I just finished reading Dan Brown's "Deception Point" last night. Brown is most famous for his book "The DaVinci Code," which spawned some controversy by suggesting that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene had a child together. The claim is laughable -- Elaine Pagels says so. (And you know if Pagels thinks it's nuts, then it must be way out there.)

In a Richard Clarke-ian effort to sell his already popular book, Brown also played a prominent role in an ABC "News" special looking into his thesis. Despite all of the controversy, Brown's books are real page-turning mystery/suspense stories.

Brown's "Deception Point" and "Digital Fortress" don't even have any religious themes in them. Brown really knows how to tell a story, and all of his books grab you quickly and drag you by the throat until the very end.

One minor complaint that Brown would be advised to consider as he writes his next novel: Every one of his books has a man and woman who are thrust together in the beginning of the novel and run through Brown's gantlet. At the end of the novel, they fall in love.

It might be an effective storytelling tool -- if it wasn't so predictable because it happens every time. So, I've ruined a little of Brown's books, but it's very little, and they're still worth a read.