The Girl who Played with Fire

Steig Larsson’s novel The Girl who Played with Fire is the second book in a trilogy following his first work, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Larsson, a Swedish author, combines writing styles to form a thrilling mystery that is guaranteed to grab the attention of almost any reader. The main character, Lisbeth Salander, is a rebellious, antisocial, young woman who has her own set of rules and ideals. She has abnormal hacking skills, a photographic memory, and almost no friends. In the first novel, Salander collaborates with Michael Blomkvist, the publisher of a failing Millenium magazine, to solve two mysteries, the Wennerstrom affair and the Vanger kidnapping. Their teamwork earns both of them substantial rewards, but shortly after their victory, Salander embarks on an indefinite leave around the world. She cuts of all contact with Blomkvist leaving him with bruised feelings. As the second novel begins, Salander decides to return to Stockholm, where both Blomkvist and herself live, but continues to avoid him at all costs. Back at Millenium, Blomkvist begins to involve himself with the research of Dag Svensson. Svensson and his girl friend, Johansson, have been researching and naming men involved in Stockholm’s sex trade including: policemen, government officials, and Zala. Great efforts were taken to keep their research a secret, but when Blomkvist finds the two dead in their apartment, he realizes they must have found something that threatened a powerful, violent figure. Another man, Neils Bjurman, Salander’s sadistic guardian who raped her over a year ago, is also found dead. The murder weapon found at Svensson’s apartment belongs to Bjurman and has Salander’s finger prints all over it. The police immediately begin a search for Lisbeth with no luck. Weeks pass and the both the police and Blomkvist’s investigations come to many dead ends.

As the search progresses, Larsson shifts point of view rapidly to allow the reader into the minds of Blomkvist, Salander, the police, and murderer. This action packed book will keep you flipping the pages late into the night; however, the content of the novel is geared toward an adult audience. The subject, sex trafficking, is very interesting but also very mature. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to any mystery loving, mature reader.