#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In this “thoroughly gripping” ( New York Times ) continuation of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, Lisbeth Salander lies in critical condition in a Swedish hospital, a bullet in her head. But she's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll stand trial for three murders. • Also known as the Millennium series In the next installment of the Millennium series, with the help of Mikael Blomkvist, Salander will need to identify those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she'll seek revenge—against the man who tried to kill her and against the corrupt government institutions that nearly destroyed her life. Look for the latest book in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, The Girl in the Eagle's Talons , coming soon! “One of crime fiction’s most unforgettable characters.” — People “A caffeine rush. . . . Larsson was one of those rare writers who could keep you up until 3 a.m. and then make you want to rush home the next night to do it again.” — Newsweek   “Gripping. . . . Lisbeth Salander . . . is one of the most original characters in a thriller to come along in a while.” — The New York Times   “Anyone who enjoys grounding their imaginations in hundreds . . . of exciting pages about the way we live now ought to take advantage of this trilogy.” — Chicago Tribune   “Exhilarating. . . . Larsson’s was an undeniably powerful voice in crime fiction that will be sorely missed.” — Publishers Weekly   “The pages fly. . . . The pulse quickens.” — The Boston Globe   “A wild, careening ride.” — The Philadelphia Inquirer “The action is wham-bam from the start. . . . [with] an eye-popping surprise ending.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch “Fully lives up to the excellence of the previous two and . . . brings the saga to a satisfactory conclusion. . . . A modern masterpiece.” — The Washington Post Book World   “[Lisbeth Salander] bursts off the page, a vibrant, forcefully ‘real’ character.” — The Plain Dealer   “Enough twists to keep even the most astute reader guessing.” — The Denver Post “ Complex, satisfying, clever, moral . . . This is a grown-up novel for grown-up readers, who want something more than a quick fix and a car chase.” — The Guardian (London)   “An old-fashioned, well-paced political thriller with its roots in Swedish history and a cast of interesting and colorful characters.” — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette   “Reading Stieg Larsson produces a kind of rush—rather like a strong cup of coffee.” — The New York Times Book Review   “Salander herself is a magnificent creation: a feminist avenging angel.” — Irish Independent   “Relentlessly exciting. . . . A fitting ending to an outstanding crime trilogy. Larsson deserves every scrap of his reputation as a master storyteller. ” — Time Out London STEIG LARSSON, who lived in Sweden, was the editor in chief of the magazine Expo and a leading expert on antidemocratic, right-wing extremist and Nazi organizations. He died in 2004, shortly after delivering the manuscripts for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest . chapter 1 Friday, April 8 Dr. Jonasson was woken by a nurse five minutes before the helicopter was expected to land. It was just before 1:30 in the morning. "What?" he said, confused. "Rescue Service helicopter coming in. Two patients. An injured man and a younger woman. The woman has gunshot wounds." "All right," Jonasson said wearily. Although he had slept for only half an hour, he felt groggy. He was on the night shift in the ER at Sahlgrenska hospital in Göteborg. It had been a strenuous evening. By 12:30 the steady flow of emergency cases had eased off. He had made a round to check on the state of his patients and then gone back to the staff bedroom to try to rest for a while. He was on duty until 6:00, and seldom got the chance to sleep even if no emergency patients came in. But this time he had fallen asleep almost as soon as he turned out the light. Jonasson saw lightning out over the sea. He knew that the helicopter was coming in the nick of time. All of a sudden a heavy downpour lashed at the window. The storm had moved in over Göteborg. He heard the sound of the chopper and watched as it banked through the storm squalls down towards the helipad. For a second he held his breath when the pilot seemed to have difficulty controlling the aircraft. Then it vanished from his field of vision and he heard the engine slowing to land. He took a hasty swallow of his tea and set down the cup. Jonasson met the emergency team in the admissions area. The other doctor on duty took on the first patient who was wheeled in-an elderly man with his head bandaged, apparently with a serious wound to the face. Jonasson was left with the second patient, the woman who had been shot. He did a quick visual examination: it looked lik