Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Author: Stieg Larsson
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
40 years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared off the secluded island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger family.There was no corpse, no witnesses, no evidence.
But her uncle, Henrik, is convinced that she was murdered by someone in her own family – the deeply dysfunctional Vanger clan.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a slow burning mystery which takes its time to unravel the 40 year old disappearance of a 16 year old girl. The story is complex, with lots of characters to keep a track of, which can be confusing at times. Though it a long novel with slow pace, it’s never boring. It gives small clues here and there to keep the reader hanging to know more. The pace in the second half is faster, and the story too gets more complicated than the simple disappearance case. When the reason behind the disappearance is out it is actually very shocking, one that was never thought of. The weather of the cold Sweden supports the atmosphere of the story, mystifying the story even further. The highlight of the story is the female anti-hero Lisabeth Salander. She is one of the strangest characters I have come across, and yet I was rooting for her. I would love to know more about her, and so I’m sure I’ll be reading the two books of the trilogy too.
Final Verdict:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson gets a 4 out 5 stars from me.