The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo- Stieg Larsson

I just finished reading this book which has generated a lot of buzz recently.  With good reason.  Published originally in Sweden in 2005 and translated into English in 2008, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, is the first in what is known as the Millenium Trilogy.  The author, Stieg Larsson, submitted the manuscripts for all three novels shortly before his death in 2004.
I found it to be quite unlike anything I've read before.  It was disturbing, fascinating, macabre, and unputdownable.  It's part thriller, part murder mystery, part corporate corruption with a healthy dash of dysfunctional family drama for added spice. 
The story centers around two main characters, financial reporter Mikael Blomkvist, and punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander, who is frankly the most intriguing, original character I've ever met.  Pierced, tattooed, and with a laundry list of issues, she is brilliant and incredibly, viscerally real.
My only shadow of a complaint is that the novel being of Swedish origin it is of course chock full of Swedish names that I found difficult to even mentally pronounce.   This didn't affect my ability to enjoy and immerse myself in this novel but I mention it if those of you who might find it irritating.
Also a warning here.  This book is not for the faint of heart.  It deals with some very adult and very disturbing subject matter including sexual assault. 
That being said if you are looking for a thrill ride and you have the stomach for it this is one to check out.