Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (2001, Paperback, Reissue)

This novel preceded Dan Brown's popular The Da Vinci Code and it just may be a better novel. From the opening chapter when Robert Langdon receives a fax of a corpse that has been brutally murdered and branded to the breathtaking, stunning and complete surprise at the end, this novel is a non-stop thriller.

I highly recommend the illustrated version of the book. It dramatically depicts the brands that are employed in each of the murders. I was so fascinated with the novel and its underlying story that I undertook the research to learn more about the novel and its background.

One of the truly amazing things I uncovered is that Robert Langdon is actually the last name of John Langdon - the man who created the word art known as Ambigrams that are shown in the illustrated version. An ambigram means you will be able to read the word both right side up and upside down.

For you futuristic thinkers and dreamers there is the HSCT (High Speed Civil Transport) with its 20:1 thrust/weight ratio that flies Langdon from Boston, MA to Geneva in an hour. This aircraft is capable of flying at altitudes of 100 miles and speeds of 11,000 miles per hour.

But that is just the beginning for next comes the Particle Accelerator, a machine that propels two particles in opposite directions through a circular tube until they crash into each other with the resultant crash dividing the particles into their most basic element - pure energy.

Certainly this novel is similar to The Davinci Code in that it pits the church against science. The result is suspenseful, exciting, full of mystery, enough truth to make one think about the possibilities and a very surprising conclusion.

I highly recommend this novel.