Angels and Demons - Dan Brown

When a world renowned scientist is found brutally murdered, a Harvard professor, Robert Langdon, is summoned to identify the mysterious symbol seared onto the dead man's chest. His conclusion: it is the work of the Illuminati, a secret brotherhood presumed extinct for nearly four hundred years - now reborn to continue their bitter vendetta against their sworn enemy, the Catholic church.

In Rome, the college of cardinals assembles to elect a new Pope. Yet somewhere within the walls of the Vatican an unstoppable bomb of terrifying power relentlessly counts down to oblivion. While the minutes tick away Langdon joins forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to decipher the labyrinthine trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome to the long-forgotten Illuminati lair - a secret refuge wherein lies the only hope for the Vatican.

But with each revelation comes another twist, another turn in the plot, which leaves Langdon and Vetra reeling and at the mercy of a seemingly invincible enemy.....

The book initially seemed to be a little on the slow side and I wondered if I was going to get into it......... then everything seemed to pull together and along came an exciting read that became distinctly unputdownable as it raced towards the final few chapters and the conclusion.

There are a few minor similarities with The Da Vinci Code, with the symbology, secret brotherhood, clues and a trail to follow angle, but despite this it's a distinctly different read and, IMO, more thrilling. Despite the fact that I had suspicions about the Illuminati leaders identity some time before it was finally revealed it didn't spoil the story or the ultimate revelations.

All told I would class it as the better book of the two and will now be on the look-out for more of Dan Brown's books.

Am registering this with the Book Crossing site and adding it to my Swap List - shout if you'd like it. :0)