The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo book cover

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I began noticing this book all over the airports about 2 years ago.  It’s hard to miss due to the bright green glossy cover, and the fact that everyone reading it seemed to be absorbed like they were uncovering the meaning of life.

At first I laughed off the title.  What guy reads a book about a girl?  Then a buddy of mine read it and gave me the real low down.  Murder mystery?  Suspense?  Computer hacking?  Bouts with evil antagonists hiding in Europe?  More hacking?  I bought it the next day.

The book lives up to its reputation.  I have never been on reading lockdown like I was with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  At one point I was staying at my mother’s, reading on her couch all night until 9am when I passed out cold.

The story is about Lizbeth, a mid-20’s loner who has a shady background and knows more about computer hacking than anyone could ever suspect at face value.  She teams up with a 40-something reporter who is hired to solve a murder mystery in northern Sweden.  The book takes sharp turns regularly, and keeps you saying to yourself, “oh no, it’s not going to go there, that’s not going to happen,” and then it does.

The story is captivating, the characters are solid.  Anyone looking for entertainment that doesn’t spray a thousand lux into your eyes should pick up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.