Five Books To Read If You Liked Da Vinci Code

Da Vinci Code made headlines for its controversial and intriguing plot-line worldwide. Dan Brown's main lead, Robert Langdon is a famed symbologist and Sophie Neveu, a police cryptologist, land up in a chase to find the truth about the murder of Louvre's Curator who is also Neveu's grandfather. The search for the murderer unravels some deep dark secrets of the life of Christ. This fictional work delves into religious history and conspiracy and is an ideal read for history/religion/conspiracy/mystery fans..

I am an avid reader and I thoroughly enjoy reading books of religious/mystery/thriller genre. If you loved reading Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, then here are five other books that I've read that you might enjoy getting your hands on.

The Last Cato is a thriller featuring an ancient brotherhood known as the Stauroflakes whose members vowed to be the protectors of the Holy Cross. The death of an Ethiopian man covered with strange tattoos brings together Dr.Ottaviia Salina, a nun who is also a paleographer at the Vatican Archives, an Egyptian archaeologist - Farag Boswell and Kaspar Glauser-Roist, Pope's Swiss Guard.

Salina, Boswell and Roist embark on a journey to solve the murder of the Ethiopian man and recover ancient relics that are being stolen from churches across the world. Their journey takes a new turn when they discover that Dante's Divine Comedy gives clues to reach their destination because Dante was a member of the ancient society of Stauroflakes.

Asensi takes her readers on a round-the-world trip that might sometimes seem far-fetched but if you're the one with an open imagination, you will enjoy this religious/historical thriller.

The bones of Three Magi are stolen after a massacre of church goers in Cologne, Germany by a band of men dressed in monk robes. To solve this horrendous crime, Rachel Verona, an investigator of Rome's carabinieri, and U.S. Sigma Force officer, Grayson Pierce are called forth in Italy.

Verona and Pierce entangle themselves in a maze of dangerous trails that lead them to a deadly secret with the power to change the world forever. The clue to this secret is the "Map of Bones" that travels through the ancient Seven Wonders of the World.

This fast-paced thriller is a globe-trotting adventure filled with suspense and history lessons apt for religious/history buffs.

Maureen Paschal is an American journalist who has just began research for her new book on Mary Magdalene. During the course of her research, she is haunted by biblical dreams and visions that compel her to embark upon a journey to regions of France and Jerusalem.

Paschal is convinced that her hallucinations will help her uncover resources that will change her life and she is not alone in this belief. She is assisted in this exploration by her cousin, Father Peter Healy and new friends she makes in the French Pyrenees.

McGowan presents an alternative view to the history of Christianity and Christ and even though you might have read books or theories on Jesus' personal life and the Magdalene controversy, what is different about The Expected One is that its written from a woman's point of view and yet it covers both sides of the story on the life of Jesus.

This book is a translation from its Spanish publication by Alberto Manguel. Set in the 15th Century A.D., the plot revolves around a papal inquisition conducted by Father Agostino Leyre. Leyre is sent to the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie to identify if there are any hidden messages in the painting of Cenacolo, also known as The Secret Supper. This mission is commissioned because of a secret letter sent to the papal office by the "Soothsayer" who claimed that the painting will prove Leonardo Da Vinci's heresy.

The book does start slow but is a fun read for art and religious history fans. Sierra's work is a simple read with enough mystery to keep you guessing. This one's a fascinating read.

Joe Lassiter's sister and nephew are murdered in an arson, but they are not alone. A series of fires are killing mothers and sons around the globe. The question is why? So, Lassiter, who is also the owner of a high-tech investigation firm, takes it upon himself to find the murder.

The investigation leads Lassiter to a common ground the murdered mothers shared before the birth of their sons: a fertility clinic in Italy. The hunt for the murder turns into a chase where Lassiter is himself being hunted by an elite religious order of Italy.

This thriller gave me goose bumps. It allows the reader to follow the chase at a comfortable pace yet puts you on the edge of your seat throughout the story. Interesting plot and despite being a fictional work, it has a remarkable end that leaves the reader wondering, "What if this is true???"