Everyone I know raves about the Stieg Larsson "Girl Who" novels. I have read the first two (Played with Fire and Dragon Tattoo) and recently downloaded the third one, Hornet's Nest, to read soon.
I'll say this about Larsson: the novels are gripping. They are quintessential airport novels... the kind you buy to read in airports or while traveling and then leave somewhere when you finish them.
But the first two were gruesome. The sex crimes and perversions were far beyond anything I even care to know about, much less dwell on. They reminded me of the first couple of "Deadly Sin" novels by Lawrence Sanders (I read the first two many years ago and then decided I couldn't stomach any more). Quite frankly, I'm non-plussed that his stuff continues to sell. Sure the writing is gripping, but the content is pretty off-putting. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, given that I've read many novels myself from this genre.
Also, Larsson's heroine is a nearly impossible to believe computer geek/wizard. In a bind? Wave your hands and magically she can use computers to extricate them from the situation. I was reminded of Kidd from the John Sandford novels, which are also fun to read but which tax credulity. But maybe I'm just computer ignorant.
Putting Sanders and Sandford together, though, and combining the worst of both, makes the Larsson novels far from something I would recommend.
So why did I download the third one? I decided near the end of the second one that I wouldn't bother to read any more of his novels, but Ms. Eclectic assures me the third isn't nearly so gruesome. I hope she's right.
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