Deception Point

Just finished reading Deception Point by Dan Brown. Usually I take a few weeks to read a novel of around 500 pages. But, surprisingly this one was over within 10 days. I started this on my visit to Tolouse/Bordeaux and finished next week during the visit to Eastern Europe. Most of my journey time was well spent in reading.

It is a typical Dan Brown novel. NASA finds something path-breaking in Arctic circle. The discovery of this of such a magnitude has huge implications on the image of NASA and on the impending Presidential election contested by the incumbent Zach Herney and Senator Sedgewich Sexton. Rachel Sexton, daughter of Senator Sexton works for NRO (National Reconnaissance Office) and reports to William Pickering, Director of NRO. The relationship between Sexton and his daughter is ailing. On a fine morning, Rachel receives a special request from the President and she is taken to Arctic circle in a special flight. Her task is to ascertain the facts that she finds there (the facts claimed by NASA) and report it to the White House staff.

NASA has been criticized widely for its repeated failure missions and overspending. It is the main pole against which Sexton is holding his campaign. The discovery could be the defining moment for NASA and its director Lawrence Ekstrom. The President employs 4 civilians from various discipline to ascertain the claims made by NASA - Michael Tolland, Norah Mangor, Corky Marlinson and Wailee Ming. The camp of NASA at arctic circle has been closely watched by 3 people belonging to Delta Force. When Wailee Ming finds something fishy about the discovery, he is killed by the Delta Force.

Rachel Sexton goes with Tolland, Mangor and Marlinson to ascertain the facts when they are attacked by the Delta Force. Mangor dies where the remaining there run for their lives. The plot then fastens up with finding about what is fishy about the discovery and who could be behind this. The knots get untied one by one.

With these characters, Gabrielle Ashe (personal assistant to Senator Sexton), Marjorie Tench (Senior Adviser in White House), Xavia (one of the team members of Tolland's oceanography discovery team) all have their important roles to play.

Behind this discovery there is a lot at stake for many people involved directly with it.

The story is well embedded with good amount of information regarding meterorites, oceonography, White House inside information, some elements of psychology etc. I have never heard of the NRO before this which is a space intelligence agency of US supplying classified information to CIA, Defense etc.

But as the story goes, it is kind of easy to predict who could be behind all the crimes. But, still the author maintains suspense in how is going to reveal it and what how he handles after the information is revealed.

The story is properly built up with author revealing the discovery only after 100 pages. After that the murders start, plot and the characters fly in jets.

A good read!