I'll pass then. His characters, his locations, his scenes are all mediocre at best. I bet I could re-write The Da Vinci Code, cut out fully half of the 'story' and make a few tweaks here and there and it would be a book you'd actually want to read. Ivy can back me up, she's read my stuff (must send something her way soon ...)
I bet you could too. After I read Angels and Demons, I realised how much worse The Da Vinci Code seemed in comparison. It was enjoyable to read, yes, but I felt Angels and Demons had a far more realistic sense of urgency, and didn't need such a controversial heart to sustain itself. I think that at its heart, The Da Vinci Code is almost textbook thriller writing with a core that's more appealing than most, and that's why it's proved so popular. I feel the prequel stands up better in terms of writing, anyways.
I_F