to have a secret agenda, and neither Robert nor Katherine knows who may be working for which side in this complex drama of conspiracies. Before long, they find themselves on the runfirst on foot, then via taxi, subway, car, and helicopterin a race to escape Sato’s forces, which are led by CIA operative Turner Simkins. They must decode the mysterious symbols on the pyramid and save Peter’s life, while evading the predatory Mal’akh, who will put more lives in danger before the evening is over.

The Lost Symbol is classically plotted, taking place during the course of a single evening (with flashbacks providing necessary background detail). Nearly every chapter ends in a cliffhanger, large or small, making the novel a definite “page-turner.” Brown proves once again to be an expert storyteller, as over and over readers are forced to ask themselves how the characters are going to escape from their present situation. One major character even seems clearly to die before readers’ eyesonly to be resurrected in an infuriatingly logical way.

On the other hand, Brown’s weaknesses as a writer are also apparent. Too often, crises are resolved by withholding information from readers; the occasional deus ex machina makes an appearance. Moreover, while it is fine that the novel has a philosophical angle to it, its philosophy sometimes threatens to bring the plot to a standstill. One character in particular, the Reverend Colin Galloway, dean of Washington National Cathedral, seems less like a fully formed character and more like a spokesperson for a particular religious viewpoint. Occasionally, the prose style can be a bit melodramatic (“When Katherine Solomon finally saw the massive bronze doors of the library swing open before her, she felt as if an emotional floodgate had burst. All the fear and confusion she had bottled up tonight came pouring through.”) Then, too, Brown can fall into the trap of telling as opposed to showing, particularly when one character is conveying established information to another.

There is no doubt, however, that Brown can write a masterful thriller. The scene in which Katherine is stalked by Mal’akh in absolute darkness, his distinctive scent making him seem to be everywhere at once, is positively terrifying. Mal’akh himself is a fascinating yet horrifying creation. Obsessed with the Ancient Mysteries and a hatred for Peter Solomon, his true nature and the secrets of his past are only gradually revealed. Bellamy and Katherine Solomon’s discovery of Mal’akh’s true identity generates one of the most shocking revelations in the story and should catch even the wariest readers off guard. Langdon, meanwhile, has a reputationestablished in Brown’s previous novelsfor deciphering, decoding, and decrypting all sorts of codes, symbols, and systems of communication, and there is plenty of that for him to do here. Once he and Katherine begin working together, their combined knowledge of symbology and science enables them to make further progress in solving the puzzles of the pyramid. What they ultimately discover is that advanced science and magic are not so far apart after all.

At the center of the novel is the order of the Freemasons. Brown scandalized the Catholic Church with The Da Vinci Code, and, prior to its publication, it appeared that The Lost Symbol (initially titled The Solomon Key) would draw the same type of reactions from the Masonic world. The novel is steeped in the mysteries of Masonic lore, from initiation rites to a description of a Masonic Chamber of Reflection deep beneath the U.S. Capitol. Peter Solomon and Bellamy are thirty-third-degree Masons, as is the villainous Mal’akh, and the plot of the novel centers on Mal’akh’s belief that there is a secret spiral staircase deep beneath the earth somewhere in Washington, D.C., that leads to the most secret of Masonic mysteries. It is easy to understand the Masons awaiting the publication of such a novel with some anxiety.

Actually, though, Brown presents the Masons in a rather positive light. Langdon praises them for working together in harmony, while differences among religious and political beliefs are causing strife throughout the world. He considers Masons to be men of honor and integrity and finds beauty and meaning in their rituals and symbols. In fact, the way Masons, particularly prominent ones, might be viewed should a secretly recorded video of their activities be made available to the media becomes a key plot point of the book.

The novel’s characterization is appropriate for its genre. It is not deep or profound, but it serves to create characters whom readers can identify with, such as Robert and Katherine; fear, such as Sato and Mal’akh; or appreciate, such as Galloway and Bellamy. Readers never get true depth from these characters; it is more as though they are there to serve a function in the winding, convoluted plot, with no need to explore any deeper. The character around whom the plot revolves, Peter Solomon, is kept offstage for most of the book, appearing (aside from flashbacks) only at the novel’s climax. Moreover, the novel’s protagonist, Robert Langdon, remains passive throughout much of the noveldoing what others tell him to do, evading capture, hiding in stillness, and allowing himself to be guided rather than putting his own plots into action. It is only when he begins to solve the hidden meaning of the Masonic pyramidwith the help of Dean Galloway and Katherinethat he comes into his own as a man of action.

It is important to note that the novel is a combination of fact and fiction. There is no Department of Symbology at Harvard, or anywhere else, because such a discipline does not exist. On the other hand, the famous architecture of the nation’s capital is described in painstakingly researched detail. Brown’s characters are fictional, but it is his genius to blend the factual and the imaginary so that they are intertwined as though they were one.

Following in the tradition of The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol is a thoroughly researched, fact-filled novel that is not just a thriller but also a lesson in the history, art, and architecture of Washington, D.C. In a flashback, Langdon asks his students why they would want to tour Europe when so much beauty, history, and grandeur is to be found right in their nation’s capital. This novel plays off that theme, with the Capitol Rotunda, the Library of Congress, and the Washington Monument, among other historic sites, serving as backdrops for many of the novel’s key scenes. Brown deftly works art and sculpture into the plot of the story at strategic points as well. It is only in the final chapters of the book that Brown’s technique might seem anticlimactic to some readers. Others will find themselves enthralled throughout.