This is not a religious tome by any means nor do you have to fear getting caught up in too much artistic lingo. This is a cat and mouse thriller that moves quickly and continuously offers surprising twists. It is a fun and interesting read. For me, it also posed some attention-grabbing theories that to reveal them now also exposes my ignorance about certain things. I grew up going to a Baptist Church where all my family had gone, as well. I was not taught to ask questions, but rather to just believe and pass on the interpretations of my elders. With that said, I was not prepared for suggestions such as Mary Magdalene being at the Last Supper with Jesus and his disciples or that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married with a child. What? Further, while indeed these are real groups, I had not heard of Opus Dei or the Priory of Sion. There you go; my lack of knowledge is out in the open.

I enjoyed The Da Vinci Code. It is a great beach or weekend read that will keep you engaged and just as importantly, offers a lot of material for discussion. For example, it is pretty common knowledge that there were more than the 66 canonized books that now make up The Holy Bible. But, what was in the other books? What were the real criteria for selecting those books, which many of us today use as our spiritual guide? Do the missing books share more insight into Jesus' life as a mortal as the book's characters suggest? It is difficult not to appreciate any book that makes you think beyond the words on the pages before you, that compels you to do additional research.