THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (Stieg Larsson) - September 9/10

As was the case with its predecessor, The Girl Who Played with Fire is undeniably much longer than it really needs to be - ie all the sex crime stuff that dominates the middle is not exactly enthralling - yet the novel contains several seriously entertaining and enthralling interludes that compensate for its overlength (including an amazing fight between a pro boxer and a giant that doesn't feel pain). And, of course, Lisbeth Salander's exploits remain the high point here - which also explains why that midsection isn't that spectacular, since she's absent for much of it. The ending even got me a little choked up. Good stuff. ***1/2 out of ****