The eight-year wait for the next Dan Brown novel is over. We have not seen the author since the 2017 release of ORIGIN, and I can proudly say that THE SECRET OF SECRETS is well worth the long layoff. In typical Brown fashion, he introduces extensive ideas that drive a relentless plot --- human consciousness, life after death, and the political entrapment that threatens to militarize these and other scientific concepts.

Brown makes it abundantly clear to readers that every idea in the book is factual: artwork, artifacts, symbols, documents, experiments, technologies, scientific results and organizations. Knowing that, you can either sit back and enjoy the ride, or marvel at the intense research behind the intricate plotting and realize you are witnessing something special. Aside from the late Michael Crichton, I cannot think of another bestselling writer who is able to combine all of these real-life elements to produce an incredible fictional tale.

Although the book is nearly 700 pages, it never feels lengthy as the action kicks off on page one and never abates. It opens with a brief prologue that will make a lot more sense later on. Dr. Brigita Gessner believes that she must have died as she is experiencing a full out-of-body moment where she is soaring above landmarks in Prague.

"THE SECRET OF SECRETS is another instant classic that details deeply intricate theories and ideas, and presents them in an easily consumable way that creates an unforgettable experience for anyone who reads it."

The first chapter opens in Prague, where Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon accompanies his current girlfriend, Dr. Katherine Solomon, a prominent noetic scientist who is set to give a lecture at Prague Castle. The subject is human consciousness, and many of her ideas will be challenging to the audience, even though they are all scientifically factual. Katherine was brought there by Gessner, who wishes to talk about a momentous project she has been working on underneath the streets of Prague. However, Gessner will be killed before she can ever share her thoughts with Katherine, who herself goes missing immediately after the meeting she was supposed to have with Gessner.

Another figure who plays a key role in THE SECRET OF SECRETS originally existed only in stories and myth. The ancient Golem of Prague, straight out of Jewish lore with the Hebrew word for truth emblazoned on his clay forehead, is alive and well in Prague and on a mission that will intersect nicely with the novel's plot.

Meanwhile, as Langdon is returning from his morning swim and going back to his hotel, he sees someone on the bridge who seemingly has stepped directly out of a nightmare that Katherine had the night before. A tall woman dressed in black with a spire-like halo and holding a mighty spear is heading towards the hotel as well. Langdon takes this to be an omen of disaster and tells those in authority that the hotel is in danger. He then leaps from his balcony into the Vltava River below, expecting an explosion that never comes.

With Katherine missing and Langdon now a person of interest, we are introduced to two separate narratives that also will play into the plot. In New York City, Jonas Faukman, the editor of Katherine's latest book, is alerted by an IT employee at his publishing house that a breach has occurred in their network. The only item the hackers removed was the new manuscript that Katherine had sent him. Faukman is later kidnapped and realizes that there was something in those pages that threatened some very important people who would do anything to silence her new work. We also meet Everett Finch, who works with a clandestine offshoot of the CIA. He is an American currently in London and very much interested in what is taking place in both Prague and New York City.

To divulge any more details would spoil the reading experience. Let me just say that Langdon does find Katherine, and they begin a mission of their own to determine why her manuscript was eliminated and the project Gessner was working on that got her killed. These answers, along with the work of the opposing figure known as the Golem, will collide in a breathtaking and eye-opening finale. The book contains elements that reminded me of both THE INSTITUTE by Stephen King and the brutal horror film Martyrs, each of which is based on major ideas from this story.

Dan Brown expertly incorporates scientific concepts into his thrillers, and this novel once again proves why he is a world-renowned author. THE SECRET OF SECRETS is another instant classic that details deeply intricate theories and ideas, and presents them in an easily consumable way that creates an unforgettable experience for anyone who reads it.