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: #2403 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

Synopsis
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.

About the Author
Dan Brown is the bestselling author of Digital Fortress, Angels and Demons and Deception Point. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he has taught English and creative writing. He lives in New England and can be found on the web at www.danbrown.com

Customer Reviews

A brilliant thriller based on facts
I am quite sure this book is based on historical facts & I have heard the author did alot of research before writing this book (although I don't know that for a fact, from the references in the book & my previous knowledge of the subject, it seems highly likely).
I had already read about the life of Jesus Christ not through the eyes of the Bible & this book only confirmed what I had read.
It doesn't matter whether you believe in the facts or not, it is still very interesting to know a different point of view & wonder.
I simply couldn't put this book down. It's a thriller full of suspence & mystery & it is wonderfully told.
From the beginning the adventure starts & it is action-filled all througout, you're always wondering what's going to happen next.
It is simply one of the best books I have read for long time.
I highly recommend it.

Please people, don't encourage him!
The Da Vinci Code

Please, please, PLEASE! Don't buy Dan Brown books, you're just encouraging bad stories and bad writing!

I found the characters shallow, the plot obvious and if it wasn't for the fact it the papers picked up on him saying that Jesus had decedents (hardly a new idea), it would have sunk without a trace and we would have mercifully never heard of Mr Brown.

Still not his worst book, that prize has to go to Deception Point.

Well done Dan, now stop it.

Hmmm I did like it but its not amazing
I did like this book and when I got into it really enjoyed the story and crazy theories, when I had finished the book and looked back on it I feel that it was just another thriller with a bit of history and religion in it.