PRINTCopying the code
Dan Brown’s secret for success catapults book-a-likes to stardom
Kevin Roberts
May 14, 2009 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Back in elementary school, “copycat” was a vicious insult. Nowadays, Dan Brown could throw out quite a few insults as writers attempt to copy his formula for writing best-selling thrillers. Authors hope to achieve the success that Brown has found — The Da Vinci Code sold 81 million copies and made $758 million at the box office — however, such authors probably would prefer not to have their names tied so closely to controversy. Angels & Demons opens in theaters tomorrow, so take notes. You might learn a thing or two about Brown’s methods.
Brown knows how to make headlines, which only helps sell books. His stories contain themes that contradict some of those in the Bible, and religion is a touchy subject. Although Brown faces negativity from Christian institutions and believers, his ego isn’t suffering too much as his novels continue to reach the top of The New York Times best-seller list. “I think it’s because he has hit on a great formula,” says Doyne McKenzie, collection development manager at the Daniel Boone Regional Library, of Brown’s success. “There’s this great genre of looking at a thriller based around questioning what have been accepted facts of the Bible.”
Others disagree with Brown’s formula and its success. “They should be glad that they have Tom Hanks spearing this up,” says Doug Wilson, co-owner of Village Books. Wilson admits that everyone has different tastes when it comes to books but says that there has been no major increase in sales at Village Books since Angels & Demons was announced to go to theaters.
Whether the books are worth the read or not, other authors have taken notice of Brown’s success and have begun mimicking the fantasy thrillers that draw modern-day religion into question. These copycat authors incorporate the Brown style of name-dropping an artist, a secret society, religious exploits, a bizarre death, huge hidden secrets and, of course, the romance factor. As simple as it seems, the Dan Brown formula proves to be successful — each of these titles is a best-seller.
The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
Ballantine Books, $24.95
This book is about exactly what the title says — the Knights Templar and the secrets wrapped up in the group’s legacy. The book features a woman attempting to solve a series of riddles and clues surrounding the Knights Templar with help from a handsome detective. They race against a religious extremist trying to discover the same things (think of a more clever version of the film National Treasure). Berry takes the reader across Europe and shows off scenery just like Brown does, which means Berry gets one part of the formula right.
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Berkeley Trade, $15
Labyrinth might not be Brown’s ideas reincarnated, but Mosse’s characters have the same troubles with spiritual concepts. Mosse sticks to Brown’s suspenseful formula, but she’s brave enough to take liberties and create her own plot. Labyrinth follows Alice Tanner, a woman who becomes mysteriously linked to 800-year-old remains she discovers. Alice works to uncover the secrets of the sack of bones before someone else does. Of course, the book focuses on the Holy Grail and revealing more of the secrets of Christianity. Maybe it isn’t so different from the Brown plot and seemingly static characters, but Mosse is clever enough to throw in some reincarnation.
The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
Dutton, $9.99
Raymond Khoury also has a thing for dead guys with secrets. The Last Templar follows an FBI investigation as the agency searches for the hidden secrets of a Templar knight before four bad guys get to it first. Of course, the knight guards a huge secret. The two leading the case are anti-terrorism investigator Sean Reilly and archaeologist Tess Chaykin, who of course end up falling in love. Khoury starts with a dramatic, Brown-style art theft and continues to follow Brown’s formula with short, choppy chapters ending in cliffhangers. And just in case you had forgotten you were reading a Dan Brown knockoff, Khoury even includes a priest-turned-hit-man taking orders straight from the Vatican.
The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra
Atria, $25.95
Da Vinci fever has gone international. Spanish author Javier Sierra attempts to unveil the secrets of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper in The Secret Supper. Readers of The Da Vinci Code are probably familiar with some of the mysteries surrounding the painting. These secrets include inconsistencies such as the lack of the Eucharist bread, the Holy Grail on the table and the fact that none of the apostles have halos. Yes, these explanations are all hypothetical and works of fiction, but they are entertaining nonetheless. This novel, along with all of the other Brown imitations, has a reference to The Da Vinci Code on the cover.
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