Dan Brown is an American author, born in 1964. His books are brilliant at creating suspense and a sense of thrill, and this is one of the key reasons why he exploded onto the writing scene. His bestseller, the Da Vinci code, sold in enormous numbers, and has since been made into a film- a testament to Dan Brown’s gripping story telling and his writing gifts.

His books are probably best classified as thrillers, but they also contain lots of mystery, as characters frequently have to solve complex puzzles and conspiracy theories. For me, this really adds to the enjoyment of reading the books- as well as enjoying the story you end up learning a lot about history and cryptography- though I hasten to add some of the conspiracy theories within the books are quite far fetched!

Up to this point, Dan Brown has written five books, as follows:

Digital Fortress
The National Security Agency has the world’s most powerful code breaking software, but it encounters a code that it cannot break- Digital Fortress. Susan Fletcher, a brilliant Cryptographer is called in to crack it, however events quickly escalate- the code is a threat to national security and there are figures prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to get hold of it.

Angels and Demons
My favourite of Dan Brown’s books, Angels and Demons features Professor Robert Langdon an expert symbologist from Harvard University, as he attempts to stop a mysterious organisation called the Illuminati from destroying the Vatican City. Langdon has to follow a path using his skills at solving cryptic puzzles in order to find the deadly canister of anti-matter and save the Vatican City.

Deception Point
A Meteorite is found in an Artic ice shelf, but this is no ordinary meteorite as it contains potential evidence of extra terrestrial life forms. Intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton is sent to investigate, along with a team of other experts yet there is considerable political interest in the outcome. A leading presidential candidate is determined for NASA to be abolished and the funding redirected and a major, media intensive discovery credited to NASA is not on his wish list.

The Da Vinci Code
The curator of the Louvre, Jacques Sauniere is found murdered, lying in the position of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vetruvian man, with a note to Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon. Langdon has to decipher Sauniere’s cryptic clues with the help of her granddaughter, all the while struggling with the authorities who believe he is a prime suspect. Stalked by a deadly and fanatic monk, Langdon and Sophie Neveau (Sauniere’s grand daughter) have to uncover one of the most famous mysteries of all time.

The Lost Symbol
Professor Robert Langdon is invited to give a lecture at the United States Capitol by his mentor, Peter Solomon. However, Solomon is in fact being held hostage and Langdon must use all of skills to keep Solomon alive and appease his captors.