I actually enjoyed this book better than I did the other work by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code. This book seems to offer more of a tangible mystery than I felt the The Da Vinci Code did.  Also, I felt that the main character — Robert Langdon — was much more developed in this book.

This book delves into the background and history of the Catholic church.  Set in the Vatican, during Enclave — the story is much more in depth, and more involved than the follow up novel.  I found the mystery to be truly interesting to try and figure out.  And it still offered all the subjects that made The Da Vinci Code a hit.  Symbols, murders, a serial killer and the very obscure elements of history that really get the reader involved.

In this particular book not only does Mr. Brown cover the Enclave of the Catholic church, but there is also the Illuminati, Cearn, the development of the Internet, and even the debate of the merging of science and religion — and so many other obscure facts that the reader finds themselves challenging their knowledge of history, while trying to solve the mystery.

Pitted against time, as priests are dying on a perverse schedule, Robert Langdon and his compatriot, Vittoria Vetra have to unravel the mystery of the clues left behind by the Illuminati.  Their goal is not only to uncover a perverse serial killer, but also to discover the mystery of the missing Illuminati legend — and the brand that each of the dead priests bear.

This is a fun, and different mystery.  Stepping out of the pattern of the traditional mysteries, I found this book to be an excellent read.