The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- 16 hrs 19 min
- Millennium Trilogy, Book 1
- Rated 4.6 ★ on Audible
Peter’s Verdict
A thrilling, addictive mystery with heroes unlike any you’ve met in the genre, and Simon Vance gives every character a voice of their own. It starts slowly, but push through and you’ll be rewarded.
Originally published in Swedish as “Men Who Hate Women,” this award-winning mystery by the late Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson follows Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist whose career is crumbling. He’s hired to investigate a 40-year-old mystery: the disappearance of Harriet Vanger from a family gathering.
Blomkvist teams up with Lisbeth Salander, the societal outcast of the title: a ward of the State with piercings, tattoos and a goth/biker look who has no interest in obeying the rules. When the pair link Harriet’s disappearance to a string of grotesque murders from forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. Not everyone is happy that they’re digging.
Simon Vance brings the book to life in a wonderful way. He gives each character a unique and believable voice and keeps the narrative flowing perfectly through the suspense.
It does start slowly, but push through and you’ll be rewarded.
You’ve probably heard the rave reviews for this book and the others in the trilogy. Believe them. When you finish, continue with my review of The Girl Who Played with Fire.
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Listen if…
- You want a dark, twisty mystery with a family secret at its heart
- You like characters who are enduring and refreshingly different
- You’re ready to commit to a trilogy (about 55 hours across all three books)
Skip it if…
- You want a fast opening: this one takes a while to get going
- You prefer lighter reads: the story deals with violence and abuse
Where to listen to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Audible has the Simon Vance recording.
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