What happend? I really enjoyed his other four books, but this was a very predictable and sometimes annoying read. There wasn't that break neck pace that made me enjoy Angels & Demons or the "Wow" moments like in Deception Point & Da Vinci Code.

I agree
The book was good to a point and i suspected the ABYSS reference about the Liquid would come about to ensure a hollywood 'made for the movies' happy ending.

SPOILERS contained - do not read unless you have read the book.

Well now.

I read "The Da Vinci Code" and really enjoyed it. Then I read his other novels and enjoyed them too.

And I was really enjoying "The Lost Symbol" until I realised that nothing of substance was happening. His main protagonist, Robert Langdon, has the depth of tissue paper and yet and lectures smugly until I wanted to blow my nose on HIM. Unfortunately, when one uses a tissue character with a plot of even less substance, the novel is left with scant enjoyment.

I suspect, indeed I hope, that the ending of the book was not written by Dan Brown. I suspect that it was either written by slightly backward three-year old, or by a fired Mills and Boon writer; it is so simplistic, anticlimactic and full of sweet, sugary sentiments that I almost switched the tv on to watch Oprah.

And yet...and yet... the thriller does tick along at a rapid rate, and it threw in some really interesting facts. It did keep me reading, it did make me think; and some of the thoughts weren't even "I can't believe I spent so much money on this".