Professional book critics are for the most part a finicky lot — always picking apart the latest best seller and pulling just the right thread to make the plot fall apart. Or scratching the surface of your favorite character and finding little underneath.

It is rare that you find several critics who not only agree that a book is good, but who positively gush over the latest runaway best seller. This was the case when Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” debuted earlier this year, the book chosen as the September title for the Sunday Book Club.

Here’s a sample:

• From The New York Times: “Not since the advent of Harry Potter has an author so flagrantly delighted in leading readers on a breathless chase and coaxing them through hoops.”

• From The Seattle Times: “[I]t is thrilling that anyone could contrive such an adventure. ... You’ll love this.”

• From The Washington Post: “It is Dan Brown’s considerable achievement to have written a theological thriller that is both fascinating and fun.”

Another thing most critics agree on is that it is difficult to summarize the plot of Brown’s novel without spoiling his well-written ending. Most simply offer key elements as a teaser:

international intrigue, secret societies, the mysteries of the Catholic Church, symbolism, murder, Da Vinci and the search for the Holy Grail.

In a nutshell, Brown’s novel begins with the bloody murder of the curator of the Louvre, who uses his last moments to draw cryptic clues to the identity of his assailant. When French authorities discover visiting Harvard professor Robert Langdon (introduced in Brown’s novel “Angels and Demons”) was scheduled to meet with the curator, he immediately becomes their prime suspect.

Enter cryptologist Sophie Neveu, also the curator’s granddaughter, who helps Langdon narrowly escape arrest and who accompanies him on the pursuit to solve the curator’s murder and discover the motives that prompted it.

The chase is on, and in between fascinating passages on Da Vinci, ancient symbolism and the secrets of the Catholic Church, Sophie and Langdon dash across Europe one step ahead of the authorities. Brown’s extensive research is mind-boggling, and he deftly weaves his vast knowledge into his fast-paced plot.

The term “page-turner” often gets thrown on book jackets, but in this case it is well deserved. Brown’s thriller is hard to put down, a clever romp that keeps readers guessing.

To contact Regina C. Davis, use e-mail or call 348-7936.