This is my review of Steig Larsson's (1) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, (2) The Girl Who Played with Fire, and (3) The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. The trilogy is an overall great read. (1) was the best by far, with multiple gripping plots weaving throughout and occasional delicious revenges. (2) was a letdown because the plotline was linear and, worse, it was sprinkled with repetitive, James Pattersonesque expressions such as "She bit her lip," and dozens of references to her crooked or lopsided smile. A simple "search and delete" would have removed those and improved the book considerably. (3) was better written than (2) and the ending was satisfyingly wrapped up. I would certainly recommend this trilogy to friends who like thrillers.
