Dan Brown's "The Ultimate Secret" is here!

Dan Brown, the author of such classic thrillers as The Da Vinci Code , The Bernini Mystery, Origins, and Inferno, is back. His new Robert Langdon adventure, internationally known as The Secret of Secrets, will be released on September 9, 2025. In the Netherlands, it's called " The Ultimate Secret ."

What is behind the mystery?

Robert Langdon is back, and this time his lecture in Prague is the catalyst. Katherine Solomon, a prominent scientist and his new love, plans to present a revealing book that will upend age-old assumptions about consciousness.

But the party is soon over: a brutal murder, the disappearance of Katherine, and her manuscript. Langdon is hunted by a powerful organization, while myths from Prague legends are hot on his heels. His quest takes him through Prague, London, and New York, incorporating science and mysticism, so that he uncovers a truth that will forever change our understanding of consciousness.

Order here: The Ultimate Secret - Dan Brown €29.99

Consciousness as thriller raw material

The theme of human consciousness plays a central role, a subject that has long intrigued Dan Brown. In The Times, he says it is perhaps his most ambitious book: "There's no bigger theme than human consciousness."

He also emphasizes that he spent eight years immersed in brain science to develop non-local consciousness—how our brain might merely be a receiver—into thriller material. Prague was a deliberate choice: the city has been steeped in mysticism and science since the time of Emperor Rudolph II, including legends like the golem.

What makes this book a hit?

1. An irresistible plot
   The story blends murder, lost manuscripts, ancient legends, and futuristic science. It's thrilling, clever, and unforgettable—exactly the kind of story that will keep you reading late into the night.

2. Contradiction between faith and science
   Just like in Brown's earlier works, you see that constant dance between logic and mysticism, science and spirituality. Recognizable and yet breathtaking.

3. Senses and imagination
   Brown takes you so far into Prague that you feel the cold stone streets, hear the echo of centuries and perhaps even smell the scent of mystery.

4. Depth packed in a page-turner
   Behind the tension lies a philosophical core: what is true consciousness? And do you dare to look into that mirror?

What does the publisher say?

Penguin Random House has achieved a first printing of no less than 1.5 million copies, a literary milestone. Dan Brown himself calls it "by far the most intricately plotted and ambitious novel I've written to date, and also the most fun." His editor adds: "Twists you'll never see coming. This is classic Dan Brown."

Are you going to read The Ultimate Secret? I am!

So, are you ready to be swept away by a tried-and-true Dan Brown mystery, but with an added layer of philosophical depth? I've already pre-ordered The Ultimate Secret audiobook (it won't be available until tomorrow).

Source: LA Times, Penguin Random House and Dan Brown official website