The Da Vinci Legacy

by Lewis Perdue

Book Overview

A page from an ancient manuscript could give someone ultimate power...and change the world forever. The DaVinci Codex is a priceless collection of Leonardo's original work -- or is it? When DaVinci... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0523417624
• ISBN13: 9780523417622
• Release Date: January 1983
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books
• Length: 391 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

You really shouldn't miss this current bestseller

If you find spiritual thrillers appealing-- those books that mix excitement and suspense with interesting ethical and moral issues, you can't pass this one up. I also read Perdue's Daughter of God and loved that novel. It is obvious both books have been thoroughly researched and that the characters present controversial insights about church history and moral ambiguity. So many mysteries or novels of suspense are just a matter of dead bodies and clues with little that sticks with you, a novel of substance always stands out. There is no question that there are some curious correspondences to Dan Brown's book which I also read-- particularly curious in that these books were published long before his book. Still, this is a great story that needs no comparison to anything. It is fascinating, absorbing, and involving.

Creative, Innovative, Hyper-Paced

This book is filled with moments that made me wonder, "could this be true?" The strange brotherhood (all the bloodline of St. Peter) is reasonably rooted in the battles over the papcy and the dueling Popes that enlivened church history. I found the brotherhood's graveyard (with the final resting places of some very famous artists and scientists) to be at least as believable as the parallel in Da Vinci Code. Only for my dollar, I think that Perdue makes for more interesting action, but then that is a personal preference of mine and is no slam at the better-selling Da Vinci book which I read and enjoyed.Quite frankly, I resent the people who have posted vicious reviews here that paint Perdue's writing as the anti-Christ or something just because his style does not appeal to them. I prefer his style, but I think it would just be simply mean and petty to go post reviews trashing Dan Brown just because his style isn't my style.These reviews should help people select a book book that fits their taste and not be a forum for grudge posts which do not add to that.With that said, I need to say that I found Da Vinci Legacy well-written although not as well as Perdue's most recent ones, Daughter of God and Slatewiper. On the other hand, Perdue has had 20 years to improve as a writer. Personally, I cannot wait until I can find a new book by him.

Fascinating, Captivating, Shocking

Da Vinci scholar Vance Erikson discovers a forgery and missing pages in a Da Vinci Codex that makes his a target of a mysterious Catholic brotherhood who has killed four other Da Vinci scholars.The murders take Erikson on a fast-paced sprint through Europe one step ahead of the killers and the law who have fingered him as the killer of at least one of the dead da davinci scholars, Dr. Martini who has written his last message in his own blood.Erikson hooks up with an undercover CIA agent whose cover is as a fine arts expert. Together they solve the mystery.This book is well-written and, according to Perdue's message board had some of the very dated 1983 references updated. I did not find the body count any higher than other good thrillers in the genre.

Super Action, creepy bad guys, awesome religious secrets

After reading Daughter of God, I happened over this book, apparently published some 20 years ago.But given the interest in Da Vinci, art, religion, Vatican secrets etc. I picked this one up and totally enjoyed it. Perdue could write well even back then.I particularly enjoyed the scenes around Lago di Como in Italy. It's a favorite place of mine and Perdue describes them so beautifully it made me miss it!One of the scenes describing all the famous people associated with the mysterious anti-Vatican Brotherhood was fascinating as was the whole interaction with the global corporations.Made me wonder whether this was really happening in some way.

Great plot and exceptional writing

I first learned about Perdue back in the 1980s when I read a bestseller of his called the Delphi Betrayal. Anyway, Perdue had a couple more bestsellers, including The Da Vinci Legacy then seemed to disappear until The Linz Testament came out. That one read pretty much like the Da Vinci Code, but when Daughter of God came out, I was hooked again, both on the subject matter (pretty much like Linz) and the writing style (his best until Slatewiper).Picking up Da Vinci Legacy was like meeting an old friend after a couple of decades apart. Perdue writes better now than he did like 20 years ago, but this book is no slouch in that department. The chase through the wine cellar and the shootout in Milan's fashion district were gripping, but I have to say the hand-to-hand fight on the leaning tower of Pisa is my favorite thriller scene for any thriller by any author at any time.I love this guy's writing and, quite frankly think that the people trashing the writing style have never actually read the book. I notice they leave no plot details at all. They write as if they have an agenda they don't hide very well at all.