When readers last left tiny Swedish heroine-with-an-attitude Lisbeth Salander in Stieg Larsson's epic Millennium Series, Part II, The Girl Who Played With Fire, it seemed like a long time ago. That's because when Lisbeth, shot in the head by her Soviet spy father, it was a long time ago — last year in the late summer. Meanwhile, English-speaking readers all over the world have been enjoying the last installment of the late Larsson's trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest for months while Americans sit and wait and wait… and wait. Forget asking Viking Books why the British have had their English translation out for six months now. As one wag put it, "it's like the CIA over there."
But the pining is almost over. Stores and online companies are taking pre-orders and the release date for book three is May 25. It's definitely worth it.
Lisbeth, as readers have learned, is not exactly the forgiving type. Her heart isn't used as much more than a pumping mechanism, so when she wasted her affections on crusading journalist Mikael Blomqvist in book two, she reacted as if burned — never mind that he saved her life. So when authorities fly her to the hospital, she still doesn't want anything to do with him, even though he is determined to prove her innocent of murders committed in book two, and to prove that Salander's father, Soviet spy Alexander Zalachenko, not only tried to murder his own daughter but is in charge of a white slavery ring, bringing women in from Eastern European countries for prostitution or worse.
Let's stop here. Hornet's Nest, more so than any of the other entries, is crammed so full of characters, plots, and subplots that one would go crazy trying to piece it together in a mere book review. This time Larsson brings in a byzantine organization of the Swedish Secret Service that has its own secret service. Lost yet? You will be, because this goes on for pages and pages and the names pile up like so much firewood before a bonfire. Where was the editor? I know it's tough to edit a dead guy, but still...
Article comments
1 - Miss Bob Etier
Lynn,
Swedish Secret Service? Who would've thought?
I guess if they can still edit Shakespeare (and Michael Crichton) none of the talented departed are safe. Great review!
--Bob
2 - Lynn Voedisch
Why, thank you!
It surprised me too that Sweden had a secret service, but then why not? But really it's over the top with the secret service within a secret service. And then you are supposed to remember who answers to whom. He's even got the budget for each organization! What a mind!
I'm rather pulling for Ms. Gabrielsson to be the ghost writer. It's all very mysterious. The latest is that she's admitted she did "more than proofreading."