It seems I am a little late to the party, after three books, three foreign movies and an upcoming U.S. movie adaptation, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" series is big news. Written by a Swedish author, Stieg Larsson, the trilogy of books follows Lisbeth Salander, a young woman with a scarred past that has left her with many psychological issues. She is also a computer genius and has a photographic memory. Despite this she remains an accessible character who you can empathize with and will like despite her sometimes antisocial behavior. Larsson died shortly after completing the third book in the trilogy, and it really is a shame to know that we will not get to read more from this gifted writer who has wowed the world with his work.

The books are graphic but not gratuitous, so if you like your murder mysteries a little tamer, this series is not for you. If, however, you love a well-crafted thriller, with great twists, fascinating characters and a plot that will keep you guessing to the end then you will love these books. With the final book in the series, "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" just released, this is the perfect time to explore this trilogy. All three books are currently in the New York Times Bestsellers list and have been strong sellers since their release.

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" introduces Lisbeth Salander as she and other series regular Mikael Blomkvist try to solve a decades old missing person's case. "The Girl Who Played with Fire" has Lisbeth on the run trying to clear her name for murder and the final book, "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" sets Lisbeth against her own tragic and horrific past. With a great mix of political corruption, organized crime and excellent character development these thrillers are perfect for beach reading or a wet summer's day.

Here are some other books you may like: "Swimsuit" by James Patterson, "Nemesis" by Jo Nesbo, "The Man from Bejing" by Henning Mankell, "About Face" by Donna Leon, "Innocent" by Scott Turow, "The Passage" by Justin Cronin, "61 Hours" by Lee Child, "The Faceless Killers" by Henning Mankell, "The Burning Wire" by Jeffrey Deaver, "The Likeness" by Tana French.

Darren Jones is the manager at Empire Books and News at Pullman Square in downtown Huntington.

The Herald-Dispatch

Steig Larsson's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."