#38, Conclave, by Robert Harris

I approach novels dealing with the Catholic Church with caution, because so many authors have an axe to grind. I was heartened, then, that the author treats the subject with respect and sees the Cardinals in the conclave as sincere men who have flaws. Our protagonist, Cardinal Lomelli, is the Dean of the College of Cardinals, and, as such, he is in charge of running the conclave. Over the course of a few days he has to make several difficult choices that may well alter the outcome of the voting. His qualms of conscience are well-portrayed, and the final choice, while somewhat surprising, to me was telegraphed a bit in advance. My main quibble is that the ending seemed too abrupt. The final revelation is accepted with way too much equanimity to be believable. All in all, though, this is an enjoyable read whichgives a peak behind the curtain of a papal conclave.