The book club girls picked The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson for this month's read. Although I had heard of the book, I mistakenly thought this was an Asian novel (Dragon tattoo!) and was surprised to find it was based in Sweden. Stieg Larsson weaves his story around Stockholm and the small island of Hedeby. Mikael Blomkvist, a disgraced Swedish journalist, takes an assignment which lures him from the city and plunks him in the midst of a snow covered island populated by the Vanger family. One of the family members had disappeared and Blomkvist was chosen to solve the mystery. Although Stieg Larsson died shortly after signing a contract with a publisher, his novels have been translated into over 40 languages and sold millions world wide. Swedish film makers produced the film version and U.S. producers are now following. Although I enjoyed the mystery, there were a few gruesome scenes (rape and torture).
