CODEX

Chess master Jack Bernstein loses his daughter in a terrorist bombing – but was it the plane that was targeted or the girl?  And why does he soon receive a mysterious coded message (reproduced, as are others, for our puzzlement on the page) ordering him to meet a man with the biblical-sounding name of Simon?  Could all this have anything to do with the astounding breakthrough in artificial intelligence cracked by Jack’s own company?  Might his wife’s sudden death earlier be linked?   And is it possible that the whole nefarious scheme has its origins in events a little over 2,000 years ago?

If you’re interested in how either chess, American bravado or the living Christ can save the world, then give these 565 pages a go.  Otherwise, select from any other of the many airport thrillers.  Dan Brown has a lot to answer for.