Conclave
SynopsisPlot
The pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will gather to cast their votes in the world's most secretive election. They are holy men. But they are not immune to the human temptations of power and glory. And they are not above the tribalism and factionalism that consumes humanity. When all is said and done, one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on Earth.
Story
About this book
Robert Harris sets this thriller inside the Vatican during a papal conclave, the closed election that follows the death of a pope. One hundred and eighteen cardinals gather behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel to choose a successor. The process is among the most secretive in the world: no phones, no contact with the outside, and strict rituals governing every round of voting. Harris uses this enclosed, high-pressure setting to build tension from the opening pages.
The novel follows the cardinals as factions form, alliances shift, and personal ambitions surface beneath the formal solemnity of the occasion. These are senior figures in the Catholic Church, drawn from countries across every continent, yet the political instincts at work inside the conclave mirror those found in any contested election. Loyalty, persuasion, grudges, and surprise revelations all play their part over the course of roughly seventy-two hours.
Harris is known for thrillers built on institutional settings, including Enigma, set around wartime codebreaking, and Fatherland, set in an alternate-history Europe. Conclave applies the same approach to one of the oldest governing structures still active today, placing its drama within the small walled territory of Vatican City.
