The Girl Who Played With Fire

The Girl Who Played With Fire is the 2006 sequel to Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2005). As a crime fiction novel, the story focuses on solving the murders of Dag Svensson, Mia Johansson, and Nils Erik Bjurman, for which the series protagonist, Lisbeth Salander, is the prime suspect. In addition to tracking the murder investigations, the novel examines The Impact of Trauma on Personal Development, The Role of Appearances and Media in Pursuing Justice, and The Challenge of Maintaining Integrity While Fighting Corruption. The Girl Who Played With Fire was met with positive reviews, becoming the #1 bestseller in the UK upon publication in English in 2009. The novel was adapted into a film in Swedish in 2009 and into a miniseries in 2010. 

Larsson (1954-2004) was a journalist who was best known for combatting right-wing extremism, white supremacy, and violence against women. Like Ernest Hemingway, he frequently employs a journalistic style in his fiction writing as well, and his novels are a patchwork narrative of brief segments from multiple characters’ perspectives. (The guide emulates Larsson’s style by using segmented summaries within chapters to reflect these stylistic switches.) Like its predecessor, The Girl Who Played With Fire was published posthumously, as Larsson died in 2004. 

This guide refers to the 2009 Alfred A. Knopf edition, translated by Reg Keeland.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of death, graphic violence, sexual violence and harassment, rape, child sexual abuse, child abuse, physical abuse, bullying, gender discrimination, antigay bias, ableism, addiction, substance use, and cursing.

Plot Summary

The Prologue shows Lisbeth Salander strapped to a bed at a psychiatric hospital called St. Stefan’s while fantasizing about lighting her father, Zala, on fire. Dr. Teleborian comes in and tries to engage with Lisbeth, who ignores him, knowing the thrill he gets from tying children down.

The first chapter of the novel begins one year after the events of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, when Lisbeth is in Grenada. After seeing investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist with Erika Berger, the editor-in-chief of the politically focused Millennium magazine and Blomkvist’s lover, Lisbeth got breast implants and traveled the world. Now, Lisbeth is spying on the abusive Dr. Forbes, who is visiting Grenada with his wife. When a hurricane hits, Lisbeth saves Mrs. Forbes from her husband’s attempt to murder her for her fortune. After the hurricane, Lisbeth returns to Sweden.

Meanwhile, Blomkvist is still trying to reach Lisbeth and does not know why she has cut contact with him. He meets his colleagues Dag Svensson and Mia Johansson, who are investigating sex trafficking in Sweden. Dag reminds Blomkvist of himself, and Blomkvist eagerly takes on Dag’s project. Dag’s book exposes journalists, police officers, judges, and politicians who have abused sex workers, and Blomkvist works with Dag to ensure that the reporting is fully backed by evidence.

Now in Sweden, Lisbeth buys a second apartment and then rekindles her casual friendship/sexual relationship with Miriam “Mimmi” Wu. She sells half of her Lundagatan apartment to Mimmi and spends most of her time there rather than at her new space. Lisbeth also struggles to avoid Blomkvist, and she uses her hacking skills to keep track of Dragan Armansky (her former employer) and Nils Erik Bjurman (her legal guardian and former abuser). Lisbeth discovers that Bjurman is behaving strangely, but she does not know why.

The narrative shifts to Bjurman, who meets with Ronald Niedermann, a “blond giant.” Bjurman pays Niedermann to kidnap Lisbeth because he hates her and blames her for his problems after her retaliation after he sexually assaulted her in the first novel. 

Niedermann arranges with Magge Lundin, leader of the Svavelsjo Motorcycle Club, to kidnap Lisbeth. Lundin tries to kidnap Lisbeth, who fights back and escapes. Blomkvist witnesses the encounter and tries to intervene. Lundin strikes Blomkvist but leaves when he cannot find Lisbeth. Blomkvist takes Lisbeth’s bag and tries to use it to get in contact with her.

Lisbeth finds out about Dag and Mia’s work, including information on a man named “Zala” (whom the narrative later reveals to be her abusive father). She visits their apartment, and the next day, Dag and Mia are found murdered, as is Bjurman. Lisbeth becomes the prime suspect in the killings. The investigation is led by Inspector Ekstrom. Under Ekstrom, Jan Bublanski leads the police team of Hans Faste, Curt Andersson, Sonja Modig, and Jerker Holmberg, all of whom assume that Lisbeth is guilty. Lisbeth’s former employer, Armansky, gets involved as well, sending two of his employees—Bohman and Hedstrom—to assist Bublanski.

Blomkvist, convinced of Lisbeth’s innocence, digs into Dag’s research to find out more about the exposed individuals, whom he suspects may have killed Dag and Mia to protect themselves. Blomkvist struggles to investigate and tries to contact Lisbeth for help. Meanwhile, other journalists, like Tony Scala, capitalize on the sensationalism of the police investigation into Lisbeth, exposing her childhood trauma and her relationship with Mimmi. Hedstrom leaks information on the investigation to Scala, whose incendiary headlines cement the police’s belief in Lisbeth’s guilt.

As the investigation continues, the police struggle to locate Lisbeth and find evidence of her innocence. Faste and Hedstrom, out of sexism and personal vendettas, continue to focus on Lisbeth as the prime suspect. Modig and Bublanski gradually realize the truth of Lisbeth’s innocence.

Mimmi is kidnapped by Niedermann, but the famous boxer Paolo Roberto saves her. When Lisbeth sees the news, she laments that her friends are getting hurt and tells Blomkvist to investigate Zala. Blomkvist goes to Holger Palmgren, Lisbeth’s former guardian, who tells him that Zala is Alexander Zalachenko, Lisbeth’s father. 

Between Lisbeth and Blomkvist, the details of Zala’s life come to light. Zala was a Russian operative who defected to Sweden in the 1970s and became an asset to the Security Police (Sapo). At the time, Bjurman worked with Sapo alongside Bjorck, a Sapo officer, both of whom were assigned to protect Zala. When Zala began an abusive affair with Lisbeth’s mother, Agneta, Bjorck covered up the abuses. At age 12, Lisbeth lit Zala on fire in his car, an event that she calls “All The Evil,” but her pleas for help were ignored by emergency responders. Bjorck conspired with Teleborian to have Lisbeth put in a psychiatric hospital, destroying her credibility.

Lisbeth finds documents confirming this story in Bjurman’s cabin, at which point Lundin attacks her again. Lisbeth defeats Lundin and his partner, Nieminen, and escapes. She then investigates Zala’s partner, Niedermann. She sees a message from Blomkvist confirming his support for her and thanks him for being her friend.

Lisbeth finds out where Zala lives and goes to confront him. However, Zala and Niedermann see her coming and attempt to kill her. Though Zala shoots Lisbeth in the hip, shoulder, and head and then buries her alive, Lisbeth digs out of the grave and finds her way back to Zala’s home. She incapacitates Zala with an axe and frightens Niedermann, who flees. Blomkvist arrives moments later and assists a severely injured Lisbeth.