The Lost Symbol: a review

During Book Blogger Appreciation Week last month, I was fortunate to win a couple of prizes, one of which was The Lost Symbolby Dan Brown, courtesy of Bookin' with Bingo and Hachette Book Group. It has been six years since the publication of The Da Vinci Code and the public has eagerly been anticipating this next Robert Langdon thriller. Fans of The Da Vinci Codewill not be disappointed withThe Lost Symbol. Robert Langdon, the Harvard symbologist is once again pulled into a long-standing secret that some want revealed and others want to stay hidden. Tis time he's in Washington, D.C., trying to save the life of his friend, Peter Solomon, the head of the Smithsonian Institute, who has been kidnapped by an enormous tattooed man who is unrelenting in his fanatical need for the code to be solved. Robert can only save Peter by solving the puzzle of the Masonic Pyramid, a legendary object said to reveal the Mysteries of Life.
In twelve hours Robert runs, takes the subway, drives, and takes cabs all over Washington, D.C. as different pieces of the symbolic puzzle are revealed. Assisted by Peter's sister, a world leader in the research of noetic science (Yes, it's a real thing!) the Architect of the Capitol, and the head of an extra-secret section of the CIA, Robert is willing to reveal the secret if it will save his friend's life.But is that what will be best for the world? Is that what Peter would want? A Mason of the highest order, Peter has been entrusted with the safety of the Masonic Pyramid for his entire life, and knows protecting it is more important than any one man.
The story takes us to all of the must-sees of our nation's capitol city, the Capitol Building, Washington Monument, Smithsonian, etc., as well as lesser-touted landmarks such as the National Cathedral and Washington, D.C.'s Masonic Temple, a very interesting piece of architecture. Our eyes are opened to the precision with which the city was designed and the symbolism on many of the buildings, and we learn something about the history of the Freemasons in the United States. As with The Da Vinci Codeit is a little unclear as to what information is fact. For example, a video depicting a Masonic ritual is described, yet no Mason would ever reveal that information, nor would they allow an observer. At the beginning of the book Mr. Brown has a note for readers which explains the truths woven into the adventure story.
If you liked Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code, you will enjoy The Lost Symbol. If you read many books a week, you may find that the book now seems to be written with in a formula set by the first two books. It will be an exciting movie, and it's already in production at Columbia Pictures.