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History and background aside, the Da Vinci Code was a fun book.

The main characters in the book are pretty well written, although Brown relies on their back stories to fill the readers in as to who they really are instead of building them slowly. Some begin as little bits and pieces we pick up while a character is remembering his or her childhood, while others progress a little more slowly. This is not necessarily a bad thing; sometimes it's better to keep the reader guessing as to why a character is they way he is. The only problem with the sudden flash backs is the way they seem to stall the story. It will progress nicely, then suddenly you're in another back story. Instead of adding suspense, for me this only added frustration.

The pace is great in some places, yet slows down in others. Amateur historians will love the explanations behind the key pieces in the puzzle slowly being put together, while other readers will love trying to figure it all out just a step ahead of the characters.

There is plenty of mystery here, although some characters are easy to spot as 'bad guys.' The best parts in the book are when the characters find another piece to the mysterious puzzle, and the escape scenes. These are the parts that really pick up the pace of the novel.

What really grabbed me early on was the detail in which the settings were described. Because of it, the reader can easily get the feeling of being there, looking around for clues with the other characters, getting nervous about who or what is following them.

Again, the Da Vinci Code is fun to read. The characters are likable, the settings are beautifully described, and the events are exciting.

Learn more about this author, Helen Garda.
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