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Conclave

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Conclave

By: Robert Harris
Narrated by: Roy Mcmillan
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

***Now a Bafta and Oscar winning major motion picture starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini***

What happens behind the closed doors of the Roman Catholic Conclave? The mysterious rituals surrounding the congregation of cardinal electors responsible for electing a new pope is brilliantly researched by Robert Harris, bringing an age old tradition to life. Set against the swirling of religious theory comes an explosive political drama that will have you on the edge of your seat.

The Pope is dead.

Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, 118 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 72 hours, one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on earth.

'Unputdownable' Guardian
'Gripping' Sunday Times

©2016 Robert Harris (P)2016 Random House Audiobooks

 Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Espionage Fiction

Critic Reviews

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)
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  
My dad recommended this book to me after reading it. I looked at the cover art. 'So I'm guessing it's kind of like Dan Brown, then, is it, Dad?' I asked. He laughed and said, 'Not really, except that it's surprisingly gripping.'

He was not wrong.

Robert Harris's imaginings of the internal machinations of the highest echelons of the Catholic Church between the death of the Pontiff and the election of his successor is more than ably served by Roy McMillan's masterful narration. The subject matter has no right to be this thrilling, and yet it is. I loved it.

The surprisingly gripping story of electing a pope

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book was beautifully paced always engaging and the readers management of different voices exceptional. worth 6 stars

continuously engaging

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Fantastic story. The research into the machinations of electing the new pope and the workings of the Catholic Church is superb. Intelligent and thought provoking. Masterful story telling and an unexpected twist that put a smile on my face. Page turner - very cleverly written.

Brilliant and oh what a twist!

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The story, the delivery, this was a really enjoyable listen. Harris knows how to keep you enthralled, whether you know the topic of religion or not.

Twists & turns

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Detailed description of the process, clothes and traditions of the a conclave, but in a way that is woven into the story. Clever gradual expansion of the story leading up to the finale.

Detail description and great story

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This is a fantastic book. Have listened to it twice as recommended to my 2 book groups . Generate much discussion. Very informative. Excellent twist

Excellent book

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Great storyline, wasn’t sure what to expect, listened around the same time the world was waiting for the next Pope.

Fabulous ending, quite unexpected

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Had Robert Harris been a. lesser writer, this novel may have turned out to be deceiving and predictable at the same time. But he is not a lesser writer. His research, his detail, the fluidity of his prose, still work their magic, and even that soupçon of a trendy issue that the reader receives at the end of the novel is not followed through in a way to make having read the book an unsatisfactory experience. Once again, the characters that he invokes take on their own identity and force within the reader's imagination and mind, and through them, we gain an entrée into the human psyche and the omnipresent experience of the undertow of power. I, for one, could scarcely stop listening.

A Close Call

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An excellent novel which speaks to greater themes helpful in our world today. Don't let it's religious context put you off.

slow burn with a twist

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Absorbing account of the inner workings of the Catholic Church and election of Pope - a subject of no previous interest to me. Methodically well told and steady building of tension throughout. Highly recommend!

Quite a reveal at the end! Excellent take with a twist

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