Dan Brown brings readers the second installment of the Robert Langdon series, published in 2003 by Doubleday, which is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats, as well as at your local library and through the Libby App.

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is in Paris on business when he receives a late-night call alerting him to a murder at the Louvre, and next to the curator’s body, they found a cipher. Langdon’s help is required to solve the enigmatic riddle, and the cipher leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci.

Brown doesn’t leave Langdon to solve this one by himself; his protagonist joins forces with gifted cryptographer Sophie Neveu. Together, they learn the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion, a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci.

Dealing with secret societies that want to keep their secrets buried at all costs means that the pair find themselves racing through Paris, matching their wits against faceless opponents who seem to know their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu decipher the labyrinthine puzzle, the Priory’s ancient secret will be lost forever.

Brown keeps the suspense going, the mystery flowing, and the top-notch adventure throughout, with the explosive historical truths uncovered along the way keeping readers invested in this religious, political history, which makes them question the status quo, even skeptical of omniscience, commandments, and any beliefs. From his indirect criticism of faith and ideology to his sarcastic interpretations of one-hit wonders popular with the younger generation and charlatans, Brown uses various strategies and equations to make his point.

This controversial book doesn’t set out to destroy Christianity, although it raises many questions about the Christian Church, the loss of paganism, and the respect for the Goddess. All Brown does is open readers’ minds, catalyzing new thinking, and for an author, this is an incredible accomplishment, which is why this book is a 4-5 star read.