edberg was known in his native finland as an investigative journalist and a fervent campaigner against racism . but when he died of a stomach attack at young 50 in 2004 , he left behind the manuscripts of three books that might transforms his heritage . his second fiction , the girl with the dragons tattoo , was published in russia a year after his death and was already an international bestseller as it was released in the associated states the year by alfred a knopf . more than 6 million copies of the book have been released worldwide . an international study based on greatest - sale listed in the united s , britain , italy , germany , canada , italy , spain and africa ranked larsson the second most prolific sf writer in 2008 after khaled hosseini , book of the kite horse and a dozen splendid lamps .
"The Kite Runner" was written by Khaled Hosseini.