Image showing three of the best books set in Spain: Retreat to the Spanish Sun, Sleeping Arrangements and Origin

Spain-with-Origin_Destination-Reads_Article-Header

Reading lists

9 of the best books set in Spain

France_Destination-Reads_Article-header

11 of the best books set in France

Italy_Destination-Reads_Article-header

9 beach reads set in Italy

Many writers through history have relied on unusual rituals to get the job done.

Main-Unusual-Writing-Habits-1800×1200-static.jpg

Features

The most unusual writing rituals of famous authors

(Robert Langdon Book 3)

The Lost Symbol

Dan Brown is the bestselling author of Digital Fortress, Deception Point, Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno, Origin and The Secret of Secrets. Three of his Robert Langdon novels have been adapted for the screen by Ron Howard, starring Tom Hanks. They have all been international blockbusters. 
 
Dan Brown is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he has taught English and Creative Writing. He lives in New England.

Robert Langdon returns in Dan Brown's brilliant new thriller, THE SECRET OF SECRETS, available now. 
 
The bestselling continuation of global phenomenon THE DA VINCI CODE, featuring symbologist Robert Langdon. 
 
The Capitol Building, Washington DC: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon believes he is here to give a lecture. He is wrong. Within minutes of his arrival, a shocking object is discovered. It is a gruesome invitation into an ancient world of hidden wisdom. 
 
When Langdon's mentor, Peter Solomon - prominent mason and philanthropist - is kidnapped, Langdon realizes that his only hope of saving his friend's life is to accept this mysterious summons. 
 
It is to take him on a breathless chase through Washington's dark history. All that was familiar is changed into a shadowy, mythical world in which Masonic secrets and never-before-seen revelations seem to be leading him to a single impossible and inconceivable truth...

(Robert Langdon Book 2)

The Da Vinci Code

Robert Langdon returns in Dan Brown's brilliant new thriller, THE SECRET OF SECRETS, available now. 
 
Discover the bestselling thriller of all time from global phenomenon Dan Brown. 
 
Harvard professor Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call while on business in Paris: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been brutally murdered inside the museum. Alongside the body, police have found a series of baffling codes. 
 
As Langdon and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, begin to sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to find a trail that leads to the works of Leonardo Da Vinci - and suggests the answer to a mystery that stretches deep into the vault of history. 
 
Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine code and quickly assemble the pieces of the puzzle, a stunning historical truth will be lost forever...

Deception Point

When a new NASA satellite detects evidence of an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory...a victory that has profound implications for U.S. space policy and the impending presidential election. 
 
With the Oval Office in the balance, the President dispatches White House Intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton to the Arctic to verify the authenticity of the find. Accompanied by a team of experts, including the charismatic academic Michael Tolland, Rachel uncovers the unthinkable - evidence of scientific trickery - a bold deception that threatens to plunge the world into controversy... 
 
Dan Brown's brilliant new thriller, THE SECRET OF SECRETS, featuring the return of symbologist Robert Langdon, is available now.

Digital Fortress

When the National Security Agency's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls in its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant, beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage - not by guns or bombs, but by a code so complex that if released would cripple U.S. intelligence. 
 
Caught in an accelerating tempest of secrecy and lies, Fletcher battles to save the agency she believes in. Betrayed on all sides, she finds herself fighting not only for her country but for her life, and in the end, for the life of the man she loves... 
 
Dan Brown's brilliant new thriller, THE SECRET OF SECRETS, featuring the return of symbologist Robert Langdon, is available now.

The prequel to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code

Angels And Demons

(Robert Langdon Book 1)

Robert Langdon returns in Dan Brown's brilliant new thriller, THE SECRET OF SECRETS, available now. 
 
Discover the heart-racing bestseller that first introduced the world to symbologist Robert Langdon. 
 
CERN Institute, Switzerland: a world-renowned scientist is found brutally murdered with a mysterious symbol seared onto his chest. 
 
The Vatican, Rome: the College of Cardinals assembles for conclave to elect a new pope. Somewhere beneath them, an unstoppable bomb of terrifying power relentlessly counts down to oblivion. 
 
In a breathtaking race against time, Harvard professor Robert Langdon must decipher a labyrinthine trail of ancient symbols if he is to defeat those responsible - the Illuminati, a secret brotherhood presumed extinct for nearly four hundred years, reborn to continue their deadly vendetta against their most hated enemy, the Catholic Church.

(Robert Langdon Book 4)

Inferno

Robert Langdon returns in Dan Brown's brilliant new thriller, THE SECRET OF SECRETS, available now. 
 
The astonishing number 1 global bestseller, featuring symbologist Robert Langdon. 
 
Florence: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon awakes in a hospital bed with no recollection of where he is or how he got there. Nor can he explain the origin of the macabre object that is found hidden in his belongings. 
 
A threat to his life will propel him and a young doctor, Sienna Brooks, into a breakneck chase across the city. Only Langdon’s knowledge of the hidden passageways and ancient secrets that lie behind its historic facade can save them from the clutches of their unknown pursuers. 
 
With only a few lines from Dante’s Inferno to guide them, they must decipher a sequence of codes buried deep within some of the Renaissance’s most celebrated artworks to find the answers to a puzzle which may, or may not, help them save the world from a terrifying threat…

(Robert Langdon Book 5)

Origin

From the author of the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon Book 5)

Robert Langdon returns in Dan Brown's brilliant new thriller, THE SECRET OF SECRETS, available now. 
 
The global bestseller featuring symbologist Robert Langdon, from the author of THE DA VINCI CODE and 'master of the intellectual cliffhanger' (Wall Street Journal) Dan Brown. 
 
Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of an astonishing scientific breakthrough. The evening’s host is billionaire Edmond Kirsch, a futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a controversial figure around the world. 
 
But Langdon and several hundred guests are left reeling when the meticulously orchestrated evening is suddenly blown apart. There is a real danger that Kirsch’s precious discovery may be lost in the ensuing chaos. With his life under threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao, taking with him the museum’s director, Ambra Vidal. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret. 
 
To evade a devious enemy who is one step ahead of them at every turn, Langdon and Vidal must navigate the labyrinthine passageways of extreme religion and hidden history. On a trail marked only by enigmatic symbols and elusive modern art, Langdon and Vidal will come face-to-face with a breathtaking truth that has remained buried – until now.

The global bestseller featuring symbologist Robert Langdon, from the author of THE DA VINCI CODE and 'master of the intellectual cliffhanger' (Wall Street Journal) Dan Brown. 
 
Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of an astonishing scientific breakthrough. The evening’s host is billionaire Edmond Kirsch, a futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a controversial figure around the world. 
 
But Langdon and several hundred guests are left reeling when the meticulously orchestrated evening is suddenly blown apart. There is a real danger that Kirsch’s precious discovery may be lost in the ensuing chaos. With his life under threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao, taking with him the museum’s director, Ambra Vidal. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret. 
 
To evade a devious enemy who is one step ahead of them at every turn, Langdon and Vidal must navigate the labyrinthine passageways of extreme religion and hidden history. On a trail marked only by enigmatic symbols and elusive modern art, Langdon and Vidal will come face-to-face with a breathtaking truth that has remained buried – until now.

Wild Symphony

#1 New York Times bestselling author Dan Brown is back with a paperback edition of his debut picture book, the lyrically mindful, humorous, musical, and uniquely entertaining WILD SYMPHONY! 
 
Travel through the trees and across the seas with Maestro Mouse and his musical friends! Young readers will meet a big blue whale and speedy cheetahs, tiny beetles and graceful swans. Each has a special secret to share. 
 
Along the way, you might spot the surprises Maestro Mouse has left for you-a hiding buzzy bee, jumbled letters that spell out clues, and even a coded message to solve! 
 
Children and adults can enjoy this timeless picture book as a traditional read-along, or can choose to listen to original musical compositions as they read-one for each animal-using a free interactive smartphone app which uses augmented reality to instantly play the appropriate song for each page when the camera of a mobile device is held over it.

Brown does not disappoint.... A delightful musical debut sure to be a hit at story hours.

[The] author of The DaVinci Code (2003) and other wildly popular titles for adults, here offers young listeners a poetry collection accompanied by music.... Batori's cartoon illustrations are whimsically engaging.

Best-selling author [Dan] Brown's debut picture book offers a wide-ranging, peppy blend of rhyming poems, puzzles, motivational messages, and music.

Dan Brown (Author) 
 Dan Brown is the author of numerous #1 international bestsellers, including The Da Vinci Code, Inferno, The Lost Symbol, Angels &amp; Demons, Deception Point, Digital Fortress, and Origin. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he spent time as an English teacher before turning his efforts fully to writing. He lives in New England. 
 
 Website: danbrown.com 
 Twitter: @authordanbrown 
 Instagram: @authordanbrown 
 
Susan Batori (Illustrator) 
 Susan Batori is a Hungarian illustrator, graphic designer and a character design addict. She studied graphic design at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Dan Brown is back with a paperback edition of his debut picture book, the lyrically mindful, humorous, musical, and uniquely entertaining WILD SYMPHONY! 
 
Travel through the trees and across the seas with Maestro Mouse and his musical friends! Young readers will meet a big blue whale and speedy cheetahs, tiny beetles and graceful swans. Each has a special secret to share. 
 
Along the way, you might spot the surprises Maestro Mouse has left for you-a hiding buzzy bee, jumbled letters that spell out clues, and even a coded message to solve! 
 
Children and adults can enjoy this timeless picture book as a traditional read-along, or can choose to listen to original musical compositions as they read-one for each animal-using a free interactive smartphone app which uses augmented reality to instantly play the appropriate song for each page when the camera of a mobile device is held over it.

The Da Vinci Code (Abridged Edition)

ABRIDGED EDITION 
 
If I die, the truth will be lost for ever . . . I must pass on the secret. 
 
History professor Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call while on business in France: the curator of the Louvre in Paris has been brutally murdered inside the museum. Alongside the body, police have found a series of baffling codes and need Langdon's help to decipher them. 
 
When Langdon and a French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, begin to sort through the bizarre riddles, they find a trail that leads to the works of the famous artist and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci. As the clues unfold, Langdon and Neveu must decipher the code and quickly assemble the pieces of the puzzle before a stunning historical truth is lost forever . . .

Dan Brown is the author of numerous #1 international bestsellers, including The Da Vinci Code, Inferno, The Lost Symbol, Angels &amp; Demons, Deception Point, Digital Fortress, and Origin. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he spent time as an English teacher before turning his efforts fully to writing. He lives in New England. 
 
 Website: danbrown.com 
 Twitter: @authordanbrown 
 Instagram: @authordanbrown

If I die, the truth will be lost for ever . . . I must pass on the secret. 
 
History professor Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call while on business in France: the curator of the Louvre in Paris has been brutally murdered inside the museum. Alongside the body, police have found a series of baffling codes and need Langdon's help to decipher them. 
 
When Langdon and a French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, begin to sort through the bizarre riddles, they find a trail that leads to the works of the famous artist and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci. As the clues unfold, Langdon and Neveu must decipher the code and quickly assemble the pieces of the puzzle before a stunning historical truth is lost forever . . .

Inferno - Illustrated Edition

A stunning new edition of Dan Brown's astonishing global bestseller, Inferno, filled with photographs, maps, diagrams and illustrations - the perfect companion piece to an amazing piece of storytelling

Fast, clever, well-informed…Dan Brown is the master of the intellectual cliff-hanger

Jam-packed with tricks… A book length scavenger hunt that Mr Brown creates so energetically

Fast, clever, well-informed…Dan Brown is the master of the intellectual cliff-hanger

Jam-packed with tricks… A book length scavenger hunt that Mr Brown creates so energetically

SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND 
 
Florence: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon awakes in a hospital bed with no recollection of where he is or how he got there. Nor can he explain the origin of the macabre object that is found hidden in his belongings. 
 
A threat to his life will propel him and a young doctor, Sienna Brooks, into a breakneck chase across the city. Only Langdon’s knowledge of the hidden passageways and ancient secrets that lie behind its historic facade can save them from the clutches of their unknown pursuers. 
 
With only a few lines from Dante’s The Inferno to guide them, they must decipher a sequence of codes buried deep within some of the Renaissance’s most celebrated artworks to find the answers to a puzzle which may, or may not, help them save the world from a terrifying threat… 
 
When it was published in the summer of 2013, Inferno became a global sensation, selling over 15 million copies in hardcover. This new and exclusive illustrated edition illuminates the sights and cities which form the backdrop to Dan Brown’s most thought-provoking and compelling novel yet, and reveals the rich tapestry of history, art and literature which inspired its narrative.

The Lost Symbol Illustrated edition

A glorious, lavishly illustrated companion to the global bestseller

Impossible to put down...Another mind-blowing Robert Langdon story.

Unputdownable...Gripping...Jaw-dropping...The blockbuster read of the year.

So compelling that several times I came close to a cardiac arrest...As perfectly constructed as the Washington architecture it escorts us around.

A narrative that can grip you like a vice... As engaging a hero as you could wish for.

WHAT WAS LOST WILL BE FOUND... 
 
Harvard professor Robert Langdon is summoned to deliver an evening lecture in the Capitol Building, Washington DC. But within minutes of his arrival, a gruesome and disturbing discovery is made at the epicentre of the Rotunda. Langdon recognizes it as an ancient invitation, beckoning its recipient towards a long-lost world of hidden wisdom. And when Langdon's revered mentor is brutally kidnapped, he realizes his only chance to save his old friend is to accept this sinister summons... 
 
All that was familiar is transformed into a shadowy, clandestine world in which Masonic secrets and never-before-seen revelations seem to be leading him to a single impossible and inconceivable truth. As Langdon will discover, there is nothing more extraordinary or shocking than the secret which hides in plain sight... 
 
A brilliantly composed tapestry of veiled histories, arcane icons and enigmatic codes, The Lost Symbol is an intelligent, lightning-paced thriller that offers surprises at every turn. This exclusive edition features over 250 photographs and illustrations, allowing the reader to explore the rich historical research from which Dan Brown drew his inspiration, and uniquely complementing the reading experience.

Dan Brown

(Robert Langdon Book 6)

Accompanying celebrated academic, Katherine Solomon, to a lecture she’s been invited to give in Prague, Robert Langdon’s world spirals out of control when she disappears without trace from their hotel room. Far from home and well out of his comfort zone, Langdon must pit his wits against forces unknown to recover the woman he loves. 
 
But Prague is an old and dangerous city, steeped in folklore and mystery. For over two thousand years, the tides of history have washed back and forth over it, leaving behind echoes of everything that has gone before. Little can Langdon know that he is being stalked by a spectre from that dark past. He must use all of his arcane knowledge to decipher the world around him before he too is consumed by the rings of treachery and deception that have swallowed Katherine. 
 
Against a backdrop of vast castles, towering churches, graveyards buried twelve deep and labyrinthine underground passages, Langdon must navigate a shadow city hiding in plain sight, a city which has successfully kept its secrets for centuries and will not readily deliver them. This is a battlefield unlike any he has previously experienced, one on which he must fight not for his only life, but for the future of humanity itself. 
 
The Secret Of Secrets is Dan Brown’s first novel for over eight years and sees the stunning return of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, this time pitting his wits against a conspiracy which will test even his considerable brainpower and take him to the edge of losing all that he holds dear…

Dan Brown

Books by Dan Brown

Series by Dan Brown

Robert Langdon6 Books

Robert Langdon Illustrated2 Books

Articles featuring Dan Brown

9 of the best books set in Spain

11 of the best books set in France

9 beach reads set in Italy

The most unusual writing rituals of famous authors

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter