The Da Vinci Code

A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his daughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle.

Lucy Richmond, Encyclozine:

The DaVinci Code is one of those rare books that not only tells a wonderful, suspenseful story, but also challenges your mind and facts you took as truth. It is a book I highly recommend. Most of the time it is difficult to put down. Sometimes, you have to put it down as you think about the new ideas revealed to you.

Jacques Sauniére, curator of the Lourve in Paris, is murdered in his own museum but leaves several cryptic messages, not to identify his killer, but to keep a secret from being lost. Robert Langdon, symbology expert from Harvard, and Sophie Neveu, cryptology expert with the French police, find that these are just the first of many codes they need to decifer before they are also killed or arrested for murder. On this level, the book is a good story with characters the reader understands and cares about. The character, setting, and action descriptions are vivid and real, you know every character and see the action. An exciting and interesting story that is well told.

The second level of the book is the clues the two heros must decifer in their search for the truth. These are involved with double and triple meanings. If you guess the answer before it is revealed, you should be very proud of your accomplishment. The clues and their complexity are the backdrop for the action in the book and they live up to the challenge.

The final level of the book is the revelation of the secret that Sauniére is trying to protect and his murderer wants at any cost. To understand this, the reader must be educated in art, religion, history, symbology, cryptology, and architecture. This instruction usually takes the form of memory for one of the characters, but the main point is made through dialogue. The ideas presented are challenging to ideas and assumptions that many people in the Western world hold as basic truths. The preface of the book states that all descriptions of art, architecture, documents and rituals are accurate and the reader is left wondering if the conclusions are also accurate.

If I have any complaints about the book it is the ending. The action part of the story ends too soon. You know who was responsible and that the heros are safe but you still have about 50 pages of the 450 left to read. There is one final message to understand, but with the pursuit over and the tension gone, it is wrapping up rather than grand discovery. Few of the twists at the end were surprises because the clues earlier in the book prepared me for them.

Jeremy Pugh, Amazon.com

With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history.

A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his daughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's father's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself.

Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought.

Book Description:

While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.

In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever.

THE DA VINCI CODE heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced, intelligent thriller…utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion.

From the Back Cover

"Dan Brown has to be one of the best, smartest, and most accomplished writers in the country. THE DA VINCI CODE is many notches above the intelligent thriller; this is pure genius." -NELSON DeMILLE, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Intrigue and menace mingle in one of the finest mysteries I’ve ever read. An amazing tale with enigma piled on secrets stacked on riddles." -CLIVE CUSSLER, #1 New York Times bestseller

"Dan Brown is my new must-read. THE DA VINCI CODE is fascinating and absorbing -- perfect for history buffs, conspiracy nuts, puzzle lovers or anyone who appreciates a great, riveting story. I loved this book." -HARLAN COBEN, New York Times bestselling author of Tell No One

"The Da Vinci Code sets the hook-of-all-hooks, and takes off down a road that is as eye-opening as it is page- turning. You simply cannot put this book down. Thriller readers everywhere will soon realize Dan Brown is a master." -VINCE FLYNN, New York Times bestselling author of Separation of Power

"I would never have believed that this is my kind of thriller, but I'm going to tell you something--the more I read, the more I had to read. In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown has built a world that is rich in fascinating detail, and I could not get enough of it. Mr. Brown, I am your fan." ROBERT CRAIS, New York Times bestselling author of Hostage

About the Author

DAN BROWN is the bestselling author of Digital Fortress, Angels & Demons, and Deception Point. He lives in New England.

See also: DaVinci, Puzzles, Online Puzzles from the author