Imagine that a Pope, known for his doctrinal conservatism, were to die and his private diaries were revealed to be full of doubts about his papacy and the future of the Catholic Church. Such is the hypothesis of Morris West s tale of Vatican politics. At its heart is Luca, Cardinal Rossini, who has suffered torture and degradation as a priest under Argentinian dictatorship but who has risen to high office in the Vatican. He is a flawed man but he is still a man of power and a candidate for election. Just as his career seems poised to reach its zenith, he is plunged back into his past, reminded of a love affair which had seemed dead. Morris West, best-selling author The Shoes of the Fisherman and The Devil s Advocate, has fashioned a thrilling tale of ambition and power-broking in the world of Vatican politics that he knows so well.