The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown

'The Lost Symbol' was always going to be a difficult book to write for Dan Brown. The hype surrounding its predecessor, 'The Da Vinci Code' was incomparable. What concerned me most about this book was that the real reason for the success of that book was the setting and the revelations, all things that Brown hadn't come up with. He just put a very good level of fiction around it. Would he be able to find a similar setting for this book? In addition the release date being put continually put back did not augur well. Perhaps it was due to his other titles still selling in sufficient quantities but it's seldom a good sign when an author delays releasing ...  Read the complete review

What can I say, I'm absolutely shattered, why? Because I was awake half the night reading this book. I received it in the post yesterday morning and started it straight away, and within a couple of chapters I was absolutely hooked. === Synopsis === The book again follows symbologist Robert Langdon. This time we find him at home in the US, when he receives an urgent call from his friend Peter Solomon, however, when he rings Peter back he only manages to get through to Peter's assistant. His assistant tells Robert that Peter is in a bit of a pickle as a lecturer has backed out of a speech and he needs someone to speak at the Capitol ...  Read the complete review

After 6 years, Dan Brown finally delivered his follow up to the hugely successful Da Vinci Code, a book I really enjoyed along with Angels and Demons and Deception Point (let's not mention Digital Fortress!). However, it is a poor successor in many ways in my opinion and the mystery of its half-price tag on the day of release soon became clear. Brown seems to have finally completed his charisma bypass on Robert Langdon, reducing him to a walking talking encyclopaedia, drily quoting extracts from ancient works or solving puzzles when prompted, not even bothering to leap out of a single helicopter en route. His equally dull sidekick, the bookish Katharine ...  Read the complete review

"In 1991, a document was locked in the safe of the director of the CIA. The document is still there today. Its cryptic text includes references to an ancient portal and an unknown location underground..." That is the teasing first page in the book and typical Brown, mixing fact with fiction to hook you in from the off. It is true that there are things the CIA know that we would never be able to know as it would be too much for us to comprehend. The look on Obama's face after his first press conference as President after being told those secrets and threats would suggest there may well be some startling things in that safe. It also would surprise me ...  Read the complete review

After having read and enjoyed Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code I was looking forward to reading his newest offering in the Robert Langdon series, The Lost Symbol. Now lets get a few things straight about Mr Brown's books, they are probably never going to be the most critically acclaimed, they tend to follow a set formula and generally revolve around an ancient sect or religion with the established beliefs surrounding them being challenged or debunked. Robert Langdon, in these books, habitually has a female companion to accompany him on a breakneck tour round historical landmarks. He is invariably on the run from the authorities as he tries ...  Read the complete review