#39, Redemption Road, by John Hart

I would say don't waste your time. I was put off about a third of the way through, but kept reading, partly I guess because I have this thing about finishing books, no matter how slowly developing, and partly because I wanted to see what happened (duh!) There were too many subplots for my taste, each more sensational than the last. The cop accused of murder, the unknown psycho serial killer, the sadistic warden, the dirty cop, and on and on. A lot of flash and not a lot of substance. I never found the actions of our heroine entirely believable, either. I'm surprised to see this book rated so highly. Oh well, chacun a son gout.

#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.