THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, the second book in Steig Larrson’s Millenium Trilogy, ended with publisher Mikael Blomkvist dialing for emergency help after he found a man with an axe in his head and fugitive-from-the-law Lisbeth Salander in extremely critical condition with a bullet in hers.

THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST begins with Salander in the Intensive Care Unit. Her father is in a room down the hall, reportedly shot by Lisbeth. She has three bullets in her, including one in the brain, and he has an axe in the head. How did this happen? Why are the Swedish Secret Service surreptitiously going in and out of his room? Why do we pick on those we do not understand? It is easier for us to believe those that are in power than to question the truth.

There are so many layers to this story though that it never devolves into a trite government-versus-them conspiracy story. That is one aspect but only one aspect. The mental illness issues remain terrific, including the testimony of Salander's former psychiatrist from St. Stephen's State Mental Hospital. The computer hacking by Salander remains top notch. How many people can hack while recovering from gunshot wounds? Blomqvist is back again too, trying to protect Salander and getting his sister to defend her in court.

There is no unnecessary overt sex and, even though there is violence, it is believable. Blomqvist is a hero, the main brains behind the investigation. He is out to assist Lisbeth Salander in becoming the woman she is meant to be instead of the woman who was looked at as the mad lesbian killer. He says, "When it comes down to it, this story is not primarily about spies and secret government agencies; it's about violence against women, and the men who enable it."

There’s no Deus-ex-machina here: Larrson ties up many loose ends throughout the book - and this is key - throughout the book, not all in the last few chapters like so many other writers. The behaviours of the protagonists and the political mysteries that were touched upon earlier come to life and are explained. Most of all, there is closure for the main character. This novel sums up the story of Lisbeth Salander, but leaves us wondering what is to be.

And that emphasizes the tragic aspect of this final book: knowing that we will never again be graced with Larrson's amazing storytelling talent. ( )

While not available in the United States for another 6 months, I bought this British version through Ebay and it was worth the extra effort and price. This book is the conclusion of the Millenium trilogy and was the conclusion of the Sapo conspiracy started in the second book. This book is a monster at 600 pages but it was a great read. By the third book you should be able to keep all of the Swedish names straight, though it certainly is a challenge. I don't want to give away anything for those yet to read it but Lizbeth Salander is amazing and really more like a superhero than a human being. What a tragedy that Stieg Larsson died before these books were published... and a tragedy for the rest of us that this third book concludes the Millenium novels. Highly recommended. Probably one of the best series of the decade. ( )

Compared to the two first books in the trilogy (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire) this one has much less action, and is almost completely focused on the duel of two groups: one, a rogue team embedded in the Secret Police, trying to put Lisbeth away as mentally incompetent to protect their secrets; the other a cabal of friends dedicated to thwarting those plans. The plot is believable but intricate and the cast of characters does require some attention. Lisbeth spends almost the entire novel in hospital and her character really doesn't develop any further from where it was. A couple of sidelines enliven the action (a cyberstalker of Blomkvist’s lover, Berger) but they struck me as gratuitous to the story line. All turns out well in the end and there is a nice demolishing of the evil psychiatrist in court. The trilogy is nicely wrapped up, though it does lay the ground for further adventures; Larsson was reportedly planning a 10-volume series.

Looking over the trilogy as a whole, I agree with Christopher Hitchens's comments (Vanity Fair, Dec/09) that in keeping with Larsson’s professional life as an investigative journalist, the novels confront questions dealing with immigration, gender, white-collar crime, and the Internet, to which I would add the exploitation of women in the sex trade, the possibility of the criminal abuse of state power and the seductive and pernicious influence of power married with paranoia and a self-serving certitude that brook no questioning or disagreement, all of which reinforces the concomitant need for eternal vigilance in protecting democratic principles and human rights, a role often played by an independent journalism (not TV) that spurs the system to action.

The first comment I have to make is that I’m in mourning knowing there will never be another amazing work from Stieg Larsson. The world has truly lost one of the best writers of the century.
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest is the third in Steig’s Millennium series following The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire. And it’s the best of the three by far. His storytelling is factual and very precise and you might think because the novel is almost 600 pages that in it you’ll find it unnecessarily wordy, well you’d be wrong. The novel entails an enormous amount of information crucial to the telling of the tale. And what a tale it is, he gives you espionage, murder, gang bangers, cops, newspaper reporters, secret police and some of the cruelest villains ever to grace the pages of a novel. The plot is amazing in it’s intricacy and the detail is awe-inspiring and the story is uniquely his. The characters include some old friends from his first two books and some new friends and new enemies, but don’t fear that you won’t know them well because Stieg has a way to intimate you with each and every one. His dialogue is flowing and yes sometimes the minutiae is mind boggling, but every line is important to the telling of the story.
If you haven’t yet read this series, now is definitely the time. It’s something you’ll treasure and something you’ll re-read. It will become a permanent part of your library and you’ll find yourself talking about it with friends and lamenting the fact that his voice has been forever silenced. So get ready for the ride of your life and get ready for nail biting, edge of your seat, breathe holding excitement. Get ready to read the next to top the bestseller list. Get ready to be entertained like you never have before. Get ready to Kick the Hornet’s Nest! ( )

OK so I've just finished the third part of the Millenium Trilogy and its on a par with the preceding books. Personally I would place the second book "The Girl Who Played With Fire" marginally ahead of the other two books simply becuase it seemed to possess slightly greater energy and momentum really drove that aspect of the story to its conclusion. Book 3 very much continues where that one finishes and is another thoroughly enjoyable read. If only the fourth book has been completed before the author's untimely demise we could be looking forward to even more. ( )