Rating: 
Summary: The Da Vinci Code
Review: This time, symbologist Robert Langdon runs around Paris--not Vatican City (see Angels & Demons)--following a trail of brain-teasers to find a longlost treasure. This time it's the Holy Grail.I really feel this book lacks the riveting suspense of its angelic and demonic predecessor. Gone are the superb deathtraps and frightening life-or-death situations that I recall from Langdon's first foray into doping out riddles while unknown conspirators try to kill him; here I felt more like we were game-playing, and occasionally the good guys should look over their shoulders. I'm reminded of my experience watching Die Hard With A Vengeance, when we were supposed to get all excited while Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson did quick-math and fiddled about with jugs of water. I felt actual excitement when the bullets started flying, rather than when the heroes worked on brain-teasers that the writer picked out of the puzzles n' fun section of the weekend newspaper. But that is the price we pay when an action yarn turns too much into gun-to-the-head crossword-puzzle Hour. Dan Brown likes to display knowledge, and so I sucked up a lot of facts out of the thin, decorative, much-trampled carpeting that is The Da Vinci Code. I thank him very much for the eye-opening lessons on the true history of the Holy Grail which the Monty Python gang should have been looking for, but weren't. And, admittedly, Brown is a slick enough thriller writer that The Da Vinci Code earns four stars for zoom-zoom alone. But he did this already--yes, that's right, in A&D. All these puzzles and cryptograms leading to "the embarrassingly obvious" over and over again made me decide that this book regressed back to Digital Fortress, where the plot is simple and the solutions to the codes, etc., are simple. It's just the getting-there that's complex. Angels & Demons rises above, by daring to go over the top, with so many plot twists, and so many larger than life action scenes, that The Da Vinci Code, even with all its IQ Tests, can't compete. Surprise villains unmasked, yes. False conspiracies hiding true conspiracies, hiding the ultimate answer to what's really been going on all along--sure, fine. But Angels & Demons is a lot more fun, because it is more suspenseful. Put your thinking cap on for The Da Vinci Code--or don't; just sit back and let Dan Brown do brain-teasers for you--but watch as all the brain-games drown out the tension. Four stars for slickness, puzzles, and history lessons.
Rating: 
Summary: I agree...this is an excellent thriller!
Review: This truly is an extraordinary book, and I honestly could not put it down! THE DA VINCI CODE goes well beyond the primary plot and takes us on a quest for knowledge unlike anything we currently believe. With excellent research on his side, Dan Brown reintroduces us to history and Christianity that we never even considered possible. My personal thirst for knowledge and answers were brought out in this book. As much an excellent and entertaining read as other books by Dan Brown, such as ANGELS AND DEMONS, DIGITAL FORTRESS, and DECEPTION POINT, not to mention certain science fiction and fantasy books that also captured my imagination and mind over the years, such as STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND, I, ROBOT, RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA, FOUNDATION, RINGWORLD, CRYPTONOMICON, SNOW CRASH, NEUROMANCER, DARKEYE: CYBER HUNTER, ERAGON, HALO: FIRST STRIKE, SPEAKER OF THE DEAD, and many, many other great and highly imaginative books.
Rating:
Summary: Made traffic bearable.
Review: This unabridged edition of this intriguing book kept me looking for reasons to go driving. I will also reread the book just to cross reference the history and art references. For the too busy Americans, all of us, this is a great read (listen).
Rating: 
Summary: Too Clever by Half
Review: This very popular book uses alternative ideas of the history of Christianity as the basis for the plot. The author has taken a large number of crackpot ideas about the history of Christianity and European history in general and stitched them together to produce a conventional thriller. In general, all these ideas center around the common theme of a hidden or secret history of Christianity suppressed by the Church. The plot elements are cleverly integrated using a series of puzzles. The overall story is cast as a kind of Grail legend with virtuous knight (a la Parsifal) and an evil sorcerer type (a la Klingsor). The quality of writing, however, is poor. The characters are schematic and exist only as devices to move from one gimmick to another. The action of the plot per se is rather silly. Not recommended, even for light reading.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent thriller and historical eye-opener
Review: This was a completely enjoyable book to read. The author took a very interesting topic, and took it through all kinds of twists and turns to the readers delight. Definitely worth reading for both the story and the interesting facts.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: This was a fabulous, fast-paced, intriguing read. The plot was as intricate as a maze and highly entertaining. It was particularly fascinating to learn so much about the sacred Feminine throughout history. I seldom read a book that teaches me something I never knew before..particularly in Math of all things. I'm very happy to learn that Mr. Brown is working on a sequel. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for an exciting, unputdownable read. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: The modern got in the way of the ancient
Review: This was a fun book to read. The historical information about DaVinci, secret societies and alternate interpretations of the Bible was interesting. I thought the characters were very one dimensional. I never developed any empathy for them at all. They were simply vehicles to get to the very creative clues and puzzles in the story. I found myself hurrying through the plot elements, to get to the next clue or historical information. Overall, it was enjoyable. It was very fast paced, and hard to put down.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, but awful writing style.
Review: This was a fun summer page-turner novel - quite suspenseful. It was griping, partially because of the suspense and plot developments - but maybe mostly because of the fascinating things I learned, page after page, about history. I mean surprising and maybe shocking history! In fact this book is EXTREMELY provocative, especially for Christians ... if you take it seriously. Much in the book is about real-life organizations, events, facts, etc., but I'm highly skeptical of a number of aspects of it. The entertaining thing is trying to figure out what is true and what is fanciful, conspiracy-theory type creative thinking. Though this book was fun, fascinating and educational, I have to add the negative side: the WRITING is TERRIBLE. I found it laughable in quite a few parts!! It's SO terse, with NO inner character development, and NO emotion. An example is the grade-school-level effort at developing romance between two of the characters - this consisted of only about 5 sentences out of 454 pages! I know not to expect much writing syle in this genre, but this was really bad. Still a fun read, though!
Rating:
Summary: Fun Fiction
Review: This was a fun, quick and easy book to read. The mystery story line was captivating and enjoyable. The recognizable settings (Paris, London) and references (Da Vinci, the Bible, the Holy Grail) draw the reader into the plot. However, that easy familiarity might lead one to conclude that the author's assertions about religion, art, history, and literature are both true and accurate. To the contrary, they are not, but are based largely on spurious documents and academically discredited writings. So, enjoy the story, but remember this is fiction, despite the pre-Prologue's blanket claim of "fact" and accuracy. Avoid embarrassing yourself by taking the author's "research" at face value!
Rating:
Summary: Good book, but there are better in this genre
Review: This was a good read and held my interest throughout, but a far better book in this genre is THE LAST DAY (Warner Books), which is also fact-based fiction, but far more harrowing and weighty in subject matter. It's been out for several years and was a cult hit before the millennium, still strikes at the truth today. If you liked DaVINCI, LAST DAY is even more fascinating.
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