The author is Dan Brown. His name gets tossed around a lot in airport bookstores and bestseller lists, but I think people sometimes lump him in with lesser writers. He's the guy who made historical conspiracies feel like a frantic, page-turning scavenger hunt. His top books are almost certainly 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels & Demons', which feature his signature character, Robert Langdon.
I'd argue 'Angels & Demons' is his purest work—it's faster, has a more outlandish scientific MacGuffin with antimatter, and the Vatican setting just works. 'The Da Vinci Code' is the cultural phenomenon, of course, but revisiting it, the prose can feel a bit clunky. 'Deception Point' itself is a standalone, more of a political thriller, and while it's fun, it lacks the intricate historical puzzle-box feel that defines his best stuff. For a deep cut, 'Digital Fortress' is his first, and it shows, but has a certain charm if you're into early-internet era paranoia.