Vicious, complex, satisfying

Vicious, complex and deeply satisfying, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest concludes the epic trilogy by Stieg Larsson. Dangers persist for Lisbeth Salander, the “girl” in the title. Violent men still want her dead. She remains a political threat to the conspirators who locked her away as a child and who continue their efforts to shut her away forever. But another conspiracy has formed, consisting of people who believe Salander is a victim rather than a danger to society, and who try to protect her by breaking open the secrecy around her. The two forces clash, and more people die as time runs out on the chance to save her, or kill her, or lock her up for good. Though Larsson planned 10 books for the series, he left few loose ends after the three he finished before his death in 2004. Still, more of Salander and company would have been welcome.