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Aug 25, 2019gmoney83 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
4 stars - a great first book in a series that has a lot to say about female empowerment. Reader beware, these novels have graphic descriptions of rape and abuse. The novel and the series as a whole plays out as a detective story. A journalist who is has some time on his hands before he goes to prison (apparently in Sweden, you are free to walk around after you have been found guilty but before you go to prison). Our hero journalist uses his time to solve the mystery of a woman who has been missing for many years. One of the clues is that one of the relatives has been receiving a pressed and framed flower every year. The main character works alongside a female hacker to solve the myster. Digging into the family history of this missing woman, we learn there is a history of sexual abuse. Larson writes a great detective story, it unfolds well and the twists and turns are revealed in a way that kept me interested. The problem I had with the books is that the men in this story range from being in the wrong place at the wrong time, to being pigs. I do not have a problem with a female getting revenge on someone who wronged her. If there are so many depictions of men being predators / abusers of women, can we also balance the story with a female villain? It should be pointed out that Steig Larson was influenced by witnessing a woman being raped, he was very young and did not or could not take action in time to prevent the woman being raped.