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Conclave

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Conclave

By: Robert Harris
Narrated by: Roy McMillan
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***NOW A MAJOR MOVIE ***
***WINNER OF THE BAFTA FOR OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM***
***WINNER OF THE OSCAR FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY***

THE POWER OF GOD. THE AMBITION OF MEN.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, 118 cardinals are meeting in conclave to cast their votes in the world's most secretive election.

They are holy men. But they are ambitious. And they have rivals. Over the next 72 hours, one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on earth. Who will it be?

'Unputdownable' Guardian
'Gripping' Sunday Times

©2016 Robert Harris (P)2016 Random House Audiobooks

 Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Espionage Exciting Scary
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Critic reviews

Harris’ superlative skill at depicting power politics makes this an irresistibly gripping papal page-turner.
Thriller of the year . . . with a plot so serpentine and sinuous that I could not bear to put it down. (Geoffrey Wansell)
‘I have been waiting for most of my life for Robert Harris to write a novel that is not gripping, insightful and entertaining. I am waiting still. His latest, Conclave, is superb. (Ben Macintyre)
A real page-turner, with a great twist in the final pages. (Libby Purves)
Finishing this splendid and intelligent story, as with all great fiction, brings an acute sense of loss. (Richard Susskind)
Robert Harris is incapable of writing a substandard novel. (Alan Johnson)
Each Robert Harris thriller is different but of exemplary consistency. (Ian Rankin)
Robert Harris is the master storyteller of our time . . . Beautifully constructed . . . it’s dramatically compelling, politically intelligent, beautifully paced and with a lovely twist in the tail . . . narrative doesn’t come better than this.
I am about to use a word I have never knowingly used in any review of any book ever. During my 25-odd years of writing about books I have done my best to avoid cliches, slipshod summaries, oracular pronouncements and indeed anything else that might appear emblazoned on a book jacket. Nonetheless, there is only one possible word to describe Robert Harris’s new novel, and it is this: unputdownable (Ian Sansom)
A master of producing thrillers of ever-tightening suspense, full of insider analysis of political power and the treatment of momentous events . . . gripping . . . more than a crime novel, it is also a psychological and political thriller . . . Conclave is a triumphant addition to Harris’ acclaimed output (David Grylls)
All stars
Most relevant
It takes a while for the narrative to get going as numerous characters are introduced (there are 118 cardinals in the conclave!) and the rules governing the election of a new Pope elaborated. The description of the first few voting sessions repeats much of the procedure but at the same time reveals things about the various main players. Gradually the story becomes more interesting as the different factions become polarised and the less than saintly behaviour of some cardinals revealed.

I will not spoil the story by mentioning revelations and events that propel the narrative to gather pace and become more gripping. The ending is a surprise but there’s a clue early on as to what it might be.

I’ve enjoyed many of the books by this author and think that the series on the life of Cicero more satisfying and The Officer and a Spy more exciting than Conclave. I found the descriptions in Conclave of the archaic rituals and superstitious beliefs interesting but amazed that they have survived into the 21st Century.

There are a lot of unfamiliar names, some rather similar sounding, in the story and I sometimes got confused over who was whom, but eventually the main players emerge and their conflicts and loyalties more compelling to listen to.

The narrator is excellent and injects life into the narrative.

Slow at first but then surprisingly compelling

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Each candidate was so well cast & such a product of his country!!!Brilliant ending which MUST be withheld.... like the Mousetrap.
Thank you Robert Harris yet again I have lived within another of your books. Sadly they all end too quickly.

COMPELLING.... and I learnt SO MUCH.

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I really enjoyed this story, it flowed and kept you wondering what would happen next right to the end. Excellent

Gripping

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Never thought I'd like this but the whole book is great. My only criticism is it was too short

great stuff from a master story teller

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If you have enjoyed Robert Harris over the years, as I have, then you won't be disappointed with this book which offers fiction within a well researched historical or factual framework - in this case the workings of a papal selection (conclave). The plot unfolds at a satisfying pace and although you may predict some of the twists and turns you won't get them all. It's not a book that's likely to linger in the mind for years but Harris rarely disappoints and this is no exception - certainly a safe bet for some good entertainment and to pass some time if that's your objective.

Another 'page turner' from Robert Harris

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