What readers think of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, plus links to write your own review.

This book is not about Lisbeth Salander. It is about Mikael Blomkvist. The Blomkvist tale is highly improbable: I can't imagine hiring a journalist -- one on the losing end of a libel suit, disgraced, bound-for-jail -- to research and write the history of a prominent, albeit highly-dysfunctional family.

Worse, Larsson's penchant for using 20 words where one or two (or none) will do makes for a rather complex story that's sometimes very difficult to follow, and so a trial to read. (One hopes -- for clarity -- the published version will include a map of Hedeby Island.)

It's hard to say who the book would appeal to, but some knowledge on the reader's part of Swedish society and media is a must. The book's use of everyday detail (way too much, in my view) reminds one of Sue Grafton's novels. Some of the better scenes (typically those featuring Salander!) read a little like Thomas Perry.

But, bottom line, Stieg Larsson is no Henning Mankell...and Mankell to me is the gold standard in Northern European crime fiction.

A bonus book with 3 stories in one, one theme ends and leads to the next only to be brought back to the original. The first 10 pages left some doubt about the ability to stay with the book. Then, it picked up speed and never stopped; even the ending was a surprise.

The references to misogyny were subtle and a good reminder of what an unchecked society can allow. This condition is alive and well throughout the world.

The reader of this outstanding book will be intrigued by its plot, character studies and thrilling mysteries. However, there is much more to be gained from it. The late author was an expert Nazi hunter who understood better than most how sadism and economic greed motivated the followers of Adolph Hitler. One caveat: this book contains explicit sexual violence.

In "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", Stieg Larsson has written a blockbuster read with, after a slow start, breathtaking plot development and several of the oddest, most intriguing and likable characters in crime fiction. As a fan of the mystery genre, I couldn't help but compare Stieg's character Lisbeth Salander with Carol O'Connell's Kathy Mallory. Both protagonists are somewhat "damaged"; Kathy by living on the streets as a child and Lisbeth by being misdiagnosed as mentally incompetent and cruelly abused by a sadistic guardian. Both have a unique sense of justice and are brilliant computer experts working outside of the rules. Having such characters helps to keep the work fresh and unpredictable. Stieg's main character, Mikael Blomkvist, is equally fleshed out, but Lisbeth outshines him (see the title). Stieg cleverly blends several plot lines together to form a cohesive story line that will keep everybody guessing and reading! (The reader should be aware that there is quite a bit of graphic violence.) I highly recommend this book. You won't be disappointed!

Any novel that starts with a diagram of the genealogy of a family scares me, but this one proved to be a winner of a mystery. Descriptions of the characters and the setting bring the story to life and even though some of the story line is predictable, it is still a page turner.

The prologue grabbed me right away. The next several chapters are hard to stay with, but if you do, you will find a satisfying novel. There are numerous characters to keep track of but I did not have difficulty with that. I found the characters very well developed considering how many were in the book. Being the first novel of a trilogy, I am anxious to read the next two novels. Book clubs would have numerous areas of discussion with this book.

Although not a fan of crime fiction, I could not put this book down. I have shouted to the rooftops to anyone I know that they must purchase this book.A compelling mystery, binding a dysfunctional family with larger themes of corruption, greed,and investigative journalism makes this book the number one book of the year!

After several false starts, I eventually managed to get past the very slow beginning. (I trusted there had to be a reason why this book is a best-seller all over Europe.) Once I'd reached the halfway point, it was almost impossible to put this book down. I'll be waiting impatiently for the two subsequent novels.