First published 2024
The papal throne sits empty. Cardinal Lomeli enters the sealed Sistine Chapel alongside 117 other cardinals from across the world. They face the Church's most guarded ritual: choosing the next pontiff. Each man carries his sacred vows, yet ambition pulses beneath their crimson robes. Ancient protocols govern their deliberations, but human desires complicate every ballot. Lomeli watches alliances form and fracture as voting begins. Some cardinals champion tradition while others push for reform. Personal histories surface. Old grievances resurface. Political maneuvering intensifies with each inconclusive round of voting. The outside world waits for white smoke to signal their decision, but inside these holy walls, the cardinals grapple with conflicting loyalties. Lomeli must navigate between his duty to the Church and the complex web of relationships that could determine the future of Catholicism. The next three days will test not only their faith but their capacity for compromise in the face of absolute power.
Genres: drama, crime, contemporary, 21st-century, church-history, church, academic, catholic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: political-intrigue, power-struggle
Setting: Sistine Chapel, Vatican
Period: Contemporary
286 pages · Paperback · Vintage