From Booklist
Osborn's foray into the inner workings of Vatican politics and the Roman curia packs a powerful punch, ultimately^B delivering an optimistic message about the future of the Roman Catholic Church. After the death of gentle Pope Gregory XVIII, the College of Cardinals convenes in Rome to choose a successor to the throne of Peter. Poised at opposite ends of the theological spectrum are traditionalist Cardinal Agosto Mancini and progressive Cardinal Ignatius Heriot. As Mancini maneuvers behind the scenes to manipulate the election in his favor, Heriot remains curiously aloof from the entire process, harboring a dark secret that he believes precludes him from serious consideration. Meanwhile, a charismatic American priest preaching a seemingly radical brand of Catholicism rooted in love, tolerance, and spirituality, seems to hold the key to the papal legacy. Reminiscent of The Shoes of the Fisherman (1991), this evocation of one of the world's most influential institutions pits the pious against the venal in suspenseful battle for power and control within the church hierarchy. Margaret Flanagan
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Book Description
"Has drawn comparisons with The Shoes of the Fisherman and The DaVinci Code." -Connecticut Post In the tradition of the classic bestseller The Shoes of the Fisherman, this evocative and moving novel takes you deep inside the inner world of the Vatican and the American branch of the Holy See to dramatize the great moral issues dividing the Church. The passing of humble and beloved Pope Gregory XVIII brings the Lords of the Church to the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome to meet in its secret recesses and elect a new pope. They find they must choose between a caring, but guilt-ridden, American cardinal (the very same young priest who made a heart-rending confession so many years ago) who would bring reforms to the Church, or a cardinal whose soul belongs to the Inquisition. At stake-the future of the Church itself.

About the Author
David Osborn is the author of nine published novels, including the bestselling Open Season, Heads and Murder on Martha's Vineyard. He has also written 24 screenplays, including Chase a Crooked Shadow, which is listed by the British Academy of Motion Picture Science as one of the 10 best suspense scripts ever written. His original screenplay for The Trap was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Osborn lives in Connecticut.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Has drawn comparisons with The Shoes of the Fisherman and The DaVinci Code."-Connecticut Post In the tradition of the classic bestseller The Shoes of the Fisherman, this evocative and moving novel takes you deep inside the inner world of the Vatican and the American branch of the Holy See to dramatize the great moral issues dividing the Church. The passing of humble and beloved Pope Gregory XVIII brings the Lords of the Church to the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome to meet in its secret recesses and elect a new pope. They find they must choose between a caring, but guilt-ridden, American cardinal (the very same young priest who made a heart-rending confession so many years ago) who would bring reforms to the Church, or a cardinal whose soul belongs to the Inquisition. At stake-the future of the Church itself.