Henrik Vanger is not easing gently into his twilight years. The Swedish magnate is haunted by the disappearance of his favorite grand-niece, Harriet, about 40 years earlier. He also has a score he wouldn't mind settling with another tycoon, the powerful and underhanded Hans-Erik Wennerstrom. His choice for getting the job done? Mikael Blomkvist, the editor and chief reporter for Millennium magazine, who, as it happens, has just been convicted of libeling Wennerstrom.
Vanger promises to turn over some damning evidence against their mutual nemesis, if Blomkvist will agree to write a Vanger family/corporate history and, while he's at it, try to figure out who killed Harriet.
Blomkvist agrees and begins sorting out the intricate ties among Vanger family members, who are as remote and unforgiving as their island compound.
For help with research, he hires the "girl with the dragon tattoo," Lisbeth Salander, a hacker and enigma extraordinaire. She and Blomkvist test boundaries and ultimately forge a respectful trust.
In "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (Alfred A. Knopf, 480 pages, $24.95), author Stieg Larsson brings his experience as an investigative journalist to bear in not only dissecting the dysfunction of a family-owned conglomerate, but also in explaining the hard work and hunches that combine to uncover the mystery.
A jotted note becomes a clue to the madness that propels a streak of sadistic mayhem. New technologies allow for much closer scrutiny of items that had seemed inconsequential in previous investigations. The novel is a brilliant example of the locked-room mystery, as a bridge accident the day of Harriet's disappearance blocked traffic in, or out, of Hedeby Island.
And with its wintry setting, this chilling mystery is a perfect companion for a snow day. Minnesotans of Swedish descent will no doubt connect with the "gallons of coffee" Blomkvist ingests while trying to ingratiate himself with the locals. (They may also have an advantage when it comes to understanding some references to cultural icons.)
And there are a few loose ends that will leave readers eager for the next installment. Although the chain-smoking Larsson died of a heart attack in 2004 at 50, his work ethic compelled him to finish the three books in his Millennium series, while still exposing racist and totalitarian organizations at his own magazine, Expo. The English translation of "Tattoo" was released in September and remains among Amazon's top 10 sellers. The series continues with "The Girl Who Played With Fire," due in the United States in August 2009. Get ready for another page-turner.
Kathe Connair is a features copy editor at the Star Tribune.
