A wealthy old industrialist hires Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist just convicted of libel, to solve the disappearance of his niece, who vanished from a family island in 1966 with no way off it. Blomkvist ends up working with Lisbeth Salander, a small, ferocious hacker with a photographic memory and a state guardian who abuses her. The Swedish title means Men Who Hate Women, which is the book's real subject under the cold-case puzzle. Larsson opens slow, with a lot of corporate and financial detail, then tightens into a genuinely nasty thriller. Read the English translation credited to Reg Keeland, the pen name of Steven T. Murray.
Karamazovian is human-curated and reader-supported. Become a member to read the full writing — search, lists, and your own tree open with it.
Become a member — $2.99 / month →New here? Create account →
Already a member? Sign in →