The Lost Symbol
Author:  Dan Brown
Publisher:Anchor Books, a division of Random House
Publish Date: 2010
Pages: 639
ISBN No.: 978-1-4000-7914-8
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Sub Genre: Science Fiction
Reader’s Annotation:
A kidnapping, a severed hand, and a grotesquely tattooed man all add up to another Dan Brown thriller this time set in Washington, DC.
Summary: 
Robert Langdon arrives in Washington, DC  to give a lecture at the request of his old mentor, Peter Solomon, a longstanding Mason and noted philanthropist.  When he arrives at the U.S. Capitol for his lecture, he learns that Peter has been kidnapped and he finds his severed hand mounted on a wooden base, fingers pointing skyward to the Rotunda ceiling fresco of George Washington dressed in white robes ascending to heaven that has been left as a clue. Langdon investigates a plethora of other clues and there is an arch villain known as Mal'akh, a steroid-swollen, dreadfully tattooed, muscle-bodied madman, who is seeking the lost wisdom of the ages so he can rule the world. Joining Langdon in his search is Peter's younger sister, Kathleen, who has been conducting experiments in a secret museum and also offers a bit of a romantic interest. As Robert and Kathleen plunge headlong into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets the book in usual Brown fashion roars to an exciting conclusion.
Evaluation:  
The Lost Symbol keeps the reader interested and on the edge of their seat but it takes too long to reach the exciting conclusion after reading a whopping 639 pages.
Why I Would Include It:
Dan Brown has set this new thriller not in some far-off exotic locale, but right here in our nation's capitol which provides an exciting backdrop for those of us fascinated with Washington DC and its many landmarks.
Rating: 4