The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason

Was initially not very interested since I expected it to be a 'Da Vinci Code' clone - blame that on the cover (never judge a book by it - I've learnt my lesson).
The 'Hypnerotomachia Poliphilli' sounds like an obscure title of an ancient publication - which it is. But the intriguing aspects are the circumstances under which it was written and the way it was written - in 7 languages, and the fact that nobody has been able to read and decipher what it really offers. On the face of it, the book is a story of the Hero's search for his love in a dream. But it has mazes of sub-plots, and is full of information on topics like architecture and sciences.

The story unfolds in present day Princeton, with the protagonists best friend and roommate Paul, doing his thesis on the book. The protagonist Tom has already had bad experiences with the book, as his late Father, one of the few authorities on it had ruined his life trying to decipher it. The plot involves the mysterious murder of Paul's helper on the thesis, and the way Tom, his girlfriend and his friends Gil, Charlie and Paul are caught up in the events that follow.

Very interesting read. The authors have done a great job of weaving a gripping tale with the campus life at Princeton. Some of the Princeton customs are also described. What caught me is that most of the characters are mature beyond their years and carry a lot of baggage in their minds. At the same time they are recalcitrant children who flout rules just for the heck of it. The story moves backwards and forwards in time at the same setting (the Princeton Campus) almost at every chapter and one might get a little disoriented trying to figure out the chronological order of events. But in the end, this was definitely one of the better books I've come across.

Don't expect 'Da Vinci Code' style fast paced action interspersed with moments of calm. This book is more mature.