The Lost Symbol

The Lost Symbol
By: Dan Brown
http://www.thelostsymbol.com/
http://www.danbrown.com/

I was excited to pick this book up as soon as it was released. I enjoyed The Davinci Code but didn't even make it two chapters into Angels and Demons, so I was interested to see what Brown would do with Robert Langdon now that he was back in the US. Brown definitely did not dissapoint. As a US History nut, this book was right up my alley and Brown quickly lured me into the secretive and mysterious world of the freemasons, specifically as they exist in Washington D.C. One thing I enjoy about Brown is that he weaves his story and charecters into real locations that the reader can visit. In this book, Langdon is on the move to solve the mystery and save his friend and mentor Peter Solomon before the villian can both kill Solomon and single handedly bring down the Masons. One thing I thought was missing in Angels and Demons that was perfect in this book is the charecter of the Villian. Here our bad guy is truly disturbed and in the end isn't who you thought he was at all.

Overall, this was a great read, and I sincerely hope that this story is turned into a movie.

Synopsis (from bn.com)

In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world's most popular thriller writer. The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling -- a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths . . . all under the watchful eye of Brown's most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object -- artfully encoded with five symbols -- is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation . . . one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon -- a prominent Mason and philanthropist -- is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations -- all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

As the world discovered in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, Dan Brown's novels are brilliant tapestries of veiled histories, arcane symbols, and enigmatic codes. In this new novel, he again challenges readers with an intelligent, lightning-paced story that offers surprises at every turn. The Lost Symbol is exactly what Brown's fans have been waiting for . . . his most thrilling novel yet.