published in 2009 by the Alfred A. Knopf Publishers at Random House.

The Girl Who Played With Fire--Introduction

Much of The Girl Who Played with Fire is devoted to revealing more about Larsson's fascinating character, Lisbeth Salander (first introduced in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). Some of the questions readers had from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are answered, with more questions brought to light.

Mikael Blomqvist, a journalist at Millennium Publishers has settled back in to his work and life in Stockholm. He continues his unorthodox relationship with his co-worker, Erika Berger, although changes are afoot, at least in their working relationship. Blomqvist will soon become consumed with coming to the aid of Lisbeth Salander, given the current chaos of her situation.

The Girl Who Played with Fire-The Plot

A horrifying double-murder of writers working on an expose of the sex industry in Sweden has occurred. Dag Svensson and Mia Johansson, a loving couple who interviewed several players in the sex trade had agreed for Svensson's articles and Mia's research to be released by Millennium Publishers. On the eve of the scheduled release, Blomqvist shows up at Dag and Mia's apartment only to make a grisly discovery-they have both been brutally murdered.

As police investigate, they are led to none other but Lisbeth Salander as their prime suspect. Although strong circumstantial evidence points to Salamander, Blomqvist cannot be convinced that Salander would commit such heinous acts. The plot thickens when, across town, another body is found, also linked to Salander.

But where is Lisbeth Salander? No one can find her. She's simply disappeared. No longer living in her old apartment in Lundagatan, Lisbeth Salander is on the run. The search is on. Not just by the authorities, but also by those who have grown fond of her and consider her a friend, even if the feeling is not mutual. Alas, more sinister characters hope to catch up with Salander first.

Lisbeth Salander's prior employer, Milton Security pairs up with the police department and representatives from Millennium Publishers to find Salander and ultimately solve the murders. She's smart, cool and at large. If Lisbeth Salander does not want to be found, how on earth will anyone find her?

A rather dark, mysterious character emerges in The Girl Who Played with Fire. Known only as "Zala" to Dag and Mia and mentioned in their research, Blomqvist keeps coming back to the name when searching for clues to the murders. Then, a cryptic computer message from Salander implies she may know something about him. Can the plot thicken any more?

The Girl Who Played with Fire-The Opinion

Stieg Larsson hits the ground running in The Girl Who Played with Fire. Unlike The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which included a hundred or so boring pages initially, from page one in The Girl Who Played with Fire, the reader is hooked. If you loved these characters in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (for this writer's review of Dragon Tattoo, see this link), you will relish each page of The Girl Who Played with Fire.

Plenty of action is included with the introduction of several unsavory characters who like to kidnap and maim people, which make for suspenseful reading. Stieg Larsson again shows his character development chops in The Girl Who Played with Fire. We can picture these gangsters through Stieg Larsson's strong attention to detail and description.

The drama throughout The Girl Who Played with Fire is relentless. Where is Lisbeth Salander? Did she really murder Dag Svensson and Mia Johansson? Why? And what about the third murder? How is it connected to the double murder? Or is it?

Mystery abounds in The Girl Who Played with Fire. Suspenseful, often fast-paced, and incredibly riveting, pick up this book as quickly as you can after you read the first book in Stieg Larsson's Millennium series. You won't be able to put it down until you're ready for the third book in the series, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Rating

Hold on to your hats-this book starts and ends with a bang. This reviewer rates The Girl Who Played with Fire a 5 out of 5 stars.

Sources

Larsson, Stieg. (2009). The Girl who Played with Fire. New York. Alfred A. Knopf/Random House

Stieglarsson.com. (September 3, 2010). Stieg Larsson: A diverse background. Viewed September 3, 2010