Sue Dawson rolls up a trouser leg and gets between the covers of the latest Dan Brown blockbuster to hit the shelves for this edition of the Fethiye Times Book Review.

This book is so, so much better than The Da Vinci Code.  All the familiar ingredients are here – obscure symbols, ancient history, frantic car chases, puzzles to solve and of course, severed body parts all over the landscape.

Robert Langdon is back – this time on home ground in America, Washington DC.  According to ancient Masonic legend, a great secret is buried somewhere underneath Washington itself – something that will utterly transform humanity for all time.

The main characters, apart from Langdon himself, are Director Sato, the chain-smoking head of the secret organisation that monitors the CIA (how scary is that?), Peter Solomon, Grand Master of the Masons, his sister Katherine, a Noetic Scientist (no, I didn`t know what that meant either) and Mal`akh, a gigantic tattooed fanatic with a hidden past.

The story takes place over a period of only 12 action packed hours, beginning with the brutal kidnapping of Peter Solomon.  Langdon and Katherine must follow a trail that takes them to the hidden places within America`s capital city, through underground tunnels, hidden temples and revealing the hidden, and often sinister sides, of some very familiar buildings and monuments.

The puzzles are fairly laid out for the reader and you can, as I did, pause for a minute with pencil and paper and have a go yourself.  (At this point I should say that had the free world been relying on me then civilisation would have perished in blood and fire after about 30 minutes!  Good job we have Robert Langdon.)

This is an intelligent and sometimes complicated thriller that manages to surprise the reader with every twist and turn.  Brown has obviously thoroughly researched his subjects – American history, the Freemasons, Washington architecture, code breaking, ancient symbology, world religions – its all here, giving the book depth, detail and realism.

I devoured this in two major sessions, racing to get to the end before I went blind!  My only criticism is the weight – both my knees went numb.  My recommendation – get comfy with a drink, your own body-weight in chocolate, some cushions – and get stuck in.

This book is available from The Card Shops in Fethiye and Calis, together with everything you need for Christmas – lights, decorations, cards etc.  All available now.

The Fethiye Times Book Review is written and sponsored by The Card Shop 2, Calis, where you can buy or order new books, exchange or pick up second hand books as well as find cards and other gifts.