It shows why he evolved into a great writer.

But all the engaging, quick dialog and action scenes are spot on. She was smart and highly qualified, and she kicked butt several times, but I knew nothing about her personally. That said, I felt like we got to know him better than the main character too. It felt like a plot device… which I don’t mind, if he truly was qualified and we got to know him more. There is no reason the main character’s fiancé needed to be the one to go to Spain. A few trips through Europe, a political nightmare, and lots of fiery explosions. Nonetheless, she is engaged and her husband-to-be is involved in the plot. So, right from the beginning, I was glad to see the diversity and that it was somewhat ahead of its times.

The main character is a female technologist working for a male head of the NSA (okay two male heads, one is African American, one is Caucasian). I was excited to solve the very last puzzle and work out the answer on my own… so that was a nice ending. What that actually means is very different from what we come to learn in the book. A man dies, he threatened to reveal all the US secrets from the NSA site. I admit fully, it was a little too technical at times… not that I didn’t understand it, but I couldn’t focus on the story. Much of the theory and approach is different today, and while you don’t need to understand technology to enjoy the book, it helps… and if you know a bit about it (I work in the field), you will feel a different connection. Published in 1998, the key thing readers must remember is that if you’re devouring it now, remember how much technology and security has changed in the last two decades. Before I head there, let’s chat about this book. I’m determined to make that a 2021 reading goal.

I enjoy thrillers and suspense novels, but I haven’t figured out my favorite authors in this genre yet. I am now up to date and awaiting whatever comes next (outside his newer children’s release). Digital Fortress is the first book Dan Brown published, and it’s the last of his that I read.

Dan brown fortress