Langdon learns the late curator was the gatekeeper of the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci -- and has sacrificed his life to protect the Priory's most sacred trust: the location of a vastly important religious relic hidden for centuries. It appears that Opus Dei, a clandestine, malevolent, Vatican-sanctioned religious sect that has long plotted to seize the Priory's secret, has now made its move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can crack the Da Vinci code and quickly assemble the pieces of the puzzle, the Priory's secret -- and a stunning historical truth -- will be lost forever.

In an exhilarating blend of scholarly intelligence, relentless adventure, and cutting wit, Robert Langdon (first introduced in Dan Brown's Angels Demons) is the most original detective to appear in years. Combining the punch of Robert Ludlum, the intriguing historical touch of Umberto. Eco, and the nonstop suspense of Michael Crichton, "The Da Vinci Code" is a rocket ride of an intelligent thriller.