The Lost SymbolA Novel

Dan Brown's most Byzantine tale yet, set in its most sinister location — Washington, D.C.
"The secret is how to die. Since the beginning of time, the secret had always been how to die." So begins Dan Brown's third Robert Langdon adventure The Lost Symbol. Equal parts action and exposition, this latest entry manages to cram 133 chapters, a prologue and epilogue's worth of furiously paced puzzles into a plot that spans only 12 hours. The fact that it takes over 17 hours to listen to in its unabridged form is something that even the brilliant Harvard Symbologist might not be able to wrap his head around.

Instead of returning once more to a glittering European city, Brown focuses his attention this time on Washington D.C. Despite its relative youth, the city as it appears in The Lost Symbol is as full of secret societies and deceit as its counterparts Rome (in Angels & Demons) and Paris (in The Da Vinci Code). In place of the Illuminati or the Priory of Sion, we have the Freemasons — the group that has allegedly produced countless American captains of industry and government. Instead of a symbol branded on skin or a message written in blood, Capital Langdon encounters a severed "Hand of Mysteries" that puts him on a breathless course of action to discover various secrets of Freemasonry (pyramids! words!) that can supposedly imbue great power. With the requisite helper in tow (in this case, a CIA head), Langdon must stop the villain Mal'akh from obtaining this unstoppable knowledge and power, while at the same time keeping his mentor, Peter Solomon (a 33rd degree Mason), and Solomon's sister, Katherine (a scientist) from harm.

Thankfully, Brown takes the time to explain every term with which the audience may be unfamiliar. No one will have to take the extra time to Google "Noetics." Furthermore, as read by an unhurried Paul Michael, each character is instantly identifiable — which, after 17 hours, will be most appreciated.