it may be because I do not read much crime fiction, but I cannot help feeling it was rather hyped. The language was bad (I read it in Norwegian translation). The story was very exciting for a while, but once they had done with the serial killer plot it fell entirely flat, I agree. It is weird how poorly plotted that book as a whole is when he clearly had talent as a suspense writer. It made no sense for Vanger to not give him information and then for Blomqvist to have to dig up the information in a whole separate bit at the end. No sense. It could have been integrated much better.

Also, was there a single woman in that whole book he did not have sex with? It got a bit tiresome after a while.