53. the GIRL who PLAYED with FIRE

Stieg Larsson 2009
Translated from Swedish by Reg Keeland

This very entertaining 2nd book of the Millennium Trilogy pairs yet again Mikael Blomkvist, publisher and Lisbeth Salander, brilliant computer hacker into proving Lisbeth's innocence after she becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a journalist and his girlfriend just before the couple was due to publish their book about sex trade in Sweden. Lisbeth has to solve the murder while confronting her dark past.

"She lay on her back fastened by leather straps to a narrow bed with a steel frame. The harness was tight across her rib cage. Her hands were manacled to the sides of the bed."(3)

"She had discovered that the most effective method of keeping fear at bay was to fantasize about something that gave her a feeling of strength. She closed her eyes and conjured up the smell of gasoline."(4)

"He had come to realize that she was a world-class hacker, and within an exclusive international community devoted to computer crime at the highest level--and not only to combating it--she was a legend. She was known online only as Wasp."(13)

"Bjurman wrote down the words All The Evil. The years in foster homes? Some particular attack?"(39)

"Of all the crimes involving the sex trade, 99.9 percent are not reported to the police, and those that are hardly ever lead to change. This has got to be the biggest iceberg of all in the Swedish criminal world." (73)

"The theme of the May issue is the sex trade. The point we have to make is that trafficking is a crime against human rights and that these criminals must be exposed and treated like war criminals or death squads or torturers anywhere in the world."(75)

"In this sense there is a sort of gender perspective to my thesis. It's not often that a researcher can establish roles along gender lines so clearly. Girls--victims; boys--perpetrators."(79)

"She felt that some fundamental change had taken place or was taking place in her life. Maybe it was having access to billions of kronor and not having to think about every krona she spent. Maybe it was the adult world which was belatedly pushing its way into her life."(84)

"Mimmi and Salander did not have the same taste in clothes, furniture, or intellectual stimulation. Correction: Mimmi had taste and definite views on how she wanted her living quarters to look, what kind of furniture she wanted, and what sort of clothes one should wear. Salander had no taste whatsoever, Mimmi realized."(109)

"Dear Lisbeth, I'm writing this letter and leaving it on my hard drive knowing that sooner or later you'll read it...The events of the past few days have linked us again, whether you like or not...Help me. Please. What's the connection? Mikael."(250)

"What is she trying to say? Is Zala the link between Bjurman and Dag and Mia? How? Why? Who is he? And how did Salander know that? How is she involved?"(270)

"She was irritated by the passport photograph that appeared everywhere. She looked stupid."(311)

"As Salander watched Teleborian's face on TV, her heart became a little lump of ice. She wondered whether he still used the same disgusting aftershave. He had been responsible for what was defined as her care."(316)

"He had a state-endorsed mandate to tie down disobedient little girls with leather straps."(317)

"There are no innocents. There are, however, different degrees of responsibility."(323)

"It was completely impossible to box with her. She had only one style, which we called Terminator Mode. She would try to nail her opponent, and it didn't matter if it was just a warm-up of friendly sparring."(338)

"Paolo Roberto backed up, breathed as steadily as he could, and took stock. He's no boxer. He moves like a boxer, but he can't box for shit. He's only pretending. He can't block. He telegraphs his punches. Ans he's slow as a tortoise."(384)

First United States Edition
503 pages
Book owned