REVIEW BY MICHAEL GROLLMAN

The end of the Cold War meant a paradigm shift for the espionage fiction genre. The standby villains and geography became yesterday's news. Some writers, in response to this shift, plugged in terrorists as their new villains, but with little else new in their formula, the results often didn't produce much excitement.

Other writers adapted to the new terrain by seeking new villains and landscapes. One of those writers is Dan Brown, who sets his latest novel, Deception Point, at the top of the world.

An incumbent president, facing an uphill challenge in a re-election campaign, is under siege from his opponent, who is calling for NASA to be dismantled in the wake of massive multi-billion dollar mission failures. But when NASA finds something buried in the polar ice that might hold the key to the secret of life on earth, the discovery could salvage NASA's battered reputation and the president's election chances as well.

The president dispatches Rachel Sexton, an intelligence analyst and White House liaison, to meet the scientific team that made the discovery and conduct an independent evaluation. Upon her arrival at the Milne Ice Shelf, Sexton meets the charismatic and world famous oceanographer, Michael Tolland, and together they evaluate the find. But someone, or something, dangerous is watching them as they work.

Brown's fascination with intricate science serves him well here, as he skillfully weds earth sciences and high-tech weapons systems to a complex story of political ambition and intrigue. Gradually revealing a convincing plot, he deftly shifts the action back and forth between Washington, D.C., and the North Pole. With Deception Point, Brown has given readers an action-packed ride through and exotic and exciting landscape.

Special Thanks: Bookpage