Dan Brown is no stranger to best seller lists, blockbuster movie adaptations and cultural publishing moments. For more than two decades, his work has defined the fast-paced thriller genre: puzzles that blend religion, conspiracy, history and mystery. Ever since The Da Vinci Code became a publishing landmark, each of his books has been greeted with growing anticipation — along with a fair share of criticism. Eight years after the publication of Origin (2017), The Secret of Secrets arrived as a test of whether Brown’s formula can command attention in a literary and publishing landscape transformed by #BookTok, celebrity book clubs, and shifting reader tastes.
The city of Prague — along with its Gothic architecture, century-old legends and occult and mystical history — serves as a character in this story. (Shutterstock)
704pp, ₹1499; Penguin Randomhouse
Angels and Demons (1999) introduced readers to the hero of all of Brown’s subsequent books — Robert Langdon. A professor of religious symbology at Harvard, he gets caught in unlikely events where his unique talent of decoding cryptic clues and his extensive knowledge of the history of occult, religion and art — from ancient Egypt to medieval Europe — help him unravel mysteries to save himself and others from grave danger. An unlikely hero, Langdon has turned nerds into prime hero material. In The Secret of Secrets, he gets caught in yet another plot which has the potential to destroy all of humanity.
When Langdon arrives in Prague along with esteemed scientist and longtime friend Katherine Solomon, all he expects is a few days of peace and quiet, exploring the city’s many palaces, museums and cobbled streets and bridges. The city itself — along with its Gothic architecture, century-old legends and occult and mystical history — serves as a character in this story, forming the threads of puzzles Langdon must solve and dangers that await him. But when Katherine disappears along with her manuscript, a tome of her ultra secret research on the mind, consciousness, and life after death, Langdon is once again thrust into a high-stakes chase.
Staying true to his hallmark style, Brown’s narrative weaves together real-life locations, historical events, and organizations, grounding the narrative into the real world where he blurs fact and fiction. As an unknown enemy gives chase — one who will stop at nothing to prevent Katherine’s manuscript from publishing — Langdon must use his eidetic memory and prowess to navigate the city and mysteries to uncover the truth and find Katherine.
Over a career spanning almost three decades, Brown has nailed his personal writing style. His skill at crafting adrenaline-filled plots while weaving elements of history, religion and mythology, and science is highly commendable. Having explored the lore of the Holy Grail (The Da Vinci Code), contagion alongside Dante’s version of Hell (Inferno), and evolution and artificial intelligence (Origin), the author now pivots to an exploration of the human brain and how consciousness works. Katherine’s research, which predominantly focuses on phenomena like OBE (out-of-body experiences), ESP (extrasensory perception), and precognition, serves a major role in the plot of the book. This also feels unexpectedly timely considering the recent boom in the popularity of manifestation, the idea of creating your future by simply thinking/visualising it. Brown also ties these themes in relation to religion — a theme which is ever present in all of his work — despite the Vatican or The Church not being directly involved.
The Secret of Secrets has all the signature pieces of a good thriller — death, kidnapping, chases, murder, and hacking, to name a few. The book is, by design, formulaic in structure, and for some readers, this predictability might be a potential drawback. However, in Brown’s hands, this tried and tested method works because of the sheer amount of movement. He keeps up a relentless pace, ensuring readers get rare, tiny breaks from the plot. Each chapter ends in a cliffhanger and the increasing number of perspectives and intertwined storylines — more intricate than in his earlier works — leave readers hungry for more. Brown effortlessly handles complex plotting and multiple narrative threads and weaves them tightly towards a literal explosive climax.
Often criticized for underdeveloped emotions, motivations and relationships, in The Secret of Secrets, Dan Brown adds a prominent layer of emotional depth. The relationship between Langdon and Katherine, along with the perspectives of side characters and victims, humanizes the thrilling narrative and adds emotional resonance. This not only helps readers become genuinely attached to the characters, but also adds gravity to the poignant moments that arise, particularly towards the story’s climax.
Author Dan Brown (Ben Flythe/penguinrandomhouse.com)
In the eight years since Brown’s last book, the publishing industry has changed drastically. Aided by the emergence of #BookTok, a certain level of decentralization in traditionally Western narratives, reader tastes have evolved considerably. In this new landscape, the “old-school” formula faces a fresh set of challenges — having to compete against rapidly shifting preferences and algorithms powered by AI. Even in a literary landscape that favours shorter, “fast fiction”, Brown demonstrates that his meticulously crafted formula still works. Through layered narratives and his innate storytelling abilities, he keeps readers captivated across more than 700 pages of suspense, history, and intrigue.
Ultimately, The Secret of Secrets reaffirms why Dan Brown is the phenomenon he is. He proves why years of research, meticulous plotting and well-timed suspense will captivate readers, make them stay up all night to finish a book — even if they can’t sit still and watch a 30-minute YouTube video. His blending of history, religion, mythology, and science demonstrates both ambition and consistency, offering readers not just adrenaline but also intellectual engagement — if they choose to follow his intricate trails. It delivers all the thrills longtime fans have come to expect of him, but also provides an immersive experience to new readers who might be interested in checking out what the hype is about. It provides entertainment, knowledge and a subtle expansion of ideas — everything a good thriller should do.
Rutvik Bhandari is an independent writer. He lives in Pune. You can find him talking about books on Instagram and YouTube (@themindlessmess).
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