by Denise Mina
First published 2013
Mikael Blomkvist faces professional ruin after a libel conviction destroys his credibility as a crusading journalist. Harriet Vanger's elderly uncle offers him a lifeline: solve the mystery of his niece's disappearance forty years ago. The Vanger family controls one of Sweden's largest fortunes, but their wealth cannot explain what happened to Harriet. Mikael's investigation stalls until he partners with Lisbeth Salander, a tattooed and pierced computer expert with her own dark past. Salander has just escaped a brutal confrontation with Nils Bjurman, the man appointed as her legal guardian. Together, Mikael and Lisbeth uncover a web of crimes that reaches deep into Sweden's most powerful circles. Their search for Harriet reveals corruption and violence that spans generations. The case becomes personal for both investigators as they realize the danger extends beyond the missing woman to themselves.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, unlikely-partners
Setting: Sweden
Period: 20th-century
160 pages · Hardcover · Vertigo
Content warnings: violence