In this riveting thriller, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is flung into a labyrinth of ancient riddles and high-stakes intrigue within the Vatican City. Summoned to a Swiss research facility to examine a cryptic symbol engraved on a dead physicist, he uncovers ties to the Illuminati, a shadowy brotherhood believed long extinct. As a conclave convenes to elect a new Pope, a deadly bomb ticks toward destruction in the heart of the Church. Langdon partners with the enigmatic Vittoria Vetra to decipher a trail of arcane clues that sprawl through Rome's crypts, cathedrals, and a forgotten Illuminati stronghold. With each twist, the duo is propelled deeper into a conflict where the esoteric converges with the deadly, and the fate of the Vatican hangs in the balance.