The hero prof returns

Dan Brown's adventure-prone professor Robert Langdon returns in The Lost Symbol, this time manipulated by (yet another) mysterious, disturbed lone wolf into finding a treasure trove of ancient knowledge, hidden by the Masons somewhere in Washington, D.C. Discrediting and tearing down the Masons is also part of the villain's plan.

Don't expect the level of searing (credible or otherwise) revelation that The Da Vinci Code delivered and you'll enjoy this fascinating, pulp-inspired thriller just fine. In fact, I found the book to be entertaining for pretty much the opposite reasons as The Da Vinci Code: The earlier book was a decent page-turner mainly due to its incredible postulations (again, believeable or otherwise) about Christianity and history, with the thriller plot being serviceable at best. This time, the thriller plot, more skillful and involving than before (though slightly predictable here and there), was the main attraction for me, with the "incredible revelations" being kind of interesting and fascinating, but nowhere near as earth shattering or memorable as the previous book. So, The Lost Symbol is still a perfectly good book to curl up with, but for somewhat different reasons than the previous Langdon adventure.

I also liked the underlying theme of the book, that we should be less worried about a possible afterlife and more awed and fascinated by our species' potential here on Earth. Of course, the book isn't entirely satisfied with mankind's more obvious areas for growth and improvement- our intellect and capacity to address the world's problems if we really try- but rather suggests that we have some manner of untapped brain power that will ultimately allow us to perform actions approaching the magical. But this is a thriller, after all, so I guess the inclusion of fantastic material like that is okay... especially when it's in a book that puts forth the laudable view that one can respect and be guided by religion, while not being driven by its every tenet.

If you enjoyed Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, I can't imagine not at least liking a little this latest entry in the series. It's a perfectly fine installment, and makes me hope it's not another five or six years until we next see Robert Langdon running through some dark, murky corridors in search of an amazing clue to an even more amazing revelation.

The Lost Symbol is available on Kindle for $9.60.