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

Dan Brown's Angels and Demons is a fast-paced detective drama that combines science, art, religion, and murder.

Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon is the protagonist who finds himself at a Swiss nuclear research facility. It seems a scientist has been murdered and the infamous Illuminati society is somehow involved. Some antimatter has been taken, and Langdon joins the scientist's daughter, Vittoria, on a mad dash through some of Rome's most famous landmarks, in an effort to find it before the Vatican is leveled.

I liked the plot of Angels and Demons and found much of middle section wonderfully absorbing and tense, as Robert and Vittoria decipher ancient clues and race from place to place in Rome, fast on the heels of a murderer. The beginning of the book, which discusses antimatter, was slow-going for me and the conclusion is way over the top in terms of realism. The timeline was a major stumbling block: Being able to travel great distances across Rome in minutes (even seconds) took away some credibility for me.

In spite of the weaknesses, Angels and Demons is very exciting and at times, even spine-tingling. If you have been to Rome, you will enjoy revisiting the city in this book. You'll also learn about the inner workings of the Vatican, and about the Illuminati, which I found fascinating. This is also my favorite of Dan Brown's Collection.