This novel takes place before the events in the Da Vinci Code and in this one Robert Langdon is pulled into an ancient fight between the Vatican and the Illuminati. The novel takes you from the CERN to the Vatican and it gives you a pretty good description of those places. With help from a scientist from the CERN, Robert must help stop the destruction of the Vatican. This novel is not as polished as The Da Vinci Code and it does not have the same pace and yes, there is a few more plot holes in this one. But all that aside, it is a good read and I give it 4.20 stars.

This novel begins at a break neck pace and continues that way all the way to the end. It begins believable enough as a cop novel with LAPD detective John Barron, the newest member of the 5-2 squad, on a train awaiting the correct moment to arrest a dangerous criminal. But along the way the novel turns into a kind of international conspiracy novel. By the time the novel is over you have to suspend belief at all the things the main character gets into. I liked the character of the villain Raymond/Alexander which I thought was very well written. I also think that the novel was too long and would have been better if it was cut down by a third. But for all the plot holes and other problems it is still a good read and I give it 3.50 stars.