Per my review at Baltimore Reads: 
 Unlike the previous two books, this one jumps right into the action. Salander is about to undergo surgery for the injuries she sustained during her fight with Zalachenko and the giant Robert Niedermann, while Blomkvist is trying to explain to anyone who will listen that Zalachenko is more than just a crippled old man, but a conniving ex-Russian spy. There is now no doubt that Salander was innocent of the crimes of the previous novel, but more troubles are cast her way as a secret division of the government, "The Section," attempts to cover its tracks by having her admitted to a mental institution. 
 While recovering in her hospital room, Salander is essentially cut off from all forms of information as she is under arrest. She is forced to gather information and evidence through her tiny Palm device (smuggled in by the sympathetic Dr. Jonasson). Blomkvist, of course, is raising hell on the outside, along with the help of his fellow Millennium colleagues, Milton Security, and Sapo Constitutional Protection director Edklinth and his colleague Monica Figuerola. The group has to adjust to various obstacles The Section throws its way, including phone tappings, robberies, and murders carried out in order to preserve the secrecy of the scandal. It is everyone's mission to expose The Section as well as prove that Salander was wrongfully institutionalized and declared mentally unstable all her life in order to cover-up the Zalachenko affair. 
 This novel features more investigation and less action, though it is still suspenseful and thrilling (and some killer scenes make up for the lack of action throughout) . With each lie uncovered and each person implicated by Blomkvist and company, the story of The Section becomes more and more shocking and appalling. When it is finally time for Salander to face trial, the team has cooked up quite a case, but readers still hold their breath in anticipation of how far The Section will go in order to silence those who wish to expose it. 
 An overall review of the Millennium series: 
 If you are looking for a thrilling crime novel, the Millennium trilogy will certainly whet your appetite. There's mystery, murder, scandal, sex, violence - Larsson doesn't hold back. While a lot of the recent literary sensations have been written at a young adult level, the Millennium series is most certainly an adult read, which is refreshing. 
 The books certainly aren't perfect. Often times, the writing seems choppy and unnatural (which may be partly due to the translation from Swedish to English). Larsson occasionally goes off on tangents about every little detail of a character's routine, which slows the pace significantly. Details are essential for good, believable writing, but readers don't need to know every single piece of furniture Salander bought at IKEA. Certain subplots also seem completely unnecessary, such as the plight of the couple at the same hotel as Salander in the beginning of The Girl Who Played with Fire or Erika Berger's problems at SMP in The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. 
 I also personally found the romance aspect of the books to be cheap and bizarre. I'm not sure how they do it in Sweden, but here in America it is not even close to normal to end dinner with a guy by saying, "I'd like to undress you." Berger's open marriage, which allows for an ongoing affair with Blomkvist with her husband's complete consent, is also a strange concept to grasp, though to each his own. While the promiscuity of the various characters adds a certain maturity to the text that makes it more appealing for an adult audience, Larsson sometimes goes a bit overboard. 
 All of these issues aside, the intricate and well-developed plot makes up for any weaknesses in Larsson's writing. It doesn't take long to feel like you know each character like you have actually met them. Blomkvist and Salander combine to make a gritty, one-of-a-kind crime-fighting team that readers can easily root for. That's what makes Larsonn's Millennium series so spectacular - it's fresh, it's smart, and it's most certainly never been done before. Larsson passed away before he could finish the series (he had apparently planned for it to consist of ten novels), so fans will always wonder what else the journalist-turned-novelist had in store for Salander, Blomkvist, and company. But the trilogy in no way seems unfinished. By the end of The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, all the loose ends are tied up and no character is left unaccounted for. It is a complete trilogy in every sense.