"The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown is an interesting, gripping thriller with Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, the Masons, and Washington, D.C.. An improvement on his previous two Langdon books, "The Lost Symbol" shows more mature plot construction and the usual Brown engagement with history, secrets, and symbols. The book follows Robert Langdon, a middle-aged Harvard professor on an unexpected trip to Washington, D.C. for an old friend. The trip takes him all around the nation's capital and shows the secret, hidden history of Washington, D.C.. Brown can expound on the sacred architecture of D.C., the mysticism of the founding fathers, and extort the reader to look back to ancient mysteries and ideas as ways of moving forward to the future. One can recognize that this is a Dan Brown book for a number of reasons: the short chapters, the cliffhangers, the mysterious organization, the lone madman, secrets buried in plain sight, fusion of science and religion/mysticism, and a race against time against seemingly impossible odds. I'm happy to say that Dan Brown starts to break out of the normal pattern I've seen in his other works. This book brilliantly uses the Masons, one of the world's oldest bogeymen as its "evil organization." The reasons why I find this brilliant is because the Masons are one of the most misunderstood organizations in the world and the rumors swirling about them make the reader more likely to have preconceived notions going into the book. Brown has also created interesting characters. I'm especially pleased with how he has given the villain Mal'akh (a character who is not a simple as he first appears) much more face time than the other villains in Brown's previous books and presents his twisted journey towards his ultimate goal. The ultimate conflict is profoundly personal and keep the reader fully engaged from start to finish. A few criticisms that I have is that while I enjoyed the plot more, the book is a bit more laden with ideas and exposition on what are admittedly complex ideas and topics than the average reader may want to read. The plot also does not move quite as smoothly as "Angels and Demons." But I can't help but like Brown's books, including this one. The changes in plot construction, excellent locations, and the interesting characters make the book worth your time.