Mr. Larsson spends almost a quarter of this book setting up the murder mystery.  That amount of background is appropriate because this is far more than just a murder mystery.  There is a financial mystery to unravel as well.  As one gets to know tha main character, Mikael, it is inevitable that both mysteries would occupy him.  He has been professionally shattered as a journalist after writing an unsubstantiated story about a crooked financier (resulting in jail time).  He is then hired by a wealthy industrialist to solve a decades old mystery the industrialist believes to be a murder.At the outset there is also a parallel bio of Lisbeth, the girl with the dragon tatoo.  She has some major mental problems and is under guardianship, but we also see early on that there is some sort of genius within.  Watching her progress and overcome some of her demons is worth the price of the book alone.Eventually Mikael and Lisbeth join forces.  Both mysteries are terrific (particularly the murder) and, by the end keep the pages turning.Both characters are very engaging, particularly Lisbeth, whose off-the-wall characteristics contrast well with Mikael's starightforward economic journalist tendencies.I gave this only four stars because although all the background was necessary, it took a while for the book to really take off.  Once it did, it was terrifically engaging.  I look forward to the next installments of the trilogy.  These characters, especially Lisbeth, are well worh following. 

Question: How is the plot?
Answer: genius