Lisbeth Salander is back again in this fifth book of the series. Yes, this is the fifth book in the Millennium Series that was started by Stieg Larsson and continued by David Lagercrantz after Larsson's 2004 untimely death.
I loved the first three books in the series that are authored by Stieg Larsson (reviews here, here, and here.
However, I was pretty disappointed with The Girl in the Spider's web, and resolved to forget about this series.
And then The Girl who Takes an eye for an eye came out with a pretty interesting synopsis, and I was sucked back in to Salander land again.
About the Book
Lisbeth Salander is an unstoppable force: Sentenced to two months in Flodberga women's prison for saving a young boy's life by any means necessary, Salander refuses to say anything in her own defence. She has more important things on her mind.
Mikael Blomkvist makes the long trip to visit every week - and receives a lead to follow for his pains. For him, it looks to be an important expose for Millennium. For her, it could unlock the facts of her childhood.
Even from a corrupt prison system run largely by the inmates, Salander will stand up for what she believes in, whatever the cost. And she will seek the truth that is somehow connected with her childhood memory, of a woman with a blazing birthmark on her neck - that looked as if it had been burned by a dragon's fire.
~ Synopsis from goodreads
My Review
There are two storylines running throughout this novel. Firstly, the case of Faria, a fellow inmate in Flodberga prison who is being bullied by another notorious prisoner. Salander intervenes using extreme violence and faces heavy consequences. The second and more interesting story line is about twins being raised separately.
I don't want to give out too many details because Lagercrantz has built up the mystery quite skillfully. But this mystery goes deep into Salander's past and her relationship with her twin sister. It also finally explains Salander's dragon tattoo.
There are philosophical discussions about nature vs nurture - something expected when twins are reared differently, and I enjoyed these discussions. I also enjoyed the other characters introduced in this novel, and after a long time felt satisfied with the character development in the series.
The villains are a bit cartoonish though, or may I say James Bond-ish in style? There is a mad scientist who runs around with a doctor's bag of syringes and lethal poisons. There is a ludicrously inept gang boss, and of course there are the villains de jour - Islamists. Too much? I'd agree with you, but they were pretty amusing, and I didn't mind the ridiculousness all that much.
That's because of the plot's break-neck pace. I found myself reading and finishing this book in a couple of hours. And even though there were lots of incongruities in the plot, I didn't mind it. Pacey and mysterious, this book was a winner for me.
You can also buy a copy of this book from Amazon.
