This does suck you in, though not immediately. I was reading along, interested enough, but not seeing why people said that they couldn't put it down -- and then I couldn't put it down. It's not all that well-written a book. It should have been edited down quite a bit. Here's an example of an unnecessary information blob:[return][return]"The family was so extensive that he was forced to create a database in his iBook. He used the NotePad programmed (www.ibrium.se), one of those full-value products that two men at the Royal Technical College had created and distributed as shareware for a pittance on the Internet. Few programs were as useful for an investigative journalist. Each family member was given his or her own document in the database."[return][return]The whole book is like that. It makes it all the more impressive that he manages to build suspense. The protagonist, the journalist Blomkvist, is smart and physically fit to a degree that's not unbelievable. The young woman with the tattoo, Salander, is not believable. For example, she's supposed to be inept at dealing with people, so much so that she's stuck as a ward of the state requiring a guardian even though she's an adult, living on her own, and supporting herself. She's presented as being incredibly bad an interacting with people. At one point, Blomkvist decides she must be on the autism spectrum. But then she turns around and successfully handles costumes, makeup, accents, and manipulates people into doing what she wants. [return][return]Salander's magical computer hacking is over-the-top, but the part that seemed the most implausible to me was her international network of fellow hackers who are perfectly competent, trustworthy, and work free of charge.[return][return]Oh, well. Suspenseful thrillers generally violate reality right and left. I really enjoyed reading it.