The Secret Supper

The first impression most would get from The Secret Supper is that its author Javier Sierra was hoping to cash in on the success of The Da Vinci Code. In Sierra’s defense, he started on this book years before the latter book was published. This worked out well for Sierra, which he points out on his website, as he was able to easily access many of the places now clogged with tourists because of Dan Brown’s blockbuster. This also works well for him, because people eager for more of what The Da Vinci Code offered are turning to Sierra’s The Secret Supper as an adequate “between-Dan-Brown-novels snack.”

Enough with The Da Vinci Code. Sierra’s book offers up its own religious conspiracy theory on da Vinci’s painting of “The Last Supper.” Our guide through this tale is an inquisitor with the Catholic Church in 1497. Father Agostino Leyre is sent to Milan after Rome has received several letters from a mysterious agent calling himself the “Soothsayer.” The letters warn of a corruption of the church within Milan. Agostino’s mission is to find the Soothsayer and learn what he knows to determine if the corruption is true. The only lead to the Soothsayer is a riddle contained within his letters, but deciphering it proves a near impossible task.

Sierra employs a blend of first and third person storytelling here, and I can’t say the results work. Hurting matters is the manner in which Sierra creates the first person voice. He uses a diary of the events Agostino writes in the latter years of his life. He intends for this record to be buried with him, and yet within the same “document” he addresses the reader, even though he states he does not believe anyone will ever read this document. It’s overly dramatic, and the execution does not work well, because of the third person sections. The reader does require these third person scenes, but there are moments within the book where Sierra almost seems confused as to whether he’s telling the scene third person or through Agostino’s narrative. Even in the book’s “post-scriptum,” we’re rather clumsily taken from Agostino’s personal reflections to the author’s telling of how Agostino dies. I am reading an advanced reader’s copy, so some things might have been fixed for the final publication. Somehow, I don’t think that happens, though. In the end, he’d have done much better to stick with third person, if for no other reason than to at least make Agostino’s fate less certain.

I have to hesitate on just how far I criticize the writing, because this book isn’t the original voice intended by the writer. Sierra’s chosen language is Spanish, and this book is a translation. That does create some questions as to what might have worked in its original form and no longer does because of the translation. A lot of the names confused me. Sierra could do little about that, no matter what language he used. With so many characters based on real people, he couldn’t simply grant us names that are easy to grasp. In more than one chapter, I found myself scratching my head and asking, “Now, who is this person again? Have I even read anything about him before now?” I just couldn’t always keep it straight.

I also found the front of the book rather heavy in exposition. That’s not something that can be written off to the translation. Another complaint I have is that some good opportunities were lost for character development, especially near the end of the book with the main character. By this point in the story, I got the impression Sierra was eager to get to the real selling point to this book, exactly what the “secret” in da Vinci’s painting of “The Last Supper” really is.

This book might have worked better had Sierra placed more emphasis upon the murder mystery aspect of the story. I think this would have given the plot more focus, elevated the tension and improved the pace. The book’s saving grace is the twist at the end, the secret itself. Yes, Sierra makes good on this, but it’s a convoluted path to get there.

Other Books by Javier Sierra:



Despite my various gripes, I really enjoyed reading this book. Among my reasons for enjoying it: I happened upon my copy of The Secret Supper by way of the AOL Book Maven’s blog. Not only a free copy of this book, but one signed by the author. I also enjoyed The Secret Supper because it’s not something I normally would have considered reading. I’m not opposed to historical thrillers, but Da Vinci Code burnout might have unfairly made me reluctant to try Sierra’s book. This book made for a refreshing change of pace.

Speaking of historical thrillers, let me make a quick plug for The Assassins Gallery by David L. Robbins. His book comes out July 24th., and as I found out this past May, it’s a damn good read.

For now, I’ve decided to stick with the historical thrillers, so my next read will be Pompeii by Robert Harris.

DUST JACKETS: Storm Front

This “Dust Jackets” entry offers up the first of this month’s theme: orphaned books. The process of orphaning (is that even a word?) Storm Front by Jim Butcher took more than a year. Let’s rewind a few years to a rather quiet New Year’s Day. I was working at the 911 center, and I’d forgotten to bring a book to read. Desperate for something, I used one of my breaks to go to a bookstore and buy something. The book that caught my eye was Storm Front, a book I’d noticed more than once while working at Barnes & Noble years earlier. I already had a book I was reading, so I decided to keep Storm Front in my locker as my “backup book,” something to read should I ever get to work without anything else.

Before I get into how I orphaned this book, a little about the book itself. Jim Butcher’s urban fantasy about a wizard who sells his services in the style of a private detective (and not a very lucrative one at that) was able to piggyback on the success of Laurell K. Hamilton’s “Anita Blake” series… that in its early days employed a similar style. Both rely on first person, using the main character’s voice, which gives these books their “gumshoe detective” feel. Being a mystery lover and a fantasy fan, I naturally find this combination irresistible.

In the world of wizard Harry Dresden, magic has become a much more commonplace thing, even though skeptics aplenty remain. The police call on Harry for one very grotesque murder scene, a murder with two victims and little doubt that the murder weapon was black magic. Harry’s already got problems of his own, though. Among his problems is being under something of a mystical house arrest with a sword wielding “parole officer.” He’s also been hired to find a missing husband. On top of that, Harry and technology don’t get along well… as in machines just don’t work right when he’s around, which is why he tends to prefer stairs to elevators. As you can see, Butcher is giving readers one very well-developed, alternate reality.

Now, as to how this book got orphaned... As I said, I kept a copy of Storm Front in my locker as a backup for those days I should end up at work without whatever my “current” read happened to be. Problem is, I don’t often forget to bring to work whatever I’m currently reading … and if I do forget, then I usually use the time to write. Even though I made some decent headway into Storm Front, I never really committed myself to it. I enjoyed Harry’s voice. The world sometimes goes a bit over the top, giving the book a comic undertone. Perhaps the weakest element was Harry’s investigative skills, which lack greatly. Yes, that’s probably realistic considering it explains his impoverished lifestyle, but it also drags down the pace of the mystery a bit.

The oddest compliment I can offer this book is that I never felt lost. Even though I went long stretches, sometimes months, without reading anything in this book, I could always jump back into it in the exact place I’d left off and not feel as if I’d forgotten anything important or that I needed to start over.

So with all these compliments, why didn’t I ever finish it? After sitting in my locker for more than a year, I finally brought it home. I decided I’d finally finish it at some point. Only, that never happened. My list of books to read never gets any shorter, and somehow I couldn’t bring myself to ever put this one ahead of all the rest. Somehow, it never broke out of its place as a “backup book.” My wife and I later trimmed down our library considerably, and Storm Front just didn’t make the cut… or rather, it was cut from our library. One day, I do hope to go back and give this book another go, but I can’t say when that will be.

Other Books by Jim Butcher:



Later this summer, I plan to try out another challenger to Laurell K. Hamilton’s throne over the realm of urban fantasy. Kim Harrison is speaking at this year’s James River Writers Conference, which the Lair’s long-term readers know my wife and I are helping organize. I’m curious to see if perhaps my burnout with Hamilton’s series (which I once loved) has something to do with my inability to get into Storm Front. If I can’t get into Harrison’s book and find no other faults with it, then I’ll have my answer.

The Batcave

I’m not usually one for posting entries with those online quizzes. Yes, they’re amusing, but given the nature of my blog, they just don’t really fit with my format. That said, I’m making an exception today, and I’ll explain why.

A few months ago, my wife and I moved our office into the utility room. We painted the walls black, and I spent several hours (I had expected this to take all of fifteen minutes) trying to figure out a way to run the cable for the high speed internet into the new office. As you can imagine, I spend quite a bit of time down here. If I’m not writing, working on my blog or just surfing the Internet, then I’m hiding from my fatherly/husbandly duties (at least I’m honest about it). That latter detail prompted my wife to nickname the new office... the Batcave.

Fast forward to the present, and I see one of those online quizzes on Sandra Ruttan’s blog. The topic? “Which Action Hero Would You Be?” I couldn’t resist giving this one a try, and wouldn’t you know it… I’m Batman. I’ve spent the past few days going around doing my best Christian Bale saying, “I’m Batman,” and getting a real kick out of it, thank you.

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You scored as Batman, the Dark Knight. As the Dark Knight of Gotham, Batman is a vigilante who deals out his own brand of justice to the criminals and corrupt of the city. He follows his own code and is often misunderstood. He has few friends or allies, but finds comfort in his cause. Batman, the Dark Knight 83% Captain Jack Sparrow 75% Maximus 67% Lara Croft 54% The Terminator 54% El Zorro 54% James Bond, Agent 007 50% William Wallace 46% Indiana Jones 46% Neo, the "One" 42% The Amazing Spider-Man 42% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

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So as I’m discussing the Batcave, a few updates on said office. The cave survived a recent flooding. When the heavy rains hit the northeastern U.S. last month, Richmond got caught in the downpour. Well, a box on the back porch, destined to be thrown out, fell over and covered the drain that keeps water from flooding the utility room. I was asleep at the time, and when I awoke to go pick up my wife from work, I stepped into a huge puddle. Not a good way to start my evening. Had the water gotten an inch higher, it would have gotten into the power strip on the floor. We dodged a bullet on that one. The office smelled like a swamp for a week after that, but I finally aired it out a few days ago. I’m going to be a bit more vigilant about keeping that drain clear of debris now.

There’s another matter I need to tend to. The last time I did an entry on the Batcave, one of the Lair’s readers asked what the story was with the desk. The reader in question is blogger-extraordinaire Patrick of “Patrick’s Place” and “A Stop at Willoughby.” Patrick’s also a fellow Richmonder by way of South Carolina (as I am), and we got to meet at last year’s James River Writers Conference. I recently realized I’d failed to ever answer Patrick, so let me amend that oversight.



The desk that occupies the Batcave came into the marriage thanks to my wife. This old spinet desk was given to her by her grandmother and was in quite dismal shape at the time. A few years before we married, the desk was refinished. It’s only major flaw is the front, right leg which isn’t really attached. The weight of the desk just keeps it in place, and the minute you try to move this desk,the leg falls off. I keep meaning to screw it in place, but I’m terrified of making a mistake and messing up the desk. We had an actual computer desk for a long time, but when we moved into our new house earlier this year, we got rid of it to save some space. I won’t say this desk is ideal for a computer, but it does the job.

Hope everyone has a happy Fourth of July. My kids and I celebrated it with the best fireworks of all, watching on television as the space shuttle launched. This was the first time my kids ever watched a shuttle launch, and I must admit to breathing a sigh of relief that it went well. I can’t think of a more fitting day on which to share a shuttle launch with my children.

Going to the Dogs

This marks a big month for the Wildcat’s Lair. Later this month, on July 9th to be exact, the Lair will celebrate its first anniversary. What started as just a journal to record my thoughts about the books I’m currently reading has turned into something much more. I’ll save my thoughts on that for the actual anniversary entry. For now, my usual sneak peak at what you can expect from this month’s entries in the Lair.

Perhaps the most fun this month will be a look at the mascot that might have been. That’s right. Frank “Skywhips” Orion is a lot of fun and occasionally a real pain in the arse (although always entertaining), but he was nearly beaten out for the role of mascot by another furry critter. To add insult to injury, said critter isn’t even a cat but a dog! I’ll introduce you to this dog and explain why she would have made such a great mascot for the Wildcat’s Lair.

As for my “Dust Jackets” entries, I do have a rather interesting theme for the month: orphaned books. I’m talking about those books that I started and for one reasonor another just never finished. I don’t consider any of these bad books either. So why didn’t I finish them? You’ll just have to wait to find out. Some of the books will include The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks, Cold Hit by Linda Fairstein and Storm Front by Jim Butcher. I’ll even have an orphaned series, a “Star Wars” trilogy, but you’ll have to wait to find out which one.



Another theme I’ll play out this month is devoted to my wife. The Dragon Queen, as I like to call her, loves movies that have “cool guys with swords.” Yes, I love these movies, too… especially if there are cool women with swords in there, too. Anyway, I plan to highlight some scores that accompany these films. The scores I plan to highlight will be “Gladiator,” “The Last Samurai” and “Die Another Day.”



I’m hoping to let Frank get into quite a bit of mischief this month. Best of all, Frank and I will be going on vacation. That’s right, folks. Later this month, Frank and I are going to the beach. This will be his first trip ever to see the Atlantic Ocean. I’m sure he’ll be on his usual “best behavior.” God help me. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until August to see how the beach trip turns out for Frank.

My aforementioned anniversary entry will offer a look back at the first year of the Wildcat’s Lair. I’ll pick out some of the highlights and lowlights (Lowlights? Surely not!) from year one of my blog. There’s also the entry that’s shocked the hell out of me by getting replies even months after it was posted; you’ll find out which one.

DUST JACKETS: The Medici Dagger

About two years before Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code hit it big, another thriller inspired by the genius of Leonardo da Vinci arrived in bookstores. The book is Cameron West’s The Medici Dagger.

The premise of this book is that in 1491 da Vinci crafted a weapon called the Medici Dagger, made from a revolutionary metal, indestructible and incredibly light. In modern times, the race is on to find the dagger. The bad guys want to unlock the secrets of the dagger to make a fortune in the illegal arms market. The hero for this action adventure is stuntman Reb Barnett whose father’s mysterious death in a fire when Reb was a child ties into the search for this ancient weapon.

For anyone who hated The Da Vinci Code, because of the quality of the writing, please never ever try to read The Medici Dagger. Not only is the writing very poor, but this story reads like a bad James Bond adventure, complete with pointless action sequences and the obligatory sexy female romantic interest who can’t quite be trusted. The most memorable moment for me in reading this book is when the main character, having gone quite long without any sleep, runs his car off the road and spins out of control. The point of this scene? Beyond proving what a really cool stunt driver the main character is (he keeps the car from crashing)… not much. I borrowed this book from the Barnes & Noble where I was working at the time because the premise was promising, but all I could think was, “Thank God I didn’t spend money on this.” It’s not often I’ll bash a book this harshly, but I’m afraid The Medici Dagger earns it. That said, for anyone just after a quick read with enough testosterone to choke a T-rex, this book is for you.

One positive thing I can say about this book is that you can tell West enjoyed writing it. He doesn’t try to do anything but be himself. Perhaps the most humorous thing about this book is that the main character is clearly West in disguise. West offers some fun insights into the movie biz, but you can’t help but think this sneak peak is a bit skewed to make the main character look really good. In real life, West has worked as a stunt double for actor Tom Cruise in numerous films, and there’s clearly a character in the early part of the book meant to represent Cruise. Even funnier, in light of the meltdown of the Cruise-Nicole Kidman marriage, is when we’re treated to a scene with the actor and his wife praising Reb for his excellent stunt work. Hard to read this and not chuckle as we’re treated to a look at the “happy couple.”

In my recent “Dust Jackets” entry for The Da Vinci Code, I mentioned how one literary agent suggested part of that book’s success might be owed to how it makes the reader feel smart. Anyone reading The Medici Dagger will not suffer from this side effect or anything similar to it.

HIGHT NOTES: Clear & Present Danger

One of the chief complaints issued about James Horner’s score for “Patriot Games” was that it was too brooding and dull. I don’t think anyone could have issued that same complaint with “Clear & Present Danger.” This score kicks off with a blast of brass instruments that about knocks you out of your chair if you make the mistake of turning your volume up too high.

Even though “Clear & Present Danger” saw James Horner return as composer, the scores didn’t really deliver any returning themes. The CD packs in most of the best tracks into the first half. “Operation Reciprocity” opens up very strong, the first half being very boisterous and fun. After that, we get the longest track on the CD, “Ambush,” which coincides with an attack on a motorcade. Where as the previous track comes out of the gates strong, “Ambush” gives us a slow buildup, which explodes about five-and-a-half minutes later into some heavy drums and dissonant flutes and strings.

With such strong music early on, the music tails off and never really regains the same level of excitement. That’s not to say the score is without some good music. “Deleting the Evidence” offers a similar buildup to “Ambush,” but on a smaller scale. “Greer’s Funeral/Betrayal” while a strong piece doesn’t really capture the same power it has within the film, because the film employs “Taps” within this same section. I’ve always wished that had been added into this track.

The CD provides ten tracks for fifty-three minutes of music, but I think it could have used a little more. The movie wasn’t without some powerful pieces near the end, but they get left out.

“Clear & Present Danger” offers a greater variety of music than “Patriot Games,” and while that makes for a more enjoyable listening experience, I don’t always feel as if the music ties together well. “Laser-Guided Missile” feels the most out of place, bearing little resemble to the rest of the score. We’re also treated to “Looking for Clues” which employs one of Horner’s most overused themes. For my part, I hear this music and think I’m supposed to be watching “Aliens” in which this theme made quite a few appearances.

One thing that might have helped this score would be a different arrangement of the tracks. I typically prefer a chronological score, meaning the music is put in the same order as it was used in the film, and you’ll find most scores are arranged in this manner. For the most part, “Clear & Present Danger” is chronological until near the end. The tracks “Escobedo’s New Friend” and “Second Hand Copter” are out of order. This was a good choice, but neither really gives the score a good punch to end things. Even the closing credits leave something to be desired. If the score wasn’t going to be chronological, then I think the music should have been completely rearranged.

Other Scores by James Horner:



Despite my knit picking, I enjoy the music to this film a great deal. I also think this score offered a better variety of Horner’s music even providing some themes that haven’t been overdone within his other films, a trait for which Horner has become quite notorious.

Flash Fiction (WW? #21)

While “flash fiction” isn’t anything technically new, it’s getting a little bit more notice in my personal pocket universe thanks to a couple of people in the so-called blogosphere. The most recent tip of the hat to flash fiction comes from Jess in her Writer’s Weekly Question.

Writer's Weekly Question #21:
Have you ever written a piece of flash fiction? Do you think that flash fiction is an evolutionary step in American fiction, or is it just a "flash in the pan?" Is writing in this genre easier or more difficult? Why?

For anyone who’s read Jess’ post for this question, you already know I’ve written some “flash fiction.” My first publishing credit comes from a piece called “Unstuffed” which appears in the most recent issue of“Spinetingler Magazine.” Coming in at just under two-hundred-twenty-five words, my story about Ted E. Bear investigating the unfortunate demise of a stuffed doll named Andy was included in the magazine as an example of a genre called “Cozy Noir.” By the by, the magazine is holding a contest for the best example of “Cozy Noir.” The contest runs until September 5, 2006, so get writing!

Anyway, back to the question.

I’ve not dealt much with short fiction. Frankly, short stories scare the devil out of me. I’d rather tackle writing a book. That said, I doubt I’d have had the courage to write “Unstuffed” in this format if not for a post by the lovely H.E. Eigler of “Phantom Keyboard.” She recently posted two entries devoted to flash fiction. The first entry included links to websites where you can find tons of examples of flash fiction. The second included a flash fiction story of her own entitled “The Cowboy.”

Short short stories like “The Cowboy” and my “Unstuffed” aren’t all that new, per se. I can recall quite a few magazines listed in the almighty Writer’s Market that specifically wanted stories of this length when I last looked for places to submit my work. I remember being startled by this and wondering how anyone could write a decent story with such a minimal word count. Flash fiction does seem to be gaining a stronger interest thanks to the Internet, though. There’s something unintimidating about it as a reader, and it’s ideal for the impatient surfers of the world wide web.

Is writing flash fiction easier or harder than other genres? To do it well, I think it’s a lot harder. A bit of advice I took from a writing class in college was, “In a novel, ever paragraph counts. In a short story, every sentence counts. In a poem, it’s every word.” Flash fiction falls somewhere between a short story and a poem in what it demands of a writer. Still, “Unstuffed” just fell out of me with little or no trouble—a rare thing for me.

What’s the future of flash fiction? The one weakness is that no one’s going to get rich off of writing this stuff. Magazines just aren’t going to pay that much for a story incapable of filling an entire page. I don’t think it’s a “flash in the pan,” because we’ve really had it a long time. We’re just going through a period where it’s getting more interest. I suspect we’ll see it fall out of favor again and then make a comeback quite a few times, but perhaps the Internet will give it a stronger presence than it’s traditionally had.

DUST JACKETS: The Da Vinci Code, Continued

In Thursday’s "Dust Jacket" entry, I discussed the writing merits of The Da Vinci Code. This closing entry to my review focuses on what makes this book stand out above all those other religious conspiracy thrillers, in other words, what made it a blockbuster.

Perhaps one of the most important elements comes before even a single sentence of the story. In big bold letters just before the prologue, we’re given a page entitled “FACT.” On this page, we’re given three important details about the story to follow. The first relates to the “Priory of Sion.” Brown proclaims this organization, one more than nine-hundred-years-old, actually exists and that its ranks have included some of the most brilliant scientists and artisans in history. Unfortunately, as the many “Da Vinci Code” documentaries have well established (Hasn’t every cable channel done one?), this is wrong. As Wikipedia so ably states, the Priory “has been shown to be a hoax created in 1956 by Pierre Plantard, a pretender to the French throne.”

The second fact we’re given is an organization that does actually exist, Opus Dei. This Catholic sect is portrayed as shadowy, wealthy and ruthless. It’s the idea of this group planted on American soil in the heart of our most powerful city, New York, that makes it tough to ignore this fact as a reader.

Then there’s the most important of the three facts. “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” Oh, now there is a cleverly crafted sentence. “Accurate” offers so much leeway. Many people have hammered Brown for this statement, trying to corner him for fudging details. His website offers up an equally well-crafted reply which basically says that these items all exist, but that doesn’t mean Brown is calling every theory surrounding these items as fact. The point is that Brown is intentionally giving the reader just that impression, though.



If you look at all three of these elements, they’re basically designed to make the reader buy into the story that follows. The Priory is said to exist and is given legitimacy by the list of impressive names attached to it... a humorous detail considering that’s exactly the con that Plantard was playing when he picked out these names. The shadowy organization of the Opus Dei... real and attached to great power... basically fits the bill as your standard group of conspirators for any conspiracy novel. Then there’s that bit about the documents all being real. You could look at all this and say Brown is trying to con the reader into believing all this, and he probably is. After all, the point of a good story is to make the reader believe in it. So should Brown be “held accountable” for this? Not really. He’s just trying to suck in his readers as any writer would. I think that big honking “FACT” planted at the top of the page is a bit iffy, though.

This “factual” build-up has a lot to do with why The Da Vinci Code is so successful, I think. It’s part of the sales pitch. Some of you will probably dispute me on this, but if these factual details did not matter, then why have there been so many documentaries on this? The “Fact” page within The Da Vinci Code is designed to make the reader ask one thing and one thing only, “Could this be true?”

Now, there are other factors that go into why The Da Vinci Code was such a success. Perhaps more important than even that “Fact” page is the almighty word-of-mouth. Random House deserves a lot of credit for successfully marketing this book before it was even on the bookshelves at your local bookstore. Reps from the publisher made the rounds, speaking to booksellers and telling them what an amazing book this was. They got the booksellers talking who in turn got the customers talking. In the end, it wouldn’t have worked though if the book itself wasn’t such a good page-turner.

Thursday, I defended Brown’s writing, and I’ll reiterate that today. If it was such a horribly written book, then I don’t think it could have done as well as it did, even with the “Fact” page or Random House’s marketing strategy. I’m not suggesting this is “Shakespeare” or that it will stand the test of time, but it’s not the careless work of some hack either. Earlier this year in London, the writers of the non-fiction work Holy Blood, Holy Grail (a book Brown used in his research for The Da Vinci Code) sued Random House saying the ideas in their book were stolen. Brown had to write a sixty-nine page witness statement about how he does his research and what went into writing his blockbuster novel as well as his previous works. I read this statement, curious what Brown would have to say, and I was struck by the sincere passion he demonstrated for the art of the written word. Reading over that statement made me respect Brown as a writer.

Other Books by Dan Brown:



Brown’s next book, The Solomon Key, will supposedly focus on the Masons, a frequent player in conspiracy thrillers. That book was originally scheduled for release this year. The idea was obviously to cash in on the joint success of the movie adaptation to The Da Vinci Code. That book’s release has been delayed until next year. Could it possibly hope to match The Da Vinci Code’s success? I don’t think so. Everyone knows about the Catholic Church and recognizes its power. The Masons don’t carry that same kind of clout, but that doesn’t mean Brown’s next book won’t be a fun thriller and that’s about as much as readers should probably expect.

DUST JACKETS: The Da Vinci Code

Just what the hell makes The Da Vinci Code such a successful book? Ever since Dan Brown’s religious conspiracy thriller was released in 2003, people have been asking this question. More importantly, publishers, agents and writers have been asking themselves the same… every one of them eager to duplicate this book's success.

Perhaps one of the book’s most irresistible qualities is how it resembles the granddaddy of all scavenger hunts. Each clue leads to the next, starting with the mysterious summons of religious symbology expert Robert Langdon to the scene of a murder at the Louvre in Paris.

Months before this book’s release, my wife got her hands on an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) of The Da Vinci Code. A representative from Random House had visited the Barnes & Noble where my wife was working at the time, and proclaimed this book was going to be huge. Even with the success that did follow, I have to wonder if she really had a clue just how true her proclamation would be or if she was simply spouting a prepared load of promotional smoke up the arse of these booksellers. Nonetheless, my wife brought the ARC home, started reading and was instantly hooked. I recall working on the computer with my wife on the sofa next to me. Every few minutes, she would say something to the effect of, “Oh my God! You have got to read this book!” She would promptly follow this statement with the most irritating qualifier, “But you can’t yet, because I have to let someone else at the bookstore borrow it next.” That I didn’t smack my wife for this repeated offense of literary teasing still amazes me.

Months later, the book hit the bookstores for real, and I got my chance to read The Da Vinci Code. Despite being a slow reader, the story hooked me and damned hard, too. The writing style reminds me of James Patterson’s mysteries. We’re hit with mostly short chapters, ending in one twist after another, forcing the reader into the same conclusion with each scene’s cliffhanger, “I’ll just read one more chapter to see what happens next.” The result is a book quickly read. The pace doesn’t allow for much analysis of the writing, at least not on the first read.

At a writer’s conference, shortly after the release of this book, The Da Vinci Code found its way into discussion more than once. Many demanded of the speakers how a book that wasn’t all that well-written had successfully taken over the publishing world. Perhaps the answer that rang most true for me was by agent Miriam Goderich with the literary agency Dystel & Goderich. She said several of the staff members read the book and then sat down to discuss what they felt made this book work. All involved agreed that it wasn’t a well-written book. They also agreed that reading the book made the reader feel “smarter.” Certainly, the book cleverly inserts a vast amount of historical “secrets” that open up some great talking points for serious discussion.

I will come to Brown’s defense on the criticism of his writing. I don’t think the book is as poorly written as many tend to proclaim it. His writing is formulaic, though. That’s indicative of his chosen genre. Thrillers are meant to keep you turning the page from one cliffhanger to the next with descriptions typically drawn on more modern references as opposed to descriptions with a more timeless quality. Why? Because such references are quicker and easier for a reader to grasp. Brown can hardly be faulted for doing what so many others have proven works. He just makes an easy target because of his success.

The Da Vinci Code isn’t the first book to come along with some conspiracy theory related to religion. Thousands of other such books have come and gone with far less fanfare, so what is it about The Da Vinci Code that makes it stand out above the rest? I’ll discuss that in Saturday’s entry. Yes, this will be a first for my blog, a two-part “Dust Jacket.”

HIGH NOTES: Patriot Games

The second film in the “Jack Ryan” series saw a lot of changes. About the only cast member to return from “The Hunt for Red October” was James Earl Jones. Even the original Jack Ryan actor Alec Baldwin was replaced with the more seasoned Harrison Ford. The changes for this film included a new composer for the score. James Horner was signed on for the music, and while this certainly isn’t one of his more popular scores, I’ve always rather enjoyed this one.

The film involves a radical faction of the IRA (Irish Republican Army) targeting Great Britain’s royal family, so it’s not surprising that Horner decided to use a bit of local inspiration for the score. I think you can point to reasons this was a good and bad thing. On the plus side, it gave this score a very tense and moody sound. The bad? Well, there’s nothing to really tie it to the music from “The Hunt for Red October.” In fact, when Horner scored the third film in the series “Clear & Present Danger,” there’s very little to tie it to either of the previous Jack Ryan films. From a listening standpoint, the scores play as if from totally unrelated films.

As an individual score, there’s plenty to like about “Patriot Games.” The “Main Title” opens up with some haunting vocals provided by Maggie Boyle. A lot of the best music within this score contains her voice. The best piece with her in it is “Highland’s Execution.”

Another great vocal piece within this score wasn’t a composition by Hornerbut rather a piece by the Irish group Clannad. At the time of the film’s release, the song “Harry’s Game” was rather recognizable, because it was used in a popular Volkswagen commercial. I’m not sure how many would recognize it all these years later, though.

The score contains two long tracks, neither of which contains any of Boyle’s vocals. The first of these two long pieces is “The Hit,” which accompanies the terrorist attempt on Jack Ryan’s family in the U.S. I really like this piece, because it’s a nice slow build of intensity that manages to fit well with the rest of this mostly moody score. The other lengthy piece is “Assault on Ryan’s House” which I think does a less successful job in building the tension. It’s basically eleven minutes of suspensful music and little else. The tension level never really changes and makes for a dull experience after a while.

A lot of the serious movie score critics gave Horner a harsh thrashing for his work on this film. I will confess that while I enjoy this score, I can understand a lot of the criticism. The lack of a theme for Jack Ryan and his family and the recycling of themes from Horner’s previous films does hurt the final product.

Other Scores by James Horner:



One thing that I think proves “Patriot Games” was a better score than the criticism, though, was Horner’s score to another IRA-related Harrison Ford film entitled “The Devil’s Own” which came out a few years later. There are some notable similarities, but it’s clear that “Patriot Games” was by far the superior score of the two.