In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world's most popular thriller writer. The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling—a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths . . . all under the watchful eye of Brown's most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.
As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object —artfully encoded with five symbols—is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation . . . one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.
When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon—a prominent Mason and philanthropist —is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations—all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.
As the world discovered in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, Dan Brown's novels are brilliant tapestries of veiled histories, arcane symbols, and enigmatic codes. In this new novel, he again challenges readers with an intelligent, lightning-paced story that offers surprises at every turn. The Lost Symbol is exactly what Brown's fans have been waiting for . . . his most thrilling novel yet.
THE LOST SYMBOL is yet another foray by Dan Brown into the human connection with mysticism, this time within the world of Freemasonry. Performer Paul Michael faced a challenge in portraying Brown's hero, Harvard professor Robert Langdon, because of the compelling acting of Tom Hanks in the film versions of THE DA VINCI CODE and ANGELS AND DEMONS. Surely THE LOST SYMBOL is headed for the big screen as well as Langdon tries to save a friend from a madman by discovering the truth behind one of Masonry's biggest secrets. Narrator Michael makes the character his own as he maintains a level of suspense throughout the book, which sometimes falls victim to laborious exposition. He manages to inject tension into each scene, keeping the listener eager for more. M.S. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
