THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE

Stieg Larsson

MSRP $25.95, 512 Pages.

Published by Knopf.

A Swedish hacker becomes a murder suspect.

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government.

But he has no idea just how explosive the story will be until, on the eve of publication, the two investigating reporters are murdered. And even more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander—the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker who came to his aid in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and who now becomes the focus and fierce heart of The Girl Who Played with Fire.

As Blomkvist, alone in his belief in Salander’s innocence, plunges into an investigation of the slayings, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all.

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Amazon Best of the Month, July 2009: The girl with the dragon tattoo is back. Stieg Larsson's seething heroine, Lisbeth Salander, once again finds herself paired with journalist Mikael Blomkvist on the trail of a sinister criminal enterprise. Only this time, Lisbeth must return to the darkness of her own past (more specifically, an event coldly known as "All the Evil") if she is to stay one step ahead--and alive. The Girl Who Played with Fire is a break-out-in-a-cold-sweat thriller that crackles with stunning twists and dismisses any talk of a sophomore slump. Fans of Larsson's prior work will find even more to love here, and readers who do not find their hearts racing within the first five pages may want to confirm they still have a pulse. Expect healthy doses of murder, betrayal, and deceit, as well as enough espresso drinks to fuel downtown Seattle for months. --Dave Callanan

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Articles from the New York Times

Book Review

First Chapter

Sunday Review

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Customer Reviews

Playing With Fire

Rating

This is the second book of a trilogy. The first (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) was the best novel of any type I have read in decades. Hence, I bought this one. It lives up to the first and more. I cannot say much more, other than read 'Dragon' first. I am highly anticipating the third and may purchase in from the Amazon UK instead of waiting until May.

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disappointed.

Rating

Having read Larson's first book I expected more but was disappointed. It took a long time for the plot to develope and seemed more contrived than book one. He uses violence more in this plot and in my opinion it diminishes the writing. It did explain alot about the heroine's odd persona and dealing with her past but the end was predictable. This book did not deal in any depth with Bjurman and that was disappointing.

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page turner

Rating

The second book in this series is a page turner. It's a good read that I recommend.

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a must read author

Rating

Part 2 of a trilogy. make sure you read book one: The Girl with the dragon tatoo first to add to the enjoyment. Book one starts slowly but once it grabs you it keeps you there, the same goes for this one, can't wait for the third book to be released in May. Unfortunately the author died shortly after finishing this series, but celebrate and enjoy his work as I did !!

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Larsson does it again!

Rating

Stieg Larsson's second helping of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist's harrowing Swedish adventures is just as amazing as the first book. This book defintely focuses more on Salander and her amazingly unsettling past. Mysteries abound and we meet new characters and locations. The ending is left more open than the first book in the series and continues almost directly into the third (which I can't wait for). The villains, and there are many, are despicable and the connections to the past are creepy. The book is tech heavy at times but you never feel lost in it. Overall, another fantastic book from Larsson.

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