The Da Vinci Code [Hardcover]

In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoterica culled from 2,000 years of Western history.

A murder in the silent after-hours halls of the Louvre reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his daughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's father's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, Neveu and Langdon embark on a breathless flight through France, England and history itself.

Brown has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought. --Jeremy Pugh, Amazon.com

'Not since the advent of Harry Potter has an author so flagrantly delighted in leading readers on a breathless chase.’

‘Fascinating and absorbing…A great, riveting read. I loved this book.’

‘Intrigue and menace mingle in one of the finest mysteries I've ever read. An amazing tale with enigma piled on secrets stacked on riddles.’

‘A new master of smart thrills…A pulse-quickening, brain teasing adventure.’

‘Dan Brown has built a world that is rich in fascinating detail, and I could not get enough of it. Mr. Brown, I am your fan.’

Harvard Professor Robert Langton, visiting Paris, is called in when the curator of the Louvre is murdered. Alongside the body is a series of baffling ciphers. Langton and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, are amazed to find a trail that leads to the works of Da Vinci - and beyond.

Harvard professor Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call while on business in Paris: the elderly curator of the Louvre, Jacques Saunière, has been brutally murdered inside the museum. Alongside the body, police have found a series of baffling codes. As Langdon and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, begin to sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to find a trail that leads to the works of Leonardo Da Vinci - and suggests the answer to a mystery that stretches deep into the vault of history.

Langdon suspects the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion - a centuries-old secret society - and has sacrificed his life to protect the Priory's most sacred trust: the location of a vastly important religious relic hidden for centuries. But it appears that Opus Dei, a clandestine sect that has long plotted to seize the Priory's secret, has made its move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine code and quickly assemble the pieces of the puzzle, the Priory's secret - and a stunning historical truth - will be lost for ever...

Breaking the mould of traditional suspense novels, The Da Vinci Code is simultaneously lightning-paced, intelligent and intricately layered with remarkable research and detail. From the opening pages to the unpredictable and stunning conclusion, Dan Brown proves himself to be a master storyteller.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Praise for Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code:

'Wow . Blockbuster perfection . An exhilaratingly brainy thriller. Not since the advent of Harry Potter has an author so flagrantly delighted in leading readers on a breathless chase.'
NEW YORK TIMES

'Intrigue and menace mingle in one of the finest mysteries I've ever read.An amazing tale with enigma piled on secrets stacked on riddles.'
CLIVE CUSSLER

'A new master of smart thrills . A pulse-quickening, brain-teasing adventure.'
PEOPLE MAGAZINE

'The more I read, the more I had to read. Dan Brown has built a world that is rich in fascinating detail, and I could not get enough of it. Mr Brown, I am your fan.'
ROBERT CRAIS

'An ingenious mixture of paranoid thriller, art-history lesson and chase story, and the most fun you can have between the sort of covers that aren't 300-count Egyptian cotton.'
SALON.COM

'Dan Brown has to be one of the best, smartest and most accomplished writers in the country. The Da Vinci Code is many notches above the intelligent thriller, this is pure genius.'
NELSON DE MILLE

Harvard professor Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call while on business in Paris: the elderly curator of the Louvre, Jacques SauniSre, has been brutally murdered inside the museum. Alongside the body, police have found a series of baffling codes. As Langdon and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, begin to sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to find a trail that leads to the works of Leonardo Da Vinci - and suggests the answer to a mystery that stretches deep into the vault of history.

Langdon suspects the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion - a centuries-old secret society - and has sacrificed his life to protect the Priory's most sacred trust: the location of a vastly important religious relic hidden for centuries. But it now appears that Opus Dei, a clandestine sect that has long plotted to seize the Priory's secret, has made its move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine code and quickly assemble the pieces of the puzzle, the Priory's secret - and a devastating historical truth - will be lost for ever . . .

Breaking the mould of traditional suspense novels, The Da Vinci Code is simultaneously lightning-paced, intelligent and intricately layered with remarkable research and detail. From the opening pages to the unpredictable and stunning conclusion, Dan Brown proves himself to be a master storyteller.

Dan Brown:
Dan Brown is the bestselling author of Digital Fortress, Angels and Demons and Deception Point. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he has taught English and creative writing.