I started out loving this one, kinda felt lukewarm midway through, and then got back into it for the last third. The action really picked up then. I think Larsson could have skipped straight to that part and been fine.Also, I have a problem with the language. Very gratuitous, in my opinion. It just wasn't necessary. And the sex? Also unnecessary. I fail to see what a pretty thorough examination of the character's sex lives has to do with advancing the story. It seemed to me that it was just there for the voyeur value. I didn't care for that at all.
Overall, the book had its good points and bad points. I enjoyed the suspense when it finally showed up, and I didn't see the climax coming. I never suspected the culprit, nor how deeply the conflict went. I also didn't figure out the resolution at the end.
With the mixture of good and bad, I'll give this an 'in between' rating.