The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown                                                                             ***

So...., where to start.  I read all of the Brown books about 5 years ago in the space of about 2 weeks.  I had some time off work and they were a good way to spend it.  I especially liked Angels and Demons and was lucky enough to visit Rome about a month after finishing it.  I've always thought that his special talent was describing very well-known historical sights with a sense of history and mystery that makes you want to go, look and say, "Well, I'll be damned!  It's right there just like he said it would be!"  Though about half of his symbology and history seems to be B.S. (don't fall into the trap of confusing fact and fiction, folks), many of the descriptions are vivid and dead-on.

All that being said, if you liked the last two Brown books, you will probably like this one.  See if this sounds familiar:  Robert Langdon gets unwittingly dragged into an evil scheme by a psychopathic yet vaguely religious zealot.  He hooks up with a beautiful, intelligent woman and spends a night running around a famous city deciphering ancient codes and symbols.  He's chased by virtually everyone and along the way helps out an old, extremely wise friend who knows all the secrets but refuses to tell. 

This time it happens in Washington D.C.

I'm sorta kidding but not really.  This book is fun and somewhat informative, just like the rest.  It's cool to try to work out the puzzles along with Langdon.  You learn some cool history and get a little different perspective on things.  The pace is fast and only the lure of getting a few hours sleep a night will keep you from reading it in about 3 days.  If you are looking for something revolutionary and new from Mr. Brown, this isn't it.  However, if you loved The Da Vinci Code, this will feel like a comfortable old robe.  Go ahead, put it on.