Conclave

Oh Lord, he still has so much to do, whereas all my useful work in Your service is completed. He is beloved, while I am forgotten. Spare him, lord. Spare him. Take me instead. The Pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the world's most secretive election. They are holy men. But they have ambition. And they have rivals. Over the next seventy-two hours one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on earth. ‘…there is only one possible word to describe Robert Harris’s new novel, and it is this: unputdownable.’ – *The Guardian* A consistent career-long favourite of Waterstones’ customers, [Robert Harris](https://www.waterstones.com/author/robert-harris) is a heavyweight of historical fiction with a knack for creating page-turning political thrillers with literary credence. Best known for the ‘what if’ masterpiece [Fatherland](https://www.waterstones.com/book/fatherland/robert-harris/9780099527893) and his [Cicero](https://www.waterstones.com/author/robert-harris) series as well as the controversial Blairite-era roman à clef, [The Ghost](https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-ghost/robert-harris/9780099527497) Harris is never less than consistently excellent, balancing on that most delicate tight-rope where challenging and thought-provoking literature meets page-turning entertainment.