A Balancing Act 
 Robert Harris has always excelled in writing historical novels in the manner of a thriller. They have succeeded because of his seriousness of purpose, his sensitivity to character, and his eye for detail. Also, I would suggest, because his subjects have mostly been comfortably in the past, In addition to several books set in ancient Rome, he has written about the turn-of-the-century Dreyfus case (An Officer and a Spy), the Bletchley cryptological center in WW2 (Enigma), and an alternate history (Fatherland) in which the Germans have won the war. Hitherto, his most contemporary book, The Ghost, has been about the Tony Blair premiership, but written after he left office. Conclave, however, is set in very near future, about the election of a new Pope after the death of a fictional Pontiff looking very much like the present one, although Harris swears otherwise. Furthermore, in writing about the conclave of cardinals, Harris is attempting to describe a secretive process taking place entirely behind locked doors. He cannot obtain his detail at first hand, and the psychology of these princes of the Church must be largely a matter for speculation. I was worried when I picked the book up at an airport that it would become either sensational, gossipy, or willfully arcane in the manner of Dan Brown. 
 For the most part, I need not have worried. Harris has done his research, and of the the most fascinating things about the book is the detail in which he describes the conclave, the sequestering of the cardinals, the many rituals, and details of the voting process; it is almost a police procedural, only with prelates. More importantly, the author's ability to create three-dimensional characters has not left him. The central figure is Cardinal Jacopo Lomeli, Dean of the College of Cardinals, and the ex officio manager of the conclave. Lomeli is a highly competent man who tries to keep an impartial attitude towards the many factions. He is also a humble one, full of doubt about his own spirituality. Yet when the moment comes, and he must preach the sermon that is in effect the keynote address for the entire conference, he finds himself putting aside his prepared text and speaking from the heart, proclaiming a vision of the Church that acknowledges fallibility and doubt rather than thrusting it aside. This gains him a significant number of votes in the early rounds--much to his horror, as he feels himself unworthy to be Pope. If the reader should think otherwise, it is because the author has done so much to make the novel work in theological terms as well as psychological ones. 
 But Harris's trade is still to write thrillers. I am sure there are intense doctrinal differences at play in any conclave, warring egos, and personal ambitions. One certainly hears of various scandals within the Vatican, especially the struggles between a reformer like Pope Francis and the entrenched bureaucracy of the Curia. But these in themselves do not make for a typical thriller. While Harris does not go anywhere near the lengths of a Dan Brown, he does have to make certain compromises. So to the differences in personality and belief he adds hints of blackmail, bribery, hidden documents, sexual indiscretion, and even terrorism. It makes for an exciting read; past page 100 or so, I literally could not stop. But I wondered how much was necessary. Harris does such a good job of charting the flux of opinion, the rise of one candidate and the gradual decline of another, that I really think it could have worked on its own terms. He even manages to keep one in suspense as to who the final winner would be; I admit I guessed very early on, but Harris worked very hard to convince me that my guess was wrong, only to make a sudden leap at the end. Both personally and spiritually, the conclave ends by selecting the right man. I kind of wish that Harris had not chosen to add one final twist--though given the state of the Church today, I see why he did it.