When Stieg Larsson passed away in 2004, it seemed to bring an end to his terrific Millennium trilogy, which began with THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Thankfully, David Lagercrantz picked up the mantle and continued the adventures of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist. He then passed the baton to Karin Smirnoff, who has penned her second story in the series, THE GIRL WITH ICE IN HER VEINS.

I was thankful to Smirnoff for including a list of characters at the start of the novel as this saga continues to grow and bring on new generations of characters that drive the twisty plot. A primary actor in this installment is Lisbeth’s 13-year-old niece, Svala Hirak, a student and an intern journalist. She also is caught up in an eco-terror group --- led by the mysterious Simon Frisk --- that has issues with the corporate control of the mines in her village of Gasskas.

"THE GIRL WITH ICE IN HER VEINS has everything readers have come to know and love from this series. It continues to put both new and established characters in the middle of dangerous situations involving political and municipal corruption at very high levels."

Ester, one of the group’s members and a friend of Svala, is found dead at a dumpsite, posed in a kneeling position. Was this the work of a random killer, or is someone doing the dirty work for the business capitalists in the area?

Hans Faste is on the case and speaks with Svala about Ester. Even though she is in Stockholm, news of Ester’s murder reaches Lisbeth, and she is immediately concerned about her niece’s safety. More tragic occurrences hit the village as Svala’s family, who are working farmers, discover a field of slaughtered reindeer --- a species that they rely on for their venison business. Someone is clearly sending a dark message to anyone who stands in opposition of big business like the local mines.

One of the myriad characters here is a killer-for-hire known simply as “The Cleaner,” whose reputation precedes him. Meanwhile, Lisbeth decides to go to Gasskas with her old friend, Mikael, to learn what is going on there. She also is keeping her ear close to the ground about the disappearance of her hacker friend, who may be involved in the same situation in which Svala is now caught up.

THE GIRL WITH ICE IN HER VEINS has everything readers have come to know and love from this series. It continues to put both new and established characters in the middle of dangerous situations involving political and municipal corruption at very high levels.