The Lost Symbol

Dan Brown

The suspense is tense in Dan Brown's latest novel, The Lost Symbol.

Robert Langdon receives a phone call from the office of a friend, Peter Solomon. He agrees to go to Washington D.C. immediately and give a presentation at a benefit. By that evening he is in the Capitol Building, presentation prepared. But the group isn't where he was told it would be. Instead, he discovers a macabre pointer in the Capitol Building Rotunda. From there he is pulled into a race to save the lives of two old friends.

Langdon is plunged into a search following clues into the world of the Masons. There are secrets that only Langdon can discover. The secretive, malignant Mal'akh has been planning for this for years. He knows there is a great secret that the Masons have hidden. He has captured one of the high ranking Masonic masters and uses the man as a hostage until Langdon solves the mysteries long hidden by the Masons. Time is short and Mal'akh is devious.

Langdon is also avoiding the CIA who want to take the key he is holding to solve the puzzle. The head of the operation declares there is a matter of national emergency. But he has promised his friend, Solomon, that he would never release the secret. That includes the CIA who seem intent on taking it from him. There are other men who are willing to help him and hide him from the CIA while he follows Mal'ahk's instructions.

The Lost Symbol keeps the suspense going and edgy throughout - and a bit too long. The antagonist is steroid crazy. The constant danger situations are a bit much even for someone looking for well hidden secrets.

The Masons, their levels, their rituals, and their effect on the Founding Fathers of the United States and subsequent politicians over the years are the focus of Dan Brown's latest book. I presume his writing is based on reality, even though I know he fabricated a lot about the Vatican in Angels & Demons. The symbology throughout The Lost Symbol is fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed following Brown's revelations presented in the same way as the earlier Langdon books.

All in all, the book is edgy, suspenseful, and riveting. It needs some editing because it gets overwhelming to the point of disbelief.

Notice:  Non-graphic violence

Angels & Demons
The DaVinci Code
The Lost Symbol