The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: A Review

I finally got around to reading Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo after having it for a long, long time and hearing so much about it.  I have yet to see the movie--either version--but they are both in my Netflix queue and I will watch them eventually.  Regardless, here's what I thought.

Tattoo brings the reader into the lives of several people; namely Michael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander.  Blomkvist, watching while his career falls into shambles, has been asked to write a family history for a well-known, aging Swedish industry tycoon, Henrik Vanger.  However, things are not what they seem.  What Vanger really wants is for Blomkvist to spend a year investigating the disappearance of his neice some forty years prior.  Through this seemingly impossible investigation, Blomkvist comes into contact with Lisbeth and the two form a rather tenuous working relationship (with some interesting perks).  Lisbeth, an accomplished hacker and ward of the state, is socially awkward, highly suspicious, and incredibly standoffish.  Needless to say, the two make an interesting, though efficient, team.  As they continue their investigation, new clues are unearthed, new suspects come to the forefront, revelations are made, and secrets are revealed.

To be honest, I've been putting this series off for a long time.  I've never been much of a fan of thrillers/suspense/whodunits/etc, but I finally broke down and started this book.  While it was a rather slow start, once I was about 100 pages in I couldn't put the damn thing down.  Larsson really does pull you in with his writing style and quick prose.  It's engaging and shocking at times, but totally worth it.  Plus, I really liked Lisbeth's character.  She's one that you root for and encourage through the horrific things that happen to her.  Blomkvist, on the otherhand, while likeable, probably isn't one of my favorite people.  Good read overall.