This book has an interesting setting. It has the elements of being an investigative journalism novel, a suspenseful "find the murderer" novel, as well as a psychological thriller, all tied up into one neatly well-written book!
I rather enjoyed this book. It starts out very slowly but after the first 2-3 chapters, it picks up pretty quickly and sucks you in. It is by no means a "fast" read, but I got through it pretty quickly because I didn't really want to put it down. I will say also, this book is not for the faint of heart. There are a few rather graphic sexual scenes in the book, that you really can't "unread", if you know what I mean. That aside, it brings in an extra element of suspense and while the perversion is real and intense, it also makes you want to know more about the characters involved as well as their backgrounds.
My only real complaint with this book is that there are parts of it that seemed to drag on. While one of the main goals of the characters is to uncover the dirty deeds of a local businessman; I feel that the real story was found within the personal relationships of the characters in the novel. This being said, I feel that there was a lot of unnecessary information surrounding the "Wennerstrom Affair", as it is referred to in the novel, and other information regarding unveiling all of Wennerstrom's negative deeds, as opposed to what I really wanted to read about: The Love Triangle... (or maybe I should say Quadrangle, or Quint...angle? What am I even saying anymore?) This is not a love story in any way, shape, or form... but that element is there. I guess I'm just saying that I was more interested in that (as well as everything within the Vanger family).
I apologize, I know this is vague and if you haven't read it, you have no idea what I'm talking about. Like I said though, it's a book club selection! Perhaps I will write more thoughts later, but let's face it... probably not. :-(
This book is RECOMMENDED!
First line teaser: "It happened every year, was almost a ritual."
Next up: The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez
