Product Description

Robert Langdon, Harvard Professor of symbology, receives an urgent late-night call while in Paris: the curator of the Louvre has been murdered. Alongside the body is a series of baffling ciphers. Langdon and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, are stunned to find a trail that leads to the works of Da Vinci - and further. The curator, part of a secret society named the Priory of Sion, may have sacrificed his life to keep secret the location of a vastly important religious relic hidden for centuries. It appears that the clandestine Vatican-sanctioned Catholic sect Opus Dei has now made its move. Unless Landon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine code and quickly assemble the pieces of the puzzle, the Priory's secret - and a stunning historical truth - will be lost forever.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3907 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 605 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
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 esoterica culled from 2,000 years of Western history. A murder in the silent after-hours 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 granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle.

The duo become both suspects and detectives searching not only for Neveu's grandfather'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 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. --Jeremy Pugh, Amazon.com

Natalie Bushe, THE HERALD
'assuming there are people left on the planet who haven't read the Code, maybe the audiobook is the medium for you.... a superbly structured conspiracy thriller that tears through ideas and information, and feeds on speculation and intrigue.'

Harlan Coben
‘Fascinating and absorbing…A great, riveting read. I loved this book.’

Customer Reviews

I really enjoyed this
All the usual bestseller words apply here. Gripping. Un-putdownable. Page Turner.....

I loved this. I was totally immersed in the story and believed every word written. Reviewers are saying that Dan Brown could have done his homework a bit better, but from where I'm sitting I can't fault the book. I loved it so much and found it very entertaining from start to finish.

This was the first book by Brown that I read and upon finishing it I rushed out and bought all his others too. I think it's a close run thing to choose between this and Angels and Demons but A&D 'just' pips 'The Davinci Code' to the better book finish line.......but only just.

This is worth the read.

A thriller which actually thrills!
I have to say I avoided reading this for a number of reasons until my wife picked up the paperback copy a few weeks ago. She read it in three days and handed it over to me with a hugely positive recommendation.Reluctantly I began to read and would you believe it I too read it in three days. Why? Because it's one of those books you just cannot put down once you begin reading. I love books which have a facutal basis and although 'The Da Vinci Code's' facts are very controversial and debatable it's exactly this that grabs the reader and certainly leaves you thinking at end as to how much you may have learned and the seeds which have been implanted in your mind. For this reason I would recommend the 'Illustrated Edition' - you need to be able to look at the paintings and maps as you read the book to enhance your experience.

Abridged
Very enjoyable. However it should be noted that this is an abridged version. It dosen't tell you that in the details.