Unhenged Fanatics

Book Review: THE STONEHENGE LEGACY
Written by: Sam Christer
481pages
Published by: Sphere
Released: 11th January 2011
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“A colourful male pheasant struts the lawn, cued by the first light on the
dew-soaked grass. Dull females follow in the bird’s wake, then feign disinterest
and peck at fat-filled coconut shells strung out by Chase’s gardener”

[SPOILERS] With such highfalutin and unnecessarily verbose prose just paragraphs from the narrative’s commencement, I was concerned that debut author Sam Christer’s Dan Brown-alike conspiracy thriller would be an uphill struggle of lofty and pretentious try-hard poetics. However, once the London-based writer had made his ostentatious mark upon the printed page and the story-proper revs up to full speed, I found myself becoming totally immersed in this horrible history murder mystery.

Set in the days leading up to the much-celebrated summer solstice, The Stonehenge Legacy presents to us a shady secret underworld of modern day druids who take their admiration of one of the worlds most mystical and mysterious ancient archaeological attractions to murderous heights. Following the suicide of his estranged father, archaeologist Gideon Chase uncovers a hidden library of coded diaries which lead him to disclosure shocking revelations about the clandestine group of Followers – and his own family history.

To imply that Megan Baker, the detective inspector assigned to the Chase suicide, “teams up” with the cult-uncovering protagonist (as the paperback’s cover blurb states) is something of a fallacy. Naturally, their paths do frequently cross during the on-going enquiry and she does gradually begin to acknowledge Gideon’s wild claims of blood sacrifices to the Gods, but they never collaborate to the extent Sophie Neveu and Robert Langdon do in The Da Vinci Code. Consider Blomqvist and Salander in the Millennium trilogy – minus the sex and unrequited love – and you’ll be closer to this pair’s relationship, so often are they separate and following their own leads.

The short chapters and even shorter sentences (sometimes full-stops are used where commas would have sufficed) keep the prospectively ludicrous plot at a relentlessly blistering pace, and the introduction of glamorous young American reality TV star Caitlyn Lock and her new Casanova boyfriend Jake Timberland spice up the conventional genre elements with a touch of lustful romance and open up the Wiltshire-based police investigation to an international scale.

Christer does a great job of fattening out his intrepid characters with comprehensive back stories, while the enigmatic nature of the robed and astronomically-monikered Followers allows for many a shock twist in exposing the true identities of the stone worshippers. However, I couldn’t help but feel like the earth-shattering revelations surrounding the sacred (curative?) landmark we were promised (“It is time for the truth” so teases the tagline) took a back seat to the climatic escape scenario, and DI Baker’s significance to the far-too-swiftly-resolved conclusion severely lessened once Gideon acquiesces to a rather dangerous invitation.


In a CR@B Shell: A fine and fast-paced debut, The Stonehenge Legacy is an appealing modern addition to the abundant post-Brown conspiracy thriller genre, if somewhat less of an eye-opening revelation than expected come the rather blunt crime-focused culmination.
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Robert Langdon and the House of the Temple of Doom

Book Review: THE LOST SYMBOL
Written by: Dan Brown
Published by Bantam Press
Released: 15th September 2009

Given the grand and exponential scale of commotion, controversy and criticism aimed at Dan Brown's last speculative murder-mystery tome, not to mention the renewal of interest following the release of the Tom Hanks-starring film versions of protagonist Robert Langdon's two prose adventures (the latest of which, Angels & Demons, was released on DVD to coincide with The Lost Symbol's book launch), it is hard to believe it has been over six years since The Da Vinci Code first confounded, enraged and entertained readers and religious leaders the world over. But these things take an excruciating amount of research.

Which is why it's a relief that symbologist and lecturer Robert Langdon is back in The Lost Symbol to process, question and explain all the head-scratching historical facts, fallacies and theories thrown before him, with an abundance of everyday examples (The Abyss, YouTube and Twitter help bring the ancient mystery bang up to date), although even he, at times, seems somewhat overwhelmed, cynical and stumped by the conspiracies he is expected to unravel as the tension mounts and time ticks away.

The conspiracy, this time around, is focused not in Paris , or in Rome , but in the US capital of Washington , and involves startling links between breakthroughs in Noetic science, the human mind, God and the Ancient Mysteries protected over the centuries by the ritualistic Freemasons. The plot is set in motion when Professor Langdon is invited to give a lecture in the US capital by long-time friend and 33rd degree Mason, Peter Solomon, however, upon arrival, Langdon discovers a sight far more unnerving than a restless audience.

The Lost Symbol twists, turns and twists again over the 509 pages and 12 hour period it is set, as the unsuspecting Harvard lecturer is dragged through Washington's ancestry, artwork and architecture in a complex kidnap saga in which the ransom is set at knowledge. Precisely: knowledge of the Ancient Mysteries, hidden in code on a Masonic Pyramid. In truth, the light at the top of the pyramid is nowhere near as earth-shatteringly calamitous as the theoretical secrets held by the Holy Grail or the Illuminati, but this doesn't stop Brown from ramping up the suspense with numerous allusions to the doom and “chaos” which would follow the disclosure of this case of national security.

Regardless, the outrageous plot is wholly gripping and unputdownable. If you liked Brown's previous works, this latest novel is written in the same sharp, blistering style, with the present day story punctuated by facts, flashbacks and a welcome dose of wit. At one point I feared Dan Brown had jumped the metaphorical shark (I won't spoil the scene, but you'll know it when you read it because you'll either groan or tut loudly), but I had faith and my fears were soon allayed by yet another twist in this turbulent if ridiculous tale.

I can't wait for the impending movie interpretation.


CR@B Verdict: As fast-paced, enjoyable and easily-consumable as Brown's other works, albeit far less controversial. The Lost Symbol is an inspiring, if completely over-the-top read which leaves you with a lust for knowledge and a desire to investigate all things Noetic and Masonic.
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