The Last Patriot by Brad Thor

What a good spy thriller! Although the plot resonates with the same feeling as The Da Vinci Code, the subject matter is Islam and a "secret" that Mohammed allegedly gave to his followers before he died. This is the first book by Thor that I've read, but from the plot, it sounds like Scot Horvath (the protagonist) appears in many of his books. The Last Patriot is a much easier read than The Da Vinci Code because the plot is not as complicated. Further, it involves Thomas Jefferson, a man about whom I know more than DaVinci. One of the things I liked about The Da Vinci Code was its tight time element--it covered about 36 hours of time: it is difficult to develop a story that covers such a short period of time and deal with a topic in any depth. This book has a tight time element of about a week. Another thing I liked: not too much killing, not too much swearing. If you've never read an espionage book, this is a good place to start. Any high school student could enjoy this book.