Secrets of the Widow's Son: The Mysteries Surrounding the Sequel to The Da Vinci Code (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Dan Burstein (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Secrets of the Widow’s Son is an unprecedented publishing event: a book about a book that has yet to be published. As the world waits breathlessly for Dan Brown to publish his sequel to The Da Vinci Code, this new book, Secrets of the Widow’s Son, prepares international audiences for what they will experience in Brown’s forthcoming book. Instead of asking what is fact and what is fiction after reading Brown’s next book (as so many readers did with The Da Vinci Code), those who read Secrets of the Widow’s Son will have the unique opportunity to explore these questions in advance.
Secrets of the Widow’s Son will lead the reader along an incredibly fascinating, thought-provoking, and ultimately shocking trail of clues, codes, and long-forgotten history, from George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and the other Freemasons who were America’s Founding Fathers to an American capital city that rivals The Da Vinci Code’s Paris. The world awaits Dan Brown’s The Solomon Key. But it need not await the mysteries, adventures, themes, and characters likely to appear in that book—because now there is Secrets of the Widow’s Son.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Sterling; 1st Edition: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 edition (September 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402728190
• ISBN-13: 978-1402728198
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #399,914 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accept the Challenge, September 24, 2005

By	Brian Weiss (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Anybody notice that all the negative "reviews" contain no information or comments pertaining to any specific content?

Having in fact READ the book, I can say that if you accept the challenge and read Secrets of the Widow's Son, you will be fascinated by many parts of U.S. history that you didn't know existed. Did you know that George Washington was a Freemason (as were many of the Founding Fathers), or that a ceremonial Freemason's trowel that is still kept by one of the Washington-area lodges has been used as part of the cornerstone ceremonies for virtually every major Washington monument? Do you know the significance of the "all seeing eye" and the pyramid that appear on the dollar bill? Do you know that Paul Revere's famous ride might never have been completed if he hadn't been a Mason, and why? Do you know why the Masons were seen as a threat by the Catholic church, and why the church prohibited Catholics from joining?

This book is billed as being a look at what Dan Brown might do in his next blockbuster. But Brown's book will be a work of fiction. This is a work of fact, and in this case truth is even more interesting than fiction. If you accept the challenge and read this book, you will indeed get an interesting analysis of what might be in the upcoming Brown book, and why, but you will also get a fascinating look at some parts of U.S. history (and America's capital) that your teachers definitely did NOT teach you.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read and thought provoking, October 17, 2005

By	C. W. Reiss (NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I came to this book from the other Dan Brown "Secrets" books. Not being a history buff, like some of the other reviewers, I cannot attest to the accuracy of the material, and I cannot claim special knowledge of the period. But David Shugarts does a wonderful job of asking the tantalizing "what ifs" that take you down a historical whodunit path. I enjoyed the gossip and secret facts about our founding fathers and their world, including some real shockers (don't want to give it away). What adds to the mystery is that Dan Brown's book is not out yet - can't wait to see if David is on target!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Conspiracies Afoot, December 11, 2005

By	Craig Buck "I think, therefore I read" (Sherman Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There's a strange pattern to the reviews of this book that rivals the conspiracy theories found in Dan Brown's books and the unravelings of those theories found in the "Secrets" books. Why are all the negative reviews only one or two sentences in length with no descriptives to imply that the writers have read the book? Does someone have a motive to try to dive-bomb this book? Is David Shugarts on someone's enemies list? Is Dan Brown trying to discredit these revelations and keep this book under wraps? Or is Scooter Libby behind this conspiracy?

I suppose we'll have to wait for "Secrets of Amazon Reviews" to find out, but in the meantime, this book was a hoot. Despite Mr. Shugarts repeated disclaimer that the thesis of this book is only speculation, he doth protest too much. "Secrets of the Widow's Son" is a truly audacious adventure in literary mind-reading and, as far as I know, the first book to ever attempt this sort of publishing prescience. While Shugarts may not be the greatest stylist in the world, his blend of exhaustive scholarship and thoughtful speculation makes for a truly fun read and provides bounteous fodder for great dinner-table discussion. Read it and reap.