The Mao Case - Qiu Xiaolong

Although labelled as a murder mystery, The Mao Case and other works from Qiu Xiaolong, are deeper stories concerning with the rapidly changing and mutating society in millenium China. The shadow of Mao and the Cultural Revolution looms over a society which is looking towards the future. 

Inspector Chen is both a poet and detective. Cultured and educated, he is entrusted with investigating the suddenly affluent lifestyle of Jiao, granddaughter of a disgraced movie star. But as he begins his investigation, the body of Jiao's friend is found in the garden of a gently decaying Shanghai mansion.

The case is politically sensitive, due to the connection between Jiao's grandmother and Chairman Mao. In fact, Internal police are convinced that Jiao holds some secret material from Mao, which cannot be allowed to resurface and tarnish his beloved and treasured image. 

This is a crime novel of a different ilk. Originating as it does from a different culture, Xiaolong's story offers a different type of crime novel - intellectual and educated. It is wistful, literate and utterly unique.

House of Cards - William D. Cohan

Wall Street has long been a source of fascination for me and many people. It's kind of frightening to think that the money you earn and spend, the money you invest in pensions and savings, and the debts you incur are all influenced by the actions of a relatively small group of (mainly) men located in financial centres like Wall Street.

House of Cards tells the story of Bear Stearns, a global investment bank, which was the first major casualty of the recent crisis in the financial markets. Bear Stearns was a pioneer in the area of securitisation and asset-backed securities which initially resulted in bumper figures at the bank, but ultimately led to its downfall in 2008. This resulted in the bank being sold in a firesale to JP Morgan Chase.

The story starts in 2008 and recounts the mounting pressure on the bank's executives as they faced an unparalleled liquidity crisis in the overnight lending market, resulting in the sale of the proud and historic bank, all in the space of just 10 days. Having established the present, Cohan then starts to take us through the history and key personalities of Bear Stearns.

What emerges is a portrait of how powerful and dominant personalities came to be in charge of billions of dollars. One of the main figures in the rise, and ultimate downfall, of Bear Stearns is long-serving CEO Jimmy Cayne. Named as one of the worst American CEOs of all time, Cayne is endemic of both the brilliance and faults that lay at the heart of the bank. A championship bridge player, he was playing in a tournament when B.S. hedge funds experienced difficulty, and it was clear to see that he did not comprehend the financial instruments upon which the success of Bear Stearns had been built.

Cohan paints a picture of character over integrity, forcefulness and personality over knowledge and regulation. It is a scary world, full of folly. Many people are confused about recent events, but House of Cards is a wonderful place to start to learn. It is well researched, detailed and well-written. Cohan does not eulogise, but simply presents the personalities and facts. There is no need for embellishment - the outcomes of recent years speak for themselves.

Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

hush, hush will surely be the hot new thing in the world of young adult fiction. The publishers have bought forward the publication date from 2010 to October 2009, just in time to capture the Christmas market and capture some of the Twilight audience.

Nora is a young woman with hopes of an Ivy Leage university. Good grades are crucial to her hopes, so she is understandably concerned when paired with uncooperative biology partner Patch. Patch is dark, brooding and undeniably alluring. But best friend Vee doesn't like him.

Nora lost her father the year before, and now her mother works away from home, leaving Nora on her own for days at a time. Nora has frequently felt a dark presence around her, and it only becomes more amplified as she spends time with Patch.

There are obvious parallels with the Twilight universe, except for the key difference that Patch is a fallen angel, who has been given a choice. He can become a guardian angel and regain his wings, or become human, the overarching desire that caused him to lose his wings in the first place. Nora is crucial to this choice, and she is drawn into a web of plots and undercurrents beyond her control.

This is most definitely a teen novel, full of unspoken desire and throbbing bits. It will work for its intended audience, who probably are feeling a gap in their lives. But overall, I did think that Nora was a little weak to be the main character, but in contrast the character of Patch hits all the spots.

25 Most Influential Books of the Past 25 Years

The culture magazine Mental Floss features an article in it's latest edition concerning the 25 Most Influential Books of the Past 25 years. It's not your typical list of critically acclaimed books, instead author Rosemary Ahern has gathered a different collection of books.

Books include Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist", chosen for the way that Coelho redefined book distribution by making the book available for free on the internet. Other books include the incredibly popular "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" by Alan Carr and Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed" which played a part in the decision of the American Congress to raise the minimum wage.

Whether or not you agree with the list, it is at least a thought provoking that is different to the usual "Best 100 Books" type thing.

The Wolf of Wall Street - Jordan Belfort

Jordan Belfort was living proof of the American dream in the heady days of Wall Street. Nicknamed the "Wolf of Wall Street", he lived in a fabulous mansion, with his beautiful wife and child, flew his helicopter, indulged in copious amounts of drugs, all while running a busy brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmount, which he had founded.

Stratton Oakmount found fame as one of the biggest "boiler room" brokerage firms. Belfort was eventually convicted of selling purpotedly profitable stocks at inflated prices and spent two years in jail. This book attempts to tell the tale of his high life and how it all fell apart around him as his drug addiction spiralled out of control.

There is no doubting what this man, and his company did, was odious. But as you read the book, what really comes across are Belfort's superb skills as a salesman and motivator. This is evident in every description of his motivational sessions at Stratton Oakmount, and even later when he was in rehab. You can only imagine what he was like to listen to in real life.

Also apparent from the book is the scale of Jordan's intelligence. He comes across as quite a clever person, who however, devoted a significant part of his life to circumventing stock trading laws. His descrption of how he bugged the SEC personnel who were investigating his books is quite amusing and novel.

His descriptions of his drug taking make you realise how easy it can be for an intelligent person to persuade themselves that their drug problem is under control not a problem at all.

This book is quite a quick-paced, interesting and amusing read. Granted, the subject matter is unpleasant to some, but it is entertaining and quite an interesting insight into the mind of Jordan Belfort.

Where Am I Wearing? - Kelsey Timmerman

I received an advance copy of this soon to be published book courtesy of Kim at John Wiley & Sons.

Kelsey Timmerman is a travel writer who blogs at Where Am I Wearing? One day he took notice of the labels inside his clothes and a quest began. As the author himself says:

I was made in America. My “Jingle These” Christmas boxers were MADE IN BANGLADESH. I had an all-American childhood in rural Ohio. My all-American blue jeans were MADE IN CAMBODIA. I wore flip-flops every day for a year when I worked as a SCUBA diving instructor in Key West. They were MADE IN CHINA. One day while staring at a pile of clothes on the floor, I noticed the tag of my favorite T-shirt: MADE IN HONDURAS. I read the tag. My mind wandered.

I liked the fact that Timmerman's first trip to Honduras to meet some garment factory workers turns out to be not such a success. He found it difficult to frame questions to workers, consequently feelt embarassed and returned home without having really achieved anything. I found this honesty refreshing and in stark contrast to the bolshy attitude of many crusaders.

However, the question remained in Timmerman's mind, and he decided to try again. He travels to Bangladesh where he gains access to a garment factory under the "guise" of an American website owner on the quest for cheaper merchandising. To our hilarity, the aforementioned Jingle These boxers are examined minutely by the garment factory manufacturers in order to determine their providence. He shares a day with Arifa, a determined and able worker in one of the Bangladeshi factories.

Timmerman continues his on his journey to Cambodia where he befriends a group of young female garment factory workers who make jeans andtakes them bowling and for pizaza, much to their bemusement. He then proceeds to China where he meets a young couple who live far apart from their son and family in order to work at the factory where the author's flip flops were made.

In all instances, Timmerman describes the surrounding economic situation of the country and the context/importance of the garment industry within that country. He reviews the western attitude to sweatshops and child labour. Overall, the reader is left with the conclusion that the author didn't visit anywhere that would disgust us, but rather visited places where life is tough and the only option open to many people is to work long, hard hours. It's not the child labour itself that is awful, but the fact that it is a necessity for many children in the developing world to work.

Despite Timmerman's journey, there is a distinct sensation of dis-involvement (is that a word?) or distance in the book. The author doesn't really make any moral judgements, but rather presents the facts for us to read and review. The pace of the first half of the book is somewhat lacklustre but it does gain some momentum and attraction in the second half as the author himself appears to warm to his quest.

The book is written very much in the style of a blogger, as opposed to a serious journalist, and is a suitable read for someone wishing to learn more about the world of cheap, mass-produced clothing. Timmerman doesn't overwhelm us with statistics and obscure legalities and economics, but presents it as he saw it. The decision is up to you.

The Secret Lives of Men - Christopher Blazina

I received a copy of The Secret Lives of Men: What Men Want You to Know About Love, Sex and Relationships from the author Christopher Blazina, who took pity on me following my surgery to correct a detached retina, and promised to send me a copy to read while recovering. Unfortunately, the book arrived long after I had returned to work, but I still looked forward to reading it. So a big thank you to the author for following through on his promise.

TBH, self-help and guides to better living are not generally my thing. I do take a certain pride in the fact that I think things through as much as I can, and also discuss things very frankly with my better half. However, you can never know enough and different perspectives can be quite illuminating. So I approached the book with an optimistic and open mind.

To be honest, while the title of the book concerns itself with males, both sexes can learn valuable lessons from this book as the author takes an unbiased approach. He aims to teach the important people in a man's life on how to connect and interact in a meaningful way. The author states the 10 commandments of being male and the pressures and fear that face modern men on a regular basis.

My only complaint is that the book is possibly too long. A shorter snappier book might be easier for people to complete and digest. However, it is an interesting take on how to emotionally connect with an important person in your life.

The Final Reckoning - Sam Bourne

I wanted a nice easy book to read on the Eurostar between London and Brussels, and I hadn't read a thriller in ages. It's pretty clear when you look at any bookstore shelves at the moment that Sam Bourne seems to be the nom de jour. The Final Reckoning is his latest novel and judging by the author's notes and comments at the rear of the book, it is well researched and very much based in fact.

A elderly man is shot dead in front of the UN in New York. A disillusioned ex-UN lawyer is asked to visit the relatives of the deceased and stumbles upon a secret reaching all the way from the Holocaust and some of the darkest times known. Excepting the relationship between the lead male and female characters, the book fairly rattles along and is an easy, gripping read. Other characters come in and out of the novel and are dropped before the climax leaving you with a sense of shadows and unfleshed characters.

The great positive about this novel is that it left me with a desire to find out more about the historical events and people upon which the novel is based. Sam Bourne isn't writing anything incredibly new or original, but for the most part, he is writing it well.

College Girl - Patricia Weitz

Author: Patricia Weitz

I received an ARC copy of College Girl from Penguin Group USA and it immediately looked like a book I would want to read. I couldn't find the note, if any, that came with the book, and therefore I do not know who to thank. Unfortunately, due to a combination of work and exams, it took me a while to get around to reading the book.

However, once I did pick up the book, I absolutely devoured it from cover to cover. The story is based on hard-working studious Natalie Bloom. Coming from a working class background, she is determined to better herself and earn respect through hard work in college. She constantly struggles against her upbringing which has left her with a repressed sexuality and questions about her brother's suicide.

The feelings of lonliness and sexual curiosity that are common to university students are keenly evoked by the author and you will find yourself nodding along and agreeing with so many of the incidents. As Natalie develops sexual relationships and friendships, you will want to catch her and stop her from hurting herself. The story took me back to my own college days and my own efforts at those crucial first adult relationships.

It is a credit to the author that the book is easy and light to read, despite the heartful subjects at hand. It is an accurate experience of the college experience and I would recommend it as good reading for any young student who has questions about themselves and their relationships. To make an analogy that shows my age, it's a Judy Blume book for the college generation.

Empress Orchid - Anchee Min

Author: Anchee Min
Empress Orchid tells the tale of the early life of Empress Dowager Cixi, the last empress of China. She is a controversial figure, often blamed for the downfall of the Qing dynasty and Imperial China. It is somewhat accepted now that she may not have been as despotic as comtemporary press made her out to be, but she was definitely of a conservative and nationalistic political stance. Anchee Min's dramatisation of her early life is sympathetic, but even so, I still caught glimpses of a shrewd and determined operator.

Orchid enters the Forbidden City at a long age, having been selected through open competition to be a concubine and wife to the Emperor Hsien Feng. Her early time in the compound are filled with loneliness and desolation as she remains unselected for the Imperial bed. She begins to play the system, resulting in becoming a favourite of the emperor, bearing him a male heir, and gaining exposure to the political and foreign pressures faced by the emperor.

The book follows Orchid's life as the health of both the emperor and China itself decline. Orchid is forced to come into a more open role in order to secure the future of her son. We are treated to glimpses of a sympathetic, yet driven and manipulative character. Upon finishing the book, you aren't too sure who Orchid really was, whether she was truly a person capable of manouvers, or whether life in the Forbidden city had turned her into such a person.

This is an excellently colourful book, packed with descriptions of the costumes and courts of the era. However, it also captures the sense of decline and confusion that must have been rampant in the China of the time.

Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips

Author: Marie Philips

Remember the Greek gods? Zeus, Hera, Athena, Artmis, Persephone, Apollo and Hermes, to name but a few. Their legendary acts are just that, the stuff of legend. But imagine how this rather unique, incestuous family would manage in modern times. Dsyfunctional doesn't quite fit the bill.

These gods are the real deal but the unfortunate lack of a believer base means that their powers are in decline. That's gotta be tough for once-omnipotent beings to deal with.

Things get interesting when they hire a mortal cleaner, Alice. As in tales of old, the mortals play with human emotions and lives. However, this time their games take a deadly turn of events.

This is a funny tale, which gives nice nods to the greek legends and myths of yore. The characters are endearing, and at times downright funny. (Think about Aphrodite working as a telephone sex line operator). The book is short, snappy and lively.

Vellum: The Book of All Hours - Hal Duncan

Author: Hal Duncan

Vellum is a book that I'd been meaning to read for quite a while. It was always on prominent display in my nearby bookshops and the rough textured cover of the paperback version hinted at a great read. From reading collected reviews on LibraryThing and Amazon.co.uk, it appears that public opinion is pretty divided on the merits of this novel. And I'm afraid that I'm coming down on the side of the confused and bewildered.

On one hand this book is rich with cultural references, old legends and a grand scale. On the other hand, it moves back and forth through time and rambles from character to character. After an initially intriguing opening section (which lured me in) the book deteriorated. I gave it the 100 page test (read 100 pages and see how you feel then) and because I don't like giving up on books, it got the 200 page test. Then due to having to wait in a hospital for 2 hours it got to over 300 pages. It was then I realised how many of the seemingly disparate threads in the story were being woven together, but at that point I didn't really care anymore. The non-linear narrative was just too disjointed for me.

The lack of distinct characters in this book, their replacement with overarching characters that transcend time and location is confusing and for me, offputting. It's clear that this is a book into which the author invested a lot of time and research. It's just not for everyone and it's not for me. I definitely won't be picking up the sequel.

Tokyo Year Zero - David Peace

Author: David Peace

Sometimes you read a book that rather viciously forces you to adapt to it's style of writing. Irvine Welsh's "Trainspotting" was such a book for me, as was Tolkien's "The Simarillion" and Hal Duncan's "Vellum". Books like this aren't always bad, in fact they can be truly great, but they push you into an uncomfortable zone. Once in that zone, you will either acclimatise or give up.. My recent reading of "Vellum" was a sense of bewilderment and borderline refusal, whereas "Trainspotting" is a hilarious, and gripping read.

I felt mildly uncomfortable reading "Tokyo Year Zero". It's definitely an ambitious novel, based on a true crime committed in post-surrender Japan, in a country where lives have been destroyed and a proud people are surviving hand to mouth. Given the struggling state of the country, it's odd to think that murders are being investigated but Inspector Minami is assigned to the case and quickly uncovers that the murder is not a once-off but part of the handiwork of a serial rapist and killer.

It's clear that Minami is a man struggling with the world around him, and Peace uses inner monologues to bring the character to the reader. Repetitive sequences of words are designed to evoke the sounds of the world but fail to engage. Instead they feel intrusive and distracting. Although it's clear that the book is well-researched and the despair of post-war Japan is quite evocative, the unexciting plot, combined with the repetitive writing, means that the book falls short.

Candyfreak - Steve Almond

Author: Steve Almond

Steve Almond is a guy who loves candy. And he also happens to be a writer. So why not put the two together and write a book that explores his obsession with candy as well as visiting small local candy factories throughout the USA.

Being Irish, I didn't recognise a lot of the candy bars mentioned in this book (with the exception of dark Kit Kats), but what I did understand was this author's passion and humour when it came to the subject of candy. Parts of this book will have you laughing out loud. He is never afraid to be open and honest, and you will finish this book with a sense of connection to the author.

As part of his research, Almond arranged to visit several small regional manufacturers throughout the states, including Philadelphia (Peanut Chews), Sioux City (Twin Bing), Nashville (Goo Goo Cluster), and Boise (Idaho Spud). The character portraits drawn of the factory owners and employees are endearing, but the author's fascination with the machinery used to create candy and his obsessional thieving fresh bars from the production line when not being watched are hilarious. Also amusing are his efforts to avoid candies containing coconut.

This is one sweet treat of a book.

East of the Sun - Julia Gregson

Author: Julia Gregson

I received East of the Sun by accident when Play.com sent me the wrong book by accident. I was annoyed when I opened the envelope, as I had been expecting The Pirate's Daughter (reviewed here earlier), but after I read a few pages of East of the Sun, I decided to keep it.

This of course led to confusion on the part of Play when I offered to pay for the book. They kept offering me money so that I could return it to them. Suffice to say, I still haven't managed to pay them for this book, despite my best efforts.

The only annoying thing about this book was the firmly attached Richard and Judy Bookclub sticker. I hate stickers on books and the first thing I will do after a purchase in the book is remove all price tags, promotional stickers and labels. Given that any book sold in Waterstones these days can have a "3 for 2" offer, a Richard and Juby label and a price tag means that removing all stickers can take a fair amout of time. I also hate those shops that don't use easy to peel stickers. Shame on you. It seems that I'm not the only person in world who obsesses over this though - read here.

Back to the book in question. It's set in the late 1920s and features a young English lady, Rose, who is taking the boat to India to marry a young calvary officer who she barely knows. Accompanying her is her friend Tor, who failed to find a young man at the last debs season and is now hoping to find a partner in India, where women are in short supply. They are chaperoned by Viva, who is returing to the India she left as a child in order to make sense of her family history.

The novel follows the tales of the three women, each with a distinct personality as they struggle in the face of tough relationships and the increasing political turmoil in India. It's a wonderful tale of friendship, and while romance and relationships are part of this story, they never really dominate the central theme of friendship. The scenery and settings in the book are fabulously described and capture an era that is now gone, that of British colonial India.

This is a great read - not too strenuous or tough, but still with meaning.

Horus Rising - Dan Abnett

Up to now, my only exposure to the Warhammer 40,000 series has been via science fiction bookstores and games shops where you can purchase the miniatures. I know it's hugely popular but I've never dipped in before. I also have a feeling that the local factory, Prince August, where I worked as a teenager also was involved in the manufacture of miniatures. But until now, I had dismissed novels like this as pulp fiction. I'm glad to say that I was wrong.

This book, the first in the Horus Heresy series, is set prior to the universe portrayed in the Warhammer 40k universe and the series promises fans the chance to learn the history behind the game. The book tells us how the Emperor of Man has retired from everyday life for a chance to persue his studies, and appoints Horus to act as Warmaster in his stead. The Imperium of Man is on a crusade throughout the universe, destroying cultures, alien and human alike, that refuse to accept their teachings. The Imperium have removed religion and superstition from their existence.

Horus acts in the Emperor's stead, assisted by his Astartes warriors, genetically enhanced superhumans. The Astaertes warrior Loken, one of the inner circle who advises Horus, fights a strange battle where a fellow soldier changes form. This begins to point the way towards the story for the remainder of the series.

The battles scenes are graphic, there is not doubting that, but the book is surprisingly rich in content. The leading Astartes warriors, especially Loken, are used to add human feelings and touches to the story and the scene is cleverly laid for the next in the series. All in all it's a surprising good read.

My Father's Paradise - Ariel Sabar

I recently received an ARC copy of My Father's Paradise, courtesy of Algonquin Books (Thanks Lindsey). The author, Ariel Sabah, is the son of a Kurdish Jewish immigrant to the United States, and this is the story of family and his heritage.

The story opens with the author's grandparents and their life in Kurdistan. A Jewish community had existed in Iraq for many centuries, speaking a form of Aramaic (the language spoken by Jesus). This Jewish community existed harmoniously with their Iraqi neighbours, as they had done for centuries, but remained largely illiterate and isolated from the outside world. We meet the author's grandparents and learn the story of their marriage and the tale of their lost daughter Rifka. However, as the the tensions of the 20th century eventually filter through to the remote town of Zahko, where Yona (the author's father) and his parents live. In the face of rising racism and intolerance, the Jews being to leave Iraq, fleeing to the fledgling state of Israel. More than 120,000 Jews left Iraq, making it one of the largest, and least known, diasporas in history.

The tale follows the family to Israel, where they encounter more prejudice, this time from their Jewish brethren. The Kurdish Jews are considered backwards, rural and superstitious by the recent European immigrants to Israel. Yona, however, is determined to better himself and works hard to obtain a university education. It is here that his interest in his native tongue, Aramaic is sparked, and he begins his lifelong career, working to document the language. Eventually, he moves to America to study for a Ph.D. where he marries and raises a family.

Yona never really returns to Israel, despite the wishes of his parents. He becomes an internationally acclaimed professor at UCLA, but his son, the author, is embarassed as a teenager by what he sees as his immigrant ways. As the author begins to raise his own family, he becomes interested in his own family's past and begins to research their history. The result is this fascinating and captivating tale.

Father and son return to Iraq and Zahko and tensions between them are eased. But the author becomes obsessed with the tale of his father's lost sister and this obsession, which his father refuses to shares, begins to drive a wedge between the newly enhanced relationship between father and son.

This was one book I found so hard to put down. The tale of the Kurdish Jews is largely unknown in history and this book serves to highlight a largely hitherto untold part of history. It is told with a personal touch, and it is heart touching to read about the author's story of discovery, both of his heritage and of himself. This is a powerful story and is bound to resonate with every reader.

Firmin - Sam Savage

I first took note of Firmin when I saw that a person with a similar library profile on LibraryThing.com had recently added the book. It caught my interest from the get go, seeing as how it is that interesting thing, a book about books.

Here's a word of warning before you even pick this book up in the shop. It is heartbreakingly sad. Firmin is the runt of his litter, born to a drunken rat mother in the basement of Pembroke Books. Fed on a diet of shredded James Joyce, he develops a taste for literature and dares to dream above his position in life. Firmin becomes human through his fascination with our books, but his attempts to communicate are dashed everytime. Firmin just wants to be loved and even dreams of the "Lovelies" - the beautiful women who star in burlesque shows.

We watch the demolition of a historic part of Boston through the eyes of the rat, and mourn with him as the burlesque shows and shabby businesses are removed in the name of progress. It's amazing how the story of a human rat shows up the lack of humanity in humans.

The Terror - Dan Simmons

I picked The Terror up ages ago in Waterstones, but didn't get around to reading it until recently. It was billed as a horror story in the store, which isn't a genre I normally read, but the premise sounded quite interesting and I am a fan of author Dan Simmons' other books including Hyperion.

The Terror is based on the true story of the ill-fasted Franklin expedition to the Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage. Two ships, the Erebus and the Terror, set sail to find the passage and their fates were never known. Graves and artefacts were found by other explorers but the story of the hundred plus men will never be fully known.

Simmons cleverly uses this true story as the base for this fantastically thrilling novel. The dark nature of the human psyche is the true monster in this tale, not the huge beast that is methodically slaughtering crew members. The decline of the human body and the human mind is brilliantly explored and proves to be more chilling than the brutal attacks of the white beast. The story is well researched and it's all too easy to imagine yourself there in the dark and the cold, wrapped in clothes that never fully dry out. The invasion of the white Europeans into the lands of the native Inuit is also introduced in this book through the use of Inuit mythology.

This is a large book and the pace is somewhat glacial, if you'll pardon the pun. However, it's well worth the read. Just wrap up warm as you read.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

There are some fantastic works of investigative fiction being written in Scandinavian countries these days. Anyone who is a fan of the Kurt Wallander series of books by Henning Mankell will know what I mean. Now we have a new addition to the shelf, courtesy of deceased author, Stieg Larsson.

This is the first volume in the Millenium trilogy and after finishing this first installment, I am very much looking forward to the next two volumes. Larssson, a well respected journalist, died in 2004 soon after delivering the manuscripts for 3 crime novels to his publisher. While we have two more tales to look forward to, it's also a pity to realise that there won't be any more novels coming from the pen of this author.

The tale is split between the shady secrets of a wealthy family and the murky dealings of a famous businessman. Mikael Blomkvist, a recently disgraced journalist, is hired by Henrik Vanger to investigate the disappearance of his niece almost 40 years ago. Vanger promises Blomkvist the means to clear his good name as part of the payment and Blomkvist accepts. We also meet Lisbeth Salander, a disturbed young woman with a troubled past, but a brilliant investigative mind.

This is an excellent taut thriller, and features several climatic events. The author manages to maintain an excellent pace throughout, but still delivers a strong social lesson while providing the thrills. It is an intelligent thriller with a conscience.