r at the Capitol Building, Washington DC. But it turns out to be a trap wherein he is confronted with a freshly cutoff arm set in a manner that it sends a message which only Langdon understands. This sets him off on a trail that leads to intrigue and murders. The chief antagonist is Mal’akh who has managed to infiltrate the highest echelons of Freemason’s hierarchy and is within grabbing distance of its well kept secrets. Secrets, if revealed, could change the world as we know it. These secrets could also make Mal’akh invincible, immortal and all powerful. The source of these secrets is with Peter Solomon, who has been kidnapped. Katherine, Peter’s sister is a Noetic scientist who has been able to conquer new frontiers in researching noetics. She joins forces with Langdon in fighting Mal’akh even as the two have to evade arrest by CIA Director Sato, with another Freemason named Bellamy in hot pursuit. Another subplot is the confrontation between Peter Solomon and his son who does not want to join the Freemason Order of which Peter is a High Priest and custodian of its secrets traditionally held by his family for generations.

This novel scores over Da Vinci Code in the matter of narrative’s pace, action, and the length and intensity of suspense – it manages to give the plot several successive twists, especially towards the end. However, its cerebral quotient is lower than that of Da Vinci Code. The book ends on a political and patriotic note imbued in American supremacist tones.

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