The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: Book summary and reviews of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Summary

Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson's two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Reviews

"Starred Review. Patented Larsson, meaning fast-paced enough to make those Jason Bourne films seem like Regency dramas." - Kirkus Reviews

"Starred Review. The late Larsson ... can be accused of heaping too much plot between two covers - but he is remarkably agile at keeping multiple balls in the air." - Booklist

"Though Larsson (1954–2004) tends toward narrative excess, his was an undeniably powerful voice in crime fiction that will be sorely missed." - Publishers Weekly

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The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Reader Reviews

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Rated of 5 by Belinda
The girl who kicked the hornet's nest
I am an avid reader, reading three to five books a week. I absolutely give the trilogy two thumbs up for the plot, and the complexity of it. I was up late at nights, reading I couldn't put the book down. One of the best... May he rest in peace.

Rated of 5 by Lynn
Brilliant
How did he do this series so well? It was so complicated, yet very compelling. Larsson completely closed up all the open issues in the end. This book did start off with some complex reading about the Swedish government and Sapo, but it all made sense in the end. I try to describe this series to friends, but it is so original that I can't seem to describe it completely. The loss of Stieg Larsson is tragic. I will miss his brilliant story-telling and I will so so miss Lisbeth Salander.

Rated of 5 by Typeaux
More than a sequel
The second two books of the trilogy are really as one, with the third book starting as though the chapters were continuous. I had to wait for my wife to finish the third before I could start and I was chomping at the bit! Larsson is a master of tying up loose ends, which seem endless in this complex and mesmerizing tale of how an amazingly gifted yet flawed young woman is caught up and implicated in multiple murders while powers high up in the security police go to extreme measures to keep secrets and mislead investigators. A thrilling and compelling read. The only real let down is getting to the end and knowing that we will not see Larsson's hand continue the stories of Lisbeth Salander.

Stieg Larsson Author Biography

Swedish author Stieg Larsson's life is every bit as fascinating as that of any fictional character. Mikael Blomkvist, the protagonist of The Millenium Series, in fact bears many similarities to his creator.

Karl Stig-Erland Larsson was born on August 15, 1954 in Västerbotten, in northern Sweden. He was raised in the countryside by his grandparents until his grandfather's death in 1962 (despite considerable research, including questions to his publisher, that is all we have been able to glean of his childhood).

After performing his mandatory two-year military service, Larsson traveled widely in Africa, witnessing the civil war in Eritrea first-hand. On his return to Sweden in 1977, he worked for Tidningarnas Telegrambyra (TT), the largest...

... Full Biography

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