Bestselling author Dan Brown has returned to the literary stage with the release of his new novel, The Secret of Secrets, his first in eight years since Origin.
Running to nearly 700 pages in English, the novel is described by Brown as “by far the most intricately plotted and ambitious” of his career. Nihar Malaviya, CEO of Penguin Random House Global, praised the book as showcasing Brown’s hallmarks of “codes, art, history, religion, and cutting-edge science” combined with a “propulsive plot.”
To avoid leaks, publishers, printers, and translators worked under strict confidentiality agreements in the lead-up to the release. Brown, 61, has also embarked on a month-long promotional tour, beginning in New York and covering 12 countries.
Early reviews have been mixed. The New York Times praised the novel while noting its “hyperactive plotting,” whereas The Guardian dismissed it as “weapons-grade nonsense from beginning to end.”
Brown rose to global fame in 2003 with The Da Vinci Code, a complex thriller revolving around secret societies, the Mona Lisa, and religious mysteries. Though widely criticised by scholars for inaccuracies, the novel cemented his place among the world’s top-selling authors.
According to Penguin Random House, Brown has sold more than 250 million copies of his books, translated into 56 languages worldwide.
