And for people enraged by the impunity of the well-connected, there was satisfaction this week at the uncovering of a huge match-fixing scam in Greek football.
Larsson's knowledge of the inner workings of the Swedish police, intelligence service and private security companies bring an extra layer of texture and verisimilitude.
A self-described "Jeffersonian Marxist," Stone combined progressive politics, investigative zeal and a compulsion to tell the truth with a commitment to human rights and the exposure of injustice.
But when Charles' hidden agenda threatens to expose the government's dirty little secrets, what started out may cost Kathy her career and even her life.