Query: Dan Brown wrote his first novel in 2006.

Relevant passages:
Dan Brown <=SEP=> Daniel Gerhard `` Dan '' Brown ( born June 22 , 1964 ) is an American author of thriller fiction who wrote the 2003 bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code . Brown 's novels are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour period , and feature the recurring themes of cryptography , keys , symbols , codes , and conspiracy theories . His books have been translated into 52 languages , and as of 2012 , sold over 200 million copies . Three of them , Angels & Demons ( 2000 ) , The Da Vinci Code ( 2003 ) , and Inferno ( 2013 ) , have been adapted into films .   Brown 's novels that feature the lead character Robert Langdon also include historical themes and Christianity as motifs , and as a result , have generated controversy . Brown states on his website that his books are not anti-Christian , though he is on a ` constant spiritual journey ' himself , and says that his book The Da Vinci Code is simply `` an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate '' and suggests that the book may be used `` as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith . ''

The Da Vinci Code <=SEP=> The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel by Dan Brown . It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu after a murder in the Louvre Museum in Paris , when they become involved in a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus Christ having been a companion to Mary Magdalene . The title of the novel refers , among other things , to the finding of the first murder victim in the Grand Gallery of the Louvre , naked and posed similar to Leonardo da Vinci 's famous drawing , the Vitruvian Man , with a cryptic message written beside his body and a pentacle drawn on his chest in his own blood .   The novel explores an alternative religious history , whose central plot point is that the Merovingian kings of France were descended from the bloodline of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene , ideas derived from Clive Prince 's The Templar Revelation ( 1997 ) and books by Margaret Starbird . The book also refers to The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail ( 1982 ) though Dan Brown has stated that it was not used as research material .   The Da Vinci Code provoked a popular interest in speculation concerning the Holy Grail legend and Mary Magdalene 's role in the history of Christianity . The book has , however , been extensively denounced by many Christian denominations as an attack on the Roman Catholic Church , and consistently criticized for its historical and scientific inaccuracies . The novel nonetheless became a worldwide bestseller that sold 80 million copies and has been translated into 44 languages . Combining the detective , thriller and conspiracy fiction genres , it is Brown 's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon : the first was his 2000 novel Angels & Demons . In November 2004 , Random House published a Special Illustrated Edition with 160 illustrations . In 2006 , a film adaptation was released by Columbia Pictures .

Angels & Demons <=SEP=> Angels & Demons is a 2000 bestselling mystery-thriller novel written by American author Dan Brown and published by Pocket Books and then by Corgi Books . The novel introduces the character Robert Langdon , who is also the protagonist of Brown 's subsequent novels - The Da Vinci Code , The Lost Symbol , Inferno , and Origin . Angels & Demons shares many stylistic literary elements with its sequel , such as conspiracies of secret societies , a single-day time frame , and the Catholic Church . Ancient history , architecture , and symbolism are also heavily referenced throughout the book . A film adaptation was released on May 15 , 2009 . The Da Vinci Code film had been released in 2006 .