The novel reaches its climax as Salander confronts Zalachenko and his henchman, Ronald Niedermann, at a remote farm. In a brutal encounter, Salander is shot and buried alive but manages to dig herself out. As she attempts to kill Zalachenko with an axe, Blomkvist arrives on the scene. The book ends with Blomkvist finding the gravely injured Salander and calling for emergency services, leaving readers on a cliffhanger until the next installment in the series.

Themes

• Uncovering hidden truths 

• Exposing corruption

• The impact of childhood trauma on adult behavior

• Gender-based violence and exploitation

• The power of technology and hacking

• Institutional failures and cover-ups

• Resilience and survival against overwhelming odds

• The complex nature of justice and revenge

Setting

Set in the mid-2000s, The Girl Who Played with Fire unfolds primarily in Stockholm, Sweden. The story spans various locations within the city, from Lisbeth Salander's newly purchased apartment to the offices of Millennium magazine where Mikael Blomkvist works. Key scenes also take place in other parts of Sweden, including a remote farm near Göteborg where the climactic confrontation occurs.

The novel's setting extends beyond Sweden's borders, with the opening scenes taking place on the Caribbean island of Grenada. This tropical backdrop provides a stark contrast to the cold, urban environment of Stockholm where most of the action transpires. The international scope of the story is further emphasized through references to sex trafficking networks stretching from Eastern Europe to Sweden.

Throughout the narrative, Larsson paints a vivid picture of contemporary Swedish society, touching on issues such as government corruption, organized crime, and the dark underbelly of Stockholm's seemingly progressive facade. The author's intimate knowledge of the city's geography and social landscape adds a layer of authenticity to the setting, making it an integral part of the story's atmosphere and tension.

Characters

• Lisbeth Salander: The brilliant but troubled protagonist. A genius hacker with a photographic memory and a dark past. Fiercely independent and distrustful of authority, she becomes the prime suspect in a triple murder investigation. Salander must confront painful secrets from her childhood while evading the police and dangerous enemies.

• Mikael Blomkvist: Crusading journalist and publisher of Millennium magazine. Blomkvist is determined to prove Salander's innocence and uncover the real culprits behind the murders. He uses his investigative skills to piece together the complex conspiracy surrounding Salander's past.

• Alexander Zalachenko (Zala): A former Soviet spy and Lisbeth's father. Zalachenko is a sadistic, abusive man deeply involved in sex trafficking and other criminal enterprises. His very existence is classified by the Swedish government, allowing him to operate with impunity for years.

• Ronald Niedermann: Zalachenko's hulking henchman, nicknamed “the Giant.” Niedermann possesses superhuman strength and an inability to feel pain due to a rare genetic condition. He carries out Zalachenko's dirty work and has a surprising connection to Salander.

• Dragan Armansky: Salander's former boss at Milton Security. A protective father figure who worries about Salander and assists in the investigation to clear her name.

• Erika Berger: Editor-in-chief of Millennium and Blomkvist's occasional lover. She supports the investigation while managing the magazine's impending exposé on sex trafficking.

• Jan Bublanski: The police detective in charge of the murder investigation. Nicknamed “Officer Bubble,” he is fair-minded and begins to doubt Salander's guilt as new evidence emerges.

• Miriam Wu: Salander's occasional lover and friend. She becomes entangled in the investigation and is kidnapped by Niedermann.

• Nils Bjurman: Salander's sadistic former guardian who previously assaulted her. He is found murdered, further complicating the case against Salander.

• Paolo Roberto: A former boxing champion who trained Salander. He heroically rescues Miriam Wu from Niedermann.

Quick facts

• The book was published posthumously in 2006, after author Stieg Larsson's death in 2004.

• It is the second novel in Larsson's Millennium trilogy, following The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

• The original Swedish title is “Flickan som lekte med elden", which literally means “The Girl Who Played with Fire".

• It was the first translated novel to reach #1 on the UK hardback chart.

• The character Paolo Roberto, who appears in the book, is based on a real-life Swedish boxer and TV personality of the same name.

• Larsson's longtime partner Eva Gabrielsson says the chess game in the book was inspired by games the author played with her brother.

• The book introduces the character of Lisbeth Salander's father, Alexander Zalachenko.

• A mathematics book mentioned in the story, “Dimensions in Mathematics” by L.C. Parnault, is entirely fictitious.

• The novel was adapted into a Swedish film in 2009, directed by Daniel Alfredson.

• It was also part of the Swedish TV miniseries “Millennium", which aired in 2010.

About the Author

Stieg Larsson was a Swedish journalist, writer and activist who gained worldwide fame posthumously for his Millennium trilogy of crime novels. Born in 1954, Larsson spent much of his career as a crusading journalist exposing right-wing extremist groups in Sweden. He founded the anti-racist magazine Expo and became a leading expert on anti-democratic and Nazi organizations.

Larsson began writing fiction later in life, crafting the manuscripts for his thriller trilogy in secret during evenings and weekends. Tragically, he died of a heart attack in 2004 at age 50, shortly after delivering the manuscripts to his publisher. The books - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - were published after his death and became international bestsellers, selling over 80 million copies worldwide.

The Millennium novels feature Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant but troubled computer hacker, and Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative journalist. Larsson drew inspiration from his own experiences and convictions in crafting the books' themes of violence against women, corruption, and right-wing extremism. He based Salander in part on an adult version of Pippi Longstocking, the rebellious children's book character created by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren.

Larsson's sudden death before publication of his novels sparked controversy over his estate. Without a valid will, his assets went to his father and brother rather than his longtime partner Eva Gabrielsson. This led to a bitter dispute over the rights to his work. Despite never seeing his books' phenomenal success, Larsson left an indelible mark on crime fiction and brought global attention to societal issues he had long fought against as a journalist and activist.