9 Best Books Like Da Vinci Code That Will Have You On The Edge of Your Seat

Discover our guide with the best books like Da Vinci Code that will keep you up to the early hours of the morning, waiting to see what happens next.

Readers around the world agree: Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code is impossible to put down, and after you finish the last page, it can be tough to figure out what to read next. Brown uses a combination of art, religion, and history to create a complex story that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. If you’ve wrapped up The Da Vinci Code and you’re looking for the next book to add to your reading list, we’ve got you. If you’re interested in this topic, you’ll love our round-up of the best suspense authors!

Here Are The Top Books Like Da Vinci Code

1. Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco

Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
Author’s name and book title in a white capital typeface

Foucault’s Pendulum is a tale that follows three Italian editors as they work to create a story that links the Knights Templar with other top-secret societies that have existed throughout history. Together, they produce a map that connects the group, but soon, the farce they’ve created becomes all too real. One of the editors is killed, and the other two must work together to stop evil forces from taking over. If you liked the Da Vinci Code, you’ll also enjoy these authors like Dan Brown.

“I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth.”

Umberto Eco, Foucault’s Pendulum
Foucault's Pendulum
  • Audible Audiobook
  • Umberto Eco (Author) - Tim Curry (Narrator)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 02/03/2000 (Publication Date) - Macmillan Audio (Publisher)

2. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
Author’s name and book title are written in red and black type on an orange background

The first book in the Robert Langdon series, Angels and Demons, explores the world of the Illuminati while traveling through Rome. The book takes readers on a journey in which the Catholic Church battles the secret ancient society. Langdon must work to stop a time bomb that the Illuminati placed somewhere in Vatican City and thankfully, Vittoria Vetra, an Italian scientist, is there to help him every step of the way. 

If you enjoyed our round-up of the best books like Da Vinci Code, you might also enjoy our list our round-up of best Sidney Sheldon books.

“Skepticism has become a virtue. Cynicism and demand for proof has become enlightened thought. Is it any wonder that humans now feel more depressed and defeated than they have at any point in human history?”

Dan Brown, Angels & Demons
Angels and Demons
  • Audible Audiobook
  • Dan Brown (Author) - Richard Poe (Narrator)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 19 Pages - 04/14/2004 (Publication Date) - Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher)

3. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
A boy with brown hair and round glasses is wearing a green shirt and a brown robe

The well-known Harry Potter series perfectly combines magic, intrigue, and the battle of good against evil. Readers get to follow Harry and his friends Hermione and Ron as they learn witch and wizardly skills. The trio works to unravel mysteries at Hogwarts, and fans of Dan Brown’s work will love Rowling’s whimsical take on suspense.

“We’ve all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on.”

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1
  • Audible Audiobook
  • J.K. Rowling (Author) - Jim Dale (Narrator)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 11/20/2015 (Publication Date) - Pottermore Publishing (Publisher)

4. The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thompson

The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thompson
Title of book and author’s names in dark red capital letters on a cream and brown background

In this novel, two Princeton students–Tom Sullivan and Paul Harris–are working to solve the mysteries of an Italian text from the 15th century. As their deadline approaches, they find a key clue to solving the mystery–and then, one of the researchers working with them on the project is murdered. The pair realize the importance of their work and are suddenly fearing for their lives. You’ll be on the edge of your seat as you learn how Sullivan and Harris work to protect themselves and their work.

“A son is the promise that time makes to a man, the guarantee every father receives that whatever he holds dear will someday be considered foolish, and that the person he loves best in the world will misunderstand him.”

Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason, The Rule of Four
The Rule of Four
  • Audible Audiobook
  • Ian Caldwell (Author) - Jeff Woodman (Narrator)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 09/10/2004 (Publication Date) - Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher)

5. Sandstorm by James Rollins

Sandstorm by James Rollins
Author’s name in white capital letters on brown and orange background with the book’s title centered at the bottom of the cover

Sandstorm is the first novel in the beloved Sigma Force series. Readers are introduced to Painter Crowe, a Sigma Force agent who works to keep groundbreaking scientific advancements out of the hands of the enemy. In this novel, Crowe works to keep an ancient artifact that could lead to the discovery of Atlantis, the lost continent, away from those who could use it to cause harm. 

“Though it was undeclared, there was a new world war being waged, where fundamental decency and respect for human rights were under assault by forces of intolerance, despotism, and blind fervor. And while its battles were sometimes waged in plain sight– in New York City, in Iraq– its greater struggle was carried on invisibly, fought in secret, its heroes unknown, its villains hidden.”

James Rollins, Sandstorm
Sandstorm: A Sigma Force Novel, Book 1
  • Audible Audiobook
  • James Rollins (Author) - John Meagher (Narrator)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 05/04/2010 (Publication Date) - HarperAudio (Publisher)

6. The Eight by Katherine Neville

The Eight by Katherine Neville
Title of book and author’s name in capital letters on a red background with handwritten script and the bottom of the cover includes a chess board with an infinity symbol intertwined with the chess pieces

This novel follows the story of Catherine Velis as she works through conspiracies, danger, and historical mystery to find a chess set that Charlemagne owned. The Eight combines two storylines, allowing readers to spend time in the present day with Velis and travel back to the French Revolution with Mireille, a nun living in the 1700s.

“All my life I have studied the peculiar powers of music. It has a force of its own that few would deny.”

Katherine Neville, The Eight
The Eight: A Novel
  • Audible Audiobook
  • Katherine Neville (Author) - Susan Denaker (Narrator)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 09/28/2007 (Publication Date) - Random House Audio (Publisher)

7. Inferno by Dan Brown

Inferno by Dan Brown
Author’s name and book title in red capital letters on a blue background, with a red Romanesque face horizontal and looking down on a black background

The fourth book in the Robert Langdon series, Inferno, is the perfect addition to anyone who can’t get enough of The Da Vinci Code. In Inferno, Langdon awakens in an Italian hospital with amnesia–and has to piece together how he got there and try to remember the task he’s trying to complete. With the help of Dr. Sienna Brooks, Langdon works to uncover a deadly virus that can destroy the world–and put a stop to potential destruction.

If you are looking for more suspense/thriller books about to binge on a weekend, check out our round-up of the best Dean Koontz books. You can also use the search bar at the top right of the page to search for the best authors.

“Denial is a critical part of the human coping mechanism. Without it, we would all wake up terrified every morning about all the ways we could die. Instead, our minds block out our existential fears by focusing on stresses we can handle—like getting to work on time or paying our taxes.”

Dan Brown, Inferno
Inferno: A Novel
  • Audible Audiobook
  • Dan Brown (Author) - Paul Michael (Narrator)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 05/14/2013 (Publication Date) - Random House Audio (Publisher)

8. The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury

The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
Author’s name and book title over a dark red cross with an ancient going in the middle. Horizontal bar of the cross is superimposed on the skyline of a city

The Last Templar takes readers on a journey from 1291 to the present day, exploring how the activities of the Templar knights in the 13th century created a current-day mystery. The book transitions to modern-day New York City, where men dressed as Templars attack a crowd. Tess Chaykin, an archeologist, witnesses the attack. Chaykin works with an FBI agent to dig into history and travel around the globe to bring the perpetrators to justice. 

“It’s amazing, isn’t it? Here we are, two thousand years later, with everything we’ve accomplished, everything we know, and yet this little talisman still rules the way billions of people live…and die.”

Raymond Khoury, The Last Templar
The Last Templar
  • Audible Audiobook
  • Raymond Khoury (Author) - Richard Ferrone (Narrator)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 10/30/2006 (Publication Date) - Penguin Audio (Publisher)

9. The Queen of the South by Arturo Perez-Reverte

The Queen of the South by Arturo Perez-Reverte
The book’s title in gold capital letters on a red background with red and maroon flowers. A crown is centered near the bottom of the book’s cover

In this suspense novel, readers get to know Teresa Mendoza as she travels from Mexico to Morocco to Spain. Mendoza’s boyfriend is a drug smuggler, and after he’s killed, she must begin to look out for herself. You’ll follow Mendoza as she moves from country to country and begins understanding a new, secret world. Looking for more? Check out our round-up of the best suspense authors!

“The sea was cruel and selfish as human beings, and in its monstrous simplicity had no notion of complexities like pity, wounding, or remorse… You could see yourself in it… while the wind, the light, the swaying, the sound of the water on the hull worked the miracle of distancing, calming you until you didn’t hurt anymore, erasing any pity, any wound, and any remorse.”

Arturo Pérez-Reverte, The Queen of the South
Sale
The Queen of the South
  • Audible Audiobook
  • Arturo Pérez-Reverte (Author) - Lina Patel (Narrator)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 04/29/2005 (Publication Date) - Penguin Audio (Publisher)

Author

  • Amanda has an M.S.Ed degree from the University of Pennsylvania in School and Mental Health Counseling and is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. She has experience writing magazine articles, newspaper articles, SEO-friendly web copy, and blog posts.

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