The Girl Who Played With Fire

"She closed her eyes and conjured up the smell of gasoline."

The second book in what ended up being a trilogy (the author had planned 10 books, but tragically died before finishing the promising series), this was the opportunity to get reinvolved with Lisbeth Salander, and learn more about her. Being hunted by police and enemies (for reasons we learn throughout the story), Lisbeth has to use her skills as computer hacker and crack researcher to protect herself from those who wish her ill. She has an ally in her old friend, Mikael Blomkvist, who she worked with in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo".

A puzzle with an "Aha" , this was not a simple who-dun-it. The mysterious past and the tragic present have a entertwining storyline that entertains while it keeps you turning pages. The unique character of Lisbeth Salander is someone who you would maybe avoid in real life, but who you wish you had on your side. She is one of the most emotionally vulnerable characters in literature, but one of those you wouldn't want to have mad at you. I love the contrast in her character.

The story involves the sex trade, murder and violence and the descriptions are not pretty, but the story draws you in so quickly, that you don't get bogged down in the ugliness, you want to know how this is going to unfold. We can only keep turning pages, racing to the end as fast as we can. But knowing that in the end, no matter what, Lisbeth Salander has become one of the heroines we can't wait to read more about, and sadly will only have one more opportunity to do so.