Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first instalment of the Millennium Trilogy, by Stieg Larsson.

The captivating crime thriller focuses on how a murder from the mid-19th century brings together two parallel storylines. Mikael Blomkvist, once a reputable journalist, is duped into publishing slanderous material on a corporate hot-shot. He finds himself facing a jail sentence, a burning hole in his pocket and a ever tarnished reputation. Through a series of events he becomes involved in finding out about the disappearance of Harriet, a girl of the prestigious Vanger clan. He finds himself in too deep when he discovers a stark secret.

Lisbeth Salander is the anti-matter to Blomkvist. Portrayed as an unnerving, unpredictable and exciting character she balances and complements Blonkvist's calm yet bold personna. Her troubled and horrifying past draws sympathy from the reader despite her hate for mankind, in particular men. Despite somewhat resembling the chewed-up remains of a broken society, Lisbeth is a strength that epitomises Stieg Larsson's own childhood and experiences.

The story dwelves into two main themes: neo-nazism and and feminism in Sweden. This again is influenced by the author's upbringing, with the locations in the book being based on actual places in Sweden.

The Girl with the Dragon Tatto is a murder mystery that, in theory, is easy to coin up: throw in a murder, with heaps of complexities and plenty of potential suspects. Stieg Larsson surpasses expectations by not only developing the two protagonists' story but also creates a dark plot that Mikael and Lisbeth walk into. The entrawling novel takes the two characters on a journey that, perhaps, they would have avoided with hindsight.    

Synopsis:

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder - and that the killer is a member of his own family. He employs journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, truculent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate.
When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.

Book Review: Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child

Gone Tomorrow is the thirteenth book in the Jack Reacher series by  Lee Child. Reacher, an ex-military personnel, finds himself on the New York subway at 2am faced with the scenario of being in a carriage with a suicide bomber. Does he want to intervene because he truly cares for human kind, or whether it’s what he’s been trained to do, or even because he wants to save his own skin, it’s not clear and perhaps not relevant. What he does next leads him to discover a government conspiracy, one which was meant to be locked forever. Finding himself in a position where his own government would prefer him dead, Reacher needs friends he can trust and ones that won’t kill him. A series of twists and turns puts Reacher into a corner where he either kills or be killed.

Lee Child jumps straight into the thick of the excitement from the first page. He introduces us to the main character, Jack Reacher, from the outset and how he recognises a person that matches the criteria of a suicide bomber. The following few chapters reveals a a riveting sequence of events that not only captivates the reader but leaves them wanting more.

After the pulsating, attention grabbing start the story addresses the historical background of the plot. This takes a slow, meandering look at how and why the characters that are revealed later on serve a purpose in the story. unfortunately this resembles a history lesson; one which not all may appreciate. It also deflects the good work of the absorbing start and potentially puts the reader in 'skim-mode'. Having read the book from cover to cover you do realise later on that the gradual revelations are necessary to the final outcome but shouldn't mean that the reader has to wait until half-way through the book for the next significant event. The second half, however, is well written and does the opening few chapters justice. We discover more about the main character and his purpose in the story. Reacher's quest for answers is met by many twists and turns, always leaving the reader guessing until the very end.

A worthy read and despite the slow start Gone Tomorrow finishes strong with an enthralling story that will leave you wanting more from Jack Reacher.

Synopsis:

Suicide bombers are easy to spot. They give out all kinds of tell-tale signs. Mostly because they're nervous. By definition they're all first-timers. Riding the subway in New York at two o'clock in the morning, Reacher knows the twelve giveaway signs to look out for. Watching one of his fellow-passengers, he becomes sharply aware: one by one, she ticks off every bulletpoint on his list. So begins the new heartstopping new thriller starring today's most admired action hero, the gallant and enigmatic loner Jack Reacher.