A sequel to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code will not be released until at least 2007.

The best-selling author's latest novel had originally been expected to hit shelves by the end of this year.

"We don't know when it's coming, but it's out of the schedule for this year," Larry Finlay, managing director for Transworld Publishers, told Reuters. "At one point we were hoping for it around October or November, but now it's looking like 2007."

Brown explained in a statement, "My books are time-consuming to research and complicated to construct. I am taking the time necessary to ensure that this new book is every bit as entertaining as The Da Vinci Code."