The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the last book of the Millenium trilogy. It ties up all the loose ends without a make-believe Disney happy ending. The political complexities at the beginning of the novel seemed unnecessarily detailed and slowed the pace of the story. I found it difficult enough to keep track of street names and towns and regions without having to make sense of tangential political events.

The most satisfying aspect of the book was that Lisbeth Salander stayed true to character right up to the end. No cathartic breakdown at the end, nor a 'got my lifemate: now I'm happy/complete' type ending. She was the same person, flaws included, when she was at her lowest as when she finally wins. Its not pretty but it was satisfying.

Blomkvist, Erika Berger, and the supporting cast of characters, are well fleshed out and integrated into the story. The 'bad guys' are varied and interesting, but are not major characters in the story. They get their appropriate comeuppances but the issue is the political system and society in general that Larsson wants to be the focus of out disapprobation. As Blomkvist says near the end of the book, "When it comes down to it, this story is not primarily about spies and secret government agencies; it’s about violence against women, and the men who enable it."

In all, an excellent crime/thriller trilogy with interesting characters, an exotic (for me) location, and a compelling story.