#46: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson

Finally finished this series because a friend smuggled it back from Europe. Hooray! It wrapped up a very long story line in the form of miraculous medical recoveries, exciting courtroom drama, and political conspiracy. One of the things I’ve found interesting about the series as a whole though is that although the plot changes, the characters don’t exhibit redemption or a shift in personality. They pretty much stay the same throughput the three books, which isn’t so bad, just unexpected. I liked the ending here with all the legal battles (I’ve always wanted to be on a Grisham-style jury), which was fun to read but when the characters got emotional, I didn’t believe it. They tend to always be slightly standoff-ish even when they’re supposed to be in love, or in pain, or just generally freaking out. Maybe that’s a cultural or translation thing, I don’t know. Either way, as a crime novels go this whole series is pretty top notch - thrilling, suspenseful, and eerie to the core.

Side note: This weekend I got my hands on the orginal Sweedish movie of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It is creepy as all get out and not recommended for those with weak stomachs.