The Girl Who Played with Fire

A Lisbeth Salander Novel

By: Stieg Larsson, Reg Keeland - translator

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 18 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

The electrifying follow-up to the phenomenal best seller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ("An intelligent, ingeniously plotted, utterly engrossing thriller" The Washington Post), and this time it is Lisbeth Salander, the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker, who is the focus and fierce heart of the story.

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to publish a story exposing an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government.

On the eve of publication, the two reporters responsible for the story are brutally murdered. But perhaps more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander.

Now, as Blomkvist, alone in his belief in her innocence, plunges into his own investigation of the slayings, Salander is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all.

Listen to the rest of The Millennium Trilogy.

©2009 Stieg Larsson (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

“Boasts an intricate, puzzle-like story line . . . even as it accelerates toward its startling and violent conclusion.” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

“[A] gripping, stay-up-all-night read.” ( Entertainment Weekly)

“Gripping stuff. . . . A nail-biting tale of murder and cover-ups.” ( People)

Riveting from start to finish

Only regret is that I didn't save a credit this month to get the next one.
Unusual story of an unusual life.
Excellently narrated.

Beyond Exceptional

Stieg Larsson's writing is thrilling enough for repeated readings; his books are less "who done it" than the amassing of psychological tensions between well-developed characters. I think of Salander's integrity when I need a reminder that it is okay if I am unlike others; I try to borrow this fictional character's strength and not care when I feel devalued and belittled. Larsson's career in journalism and dedicated fight for social justice provide insightful perspectives. His death gives me a phantom limb for the insights I will not have and the characters I will not think of when I need extra strength.

AMAZING

Couldn’t stop listening. Incredible story and performance by the narrator. As gripping and captivating if not more than the first book.

Amazing from front to back

Better than the first in my opinion!!! The way it’s written is perfect and the ending is a perfect lead into the 3rd installment!

another great book from this author

an excellent addition to the series. Hard to guess the ending unlike other crime novels

Riveting Story, hard to stop listening

Would you listen to The Girl Who Played with Fire again? Why?

Yes, I have listen to all 3 books and plan to listen again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Girl Who Played with Fire?

It is an intoxicating story, had me on the edge of my seat

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings a depth of experience and would not be possible if I just read it.
I have the life style that audio-books fit into.

Good sequel but.....

I loved the 1st installment of this series and gave it a 5 star and it did deserve it for its originality. The sequel was very well followed into Salander's life. The author did a great job showing Salander's past with the 'whodunnit' style suspense. The first few chapters regarding Salander's world tour didn't seem to fit in anywhere in this book (maybe it was built for the next book). Some reviewers have complained about the unfinished climax. But this book's story & characters are very well contained in itself without any reference or requirement of the previous sequel. The ONLY complaint I had with this book was the list of swedish names and places which was very difficult for me to keep up with. The author introduced bunch of characters with similar names (almost every name ended with a 'strum') which led to confusion over half of the book. Well the good part was those confusing names were not important for the listener to remember and the story would still unfold clearly. So apart from this, this is a good read and specially for listeners who have read the first one. Enjoy!!!

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!

If you could sum up The Girl Who Played with Fire in three words, what would they be?

O M G

What did you like best about this story?

This was such a great book! I watched the first movie and now read this book. But, be warned: If you start this one you better have the third book in the series ready to go when you finish.I loved the story, the narration, EVERYTHING!!

Have you listened to any of Simon Vance’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first Simon Vance's novel but I have already clicked on his name to see what else he has read.

Any additional comments?

I could not put it down! It was such a great book!!!

Cannot Get Enough

This sequel is superb! It keeps you on the edge of you seat. Lisbeth is a unique hero. Love it.

Wonderful second book!

What made the experience of listening to The Girl Who Played with Fire the most enjoyable?

The story went into a different direction. Very believeable.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes - kept wanting to find out more

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

Yes

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

One of the best series of books I have listened to in years and years!