Book Review: Inferno

TGtB's resident book worm, Patricia Ledger lets us know whether Dan Brown's latest novel 'Inferno' is worth a read or better off left on the shelf.

I was very excited to obtain a copy of Dan Brown`s latest work - Inferno - and for the first half my expectations were met but unfortunately these were not sustained.

Again, featuring Robert Langdon - the academic interpreter of symbols - the story unfolds with him finding himself in Florence suffering from amnesia.  He finds himself on the run from a female assassin intent on killing him but with no idea why. 

Discovering a secret device sewn into the lapel of his jacket containing a cryptic message, sets him off on The Grand Tour of Renaissance Europe trying to find the source of a deadly plague which has been planted by a lunatic scientist. I quite enjoyed the chases and travelogue through Florence, Venice and Istanbul as Langdon seeks the toxic plague.  The clues revolve around Dante`s `The Divine Comedy - Inferno` and are hideously cryptical.

I found the latter half of the novel and ending disappointing and after having read it felt no wish to attempt Dante`s `Divine Comedy`.  It did, however, renew my desire to revisit Florence and Venice.

In summary, I think Brown`s fans will enjoy this re-working of his usual theme but I can`t see it gaining many new fans.