Steig Larsson

Public radio's The World had a nice bit yesterday on Stieg Larsson, author of a trilogy of crime fiction novels, the first of which is called "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" in the US and apparently "Men Who Don't Like Women" in Sweden. Larsson died of a heart attack at the age of 50 before any of the novels, which have become an international sensation with over 20 million copies sold, were published.

As an unabashed addict of crime fiction I can recommend the books highly (or at least the first two, the third has yet to be released in the US), and I am saddened that I cannot look forward to many more. As an aside, many of Larsson's characters share names with characters in Henning Mankell's Wallander series in what I take to be a nod this other Swedish crime writer (apparently Larsson was equally addicted to crime fiction).

A problem has arisen, however, in that at the time of his death Larsson has few assets and a life partner whom he had never married and he left no legal will. So when all of the money came flooding in from the proceeds of the books, it went to his father and brother who have so far not shared any with his partner. Alas.