198 TO CATCH A THIEF: THE ETHICS OF DECEIVING BAD PEOPLE James Edwin Mahon In an interview about The Millennium Trilogy in October 2009, Eva Gabrielsson, Stieg Larsson’s partner of thirty-two years, commented, “The books clearly state that individual people do matter and may not be abused, lied to, misled or deceived for money, power or anyone’s prestige.” 1 That may be one of the moral lessons of the novels, but it does not mean that lies and deception may not be practiced for other reasons. Indeed, it is possible to read the novels as saying that people may be lied to and deceived, for the right reasons. Both Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander battle against those with power and money who lie to and deceive others. Yet both Blomkvist and Salander repeatedly lie and deceive. Blom- kvist lies in order to obtain information, withholds information from the authorities, and deceives those who spy on him and (illegally) monitor him. Salander routinely violates the privacy of others, hacking into their financial records and private c16.indd 198 c16.indd 198 7/7/11 4:32:17 PM 7/7/11 4:32:17 PM