The curator of the Louvre museum, Jacques Saunière, is murdered within its walls and has left behind a series of baffling clues and symbols, whose explanation brings together his granddaughter, cryptologist Sophie Neveu and Harvard symbologist, Robert Langdon. Langdon is suspected of the crime, but Neveu helps him to escape. While on the run, they unravel the secret code, which leads to a message hidden in Leonardo da Vinci’s works and realize the existence of a secret society, the Priory of Sion, started centuries ago, which included prominent members like Da Vinci, Newton, Victor Hugo, Botticelli etc. Saunière himself was a member of this sect, which guards the powerful truth about the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, and safeguards their existing bloodline; Mary Magdalene is the Holy Grail, the lost sacred feminine. They have powerful enemies, including the Opus Dei, a Catholic cult, known for their controversial practices. The lead duo are first helped and then betrayed along their quest by British historian, Leigh Teabing.
The book is a fast- paced thriller. It certainly keeps you captivated right through, though the end is a bit disappointing. The race through history is mind blowing and the anticipation builds up in the hunt for the answers. Dan Brown weaves a fantastic web of interrelated mysteries and really takes you on a roller coaster ride.