The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

       Well, I finally got around to reading my proof copy of Dragon Tattoo, yes I know, I've had it a while - good grief the third book has come out in the time it's taken me to pick it up. Not sure what was putting me off but a friend commented on how much he had enjoyed the first two books, so I guess I thought what the hell.  For some reason, despite all the hype and actually having the book on my shelf I didn't realise that it was a crime story. Given that the author was a crusading journalist (died prior to publication of his thee books) there is a large section of the sory that buzzes with corporate skulldugerry, financial reporting and investigative journlism.  It was interesting up to a point but to be honest a lot of it left me behind.  That said I really enjoyed the story and only skimmed the technical mergers sections.  The majority of the story revolves around the disappearance of  a girl some 30 years earlier and the emergence of the book's main female protagonist.  I found her the most interesing thing in the book, she's brutal and vulnerable. I'm rather hoping that the next two books focus on her - I'm guessing that they do. Plot was guessible but it was the characters that drove this story.