The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson

Title: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest

Author: Stieg Larsson

Published: January 2007

Salander is plotting her revenge - against the man who tried to kill her, and against the government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. But it is not going to be a straightforward campaign. After taking a bullet to the head, Salander is under close supervision in Intensive Care, and is set to face trial for three murders and one attempted murder on her eventual release. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at Millennium magazine, Salander must not only prove her innocence, but identify and denounce the corrupt politicians that have allowed the vulnerable to become victims of abuse and violence. Once a victim herself, Salander is now ready to fight back.

Rating: 3 Stars

I really wasn't a fan of the final installment of the Millennium trilogy. To me there was too much on Swedish politics in this book, something which doesn't interest me at all, and not enough new story. The only sections that really grabbed my attention was Erika's stalker and Salander's trial. 

The other thing, aside from the politics, that really bugged me was the introduction of so many new characters and sub-storylines. I felt like there were too many strings, and whilst everything ties up neatly in the end, it made the story extremely hard to follow for me. 

Even Salander wasn't really herself, not that that wasn't to be expected given that she'd just taken a bullet to the head at the end of The Girl Who Played With Fire. Blomkvist however came into his own, working with Salander's hacking friends in order to get the verdict that they wanted from the trial and also realising when they were all being followed. But Blomkvist still annoys me in that he's picked up another new woman, although it seems that he is a bit more serious about her. 

Despite all of that though, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest has the same charm of the first two where you find yourself wanting to hate Larsson but being unable too. 

Would I recommend this book? Although I didn't enjoy it as much as the others in the series I think it's still worth a read, mainly because you need to know what happens to Salander.