The Last Conclave opens with an irresistible hook: a pope dead, a conclave convened—and then, shockingly, the entire Sistine Chapel found empty. Glenn Cooper masterfully blends modern suspense with deep historical intrigue, drawing on the dark legacy of the Cathars and a centuries-old conspiracy.

Fast-paced and cinematic, this is a thriller in the Dan Brown vein, with sharp writing and a compelling lead in Cal Donovan. While some historical sections slow the pace and side characters lack depth, the central mystery is bold, original, and utterly addictive.

Perfect for fans of religious conspiracies, ancient secrets, and high-stakes drama.

After the unexpected death of the current pope, the conclave of cardinals meets to elect the new pope. After a few hours with no indication a vote occurred. The doors are opened, and the room is empty! Thus begins an international investigation full of politics, religious history, and a dash of romance. I enjoyed how well-researched and fast-paced this book was.

The Last Conclave was released on May 19, 2025—just weeks before the historic election of Pope Leo XIV—making its exploration of Vatican intrigue feel remarkably timely.
From the first page, Cooper’s narrative pulls you into the high-stakes world of Vatican power plays. When Pope John XXIV dies unexpectedly, 115 cardinals lock themselves in the Sistine Chapel—only to vanish without a trace. The tension never lets up, and the chase across continents had me racing toward “one more chapter” long past bedtime.
Beyond its thriller elements, the novel delivers a detailed look at how the College of Cardinals elects a pope. Through scenes of secret ballots, ritual prayers, and haggling over theology and leadership qualities, I gained new appreciation for the centuries-old procedures that govern papal elections. Cooper’s backstage access makes the process as fascinating as the mystery itself.
Kidnapping every cardinal might sound over-the-top, but Cooper meticulously maps out how such a coup could succeed. The logistics—from infiltrating the Vatican to maintaining radio silence in a locked chapel—are laid out with forensic precision. His grounded explanations stretch credulity without snapping it, turning suspension of disbelief into outright belief.
Interwoven with modern crisis is a deep dive into the medieval Cathars—a heretical sect nearly wiped out in the 14th century. I was captivated by their story of resilience and spiritual dissent, and the book inspired me to dive into Cathar history on my own. This dual timeline enriches the thriller, linking past and present in a tapestry of faith and fanaticism.
The Last Conclave is a masterclass in pacing, research, and suspense. Whether you crave edge-of-your-seat action or a behind-the-scenes look at Vatican operations, Cooper delivers on all fronts. This novel stands out not just as a timely thriller but also as an invitation to explore broader histories of faith, power, and secrecy.

A fast paced mystery which had me reading very quickly and enjoying every moment. The Last Conclave was a perfect balance for the immersed Catholic and the religious/church sceptic. Interesting characters that held my curiousity and provided a great deal of historic reference to the actual Catharsis (which I certainly wasn’t taught in the Catholic faith).
Timely in our recent happenings and a nice addition to reading/watching The Conclave. This book went to many details of how a conclave is conducted and I finished it with a more expansive understanding on the Vatican and those involved.
Thank you #NetGalley for this early copy. It was a good one!

The Last Conclave had quite a great publishing timing. I was curious to read it and overall, the writing style is pleasant. It's fast-paced and vivid, it would render well as a movie. Despite that, I wasn't completely drawn into the plot.

Interesting spin on a conclave. I’m glad I got to read this right after the IRL conclave and the storyline and twists were interesting. This would be a fun read for anyone interested in thrillers or religious/political crime dramas.

Read his full review on <a href=?https://rosepointpublishing.com/2025/06/29/the-last-conclave-by-glenn-cooper-bookreview-conspiracythrillers/"<a> Rosepoint Publishing.</a>

The recent conclave of Cardinals elected Pope Leo XIV. It was done fairly quickly after the death of John Paul II. All Roman Catholics know that the Pope is elected by a conclave of Cardinals who meet in the Sistine Chapel. This story examines that tradition from a unique perspective.

Why has there never been a female head of the church? Catholic schools teach religion and a majority of the teachers are nuns. Then why are there no female priests?

This book delves into a mythical event in which all of the Cardinals are captured and secreted away. The master minds of this undertaking are a group of very rich people who wish to “right” history.

The fascinating portion of the story to me is the discussion of the Cathars. This was a religious group in the thirteenth century that believed in everything the church in Rome believed but did not believe that the church should be so rich and powerful or that women should be excluded from the priesthood.

This is a very fascinating fiction thriller interwoven with historical events! 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

The cardinals are in the Sistine during the conclave. Hours and hours pass. No smoke, black nor white. Finally the outsiders enter the Sistine to find it empty.
This was an unusual story, full of suspense .... how did they do it? What happened? I had difficulties with all the different characters and their names ... telling them apart. 4.5 stars rounded up.
This book led me to search out other Glenn Cooper books.

First, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Lascaux Media for the Advance Reader Copy of The Last Conclave. I really enjoyed this book, especially as it relates to learning about the Cathar offshoot of the Roman Catholic Church in the Languedoc region of France. I thought that the premise of the book was quite interesting - a Papal Conclave (could it be more timely?) and an intriguing mystery surrounding the Cardinal electors. For most of the book, the balance of the history of the Cathars and the mystery of the Conclave was excellent, but I did find that the book tied up loose ends rather quickly at the end. Not quite at the level of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series, but certainly worthy of being included in that genre. This was my first book by Glenn Cooper, and I'll be looking into other books written by him.

What happens whwn a reporter opens the door to the Sistine Chapel during a Co clave to find all of the Cardinals missing? That is the ot of this novel. So utterly creative highly engaging , and well-written. This thriller is not to be missed!

When Pope John XXIV is found dead in his bed just two years after his election, the world braces for a new conclave. But as the cardinal electors are sealed inside the Sistine Chapel, something unthinkable happens. Hours pass. No smoke rises. No vote is announced. And when Vatican Secretary of State Elisabetta Celestino breaks protocol to open the doors—she finds the chapel empty. The cardinals have vanished without a trace.

CNN religion expert Cal Donovan is on-site to cover the conclave, but soon finds himself swept into a global investigation. As panic spreads and theories abound, Cal uncovers a chilling trail leading back to a centuries-old order—one that has waited in the shadows to cleanse the sins of the Church... with blood.

Considering recent history, this was a very relevant title. The author is very good at describing his characters, their surroundngs and the long lost religious sect and how it affected history over 800 years later. I sis not know this was part of a series until I looked up the author to see what else he has written. I know I will look into other books that he has written. It is obvious that he did a lot of research into the Roman church, the Conclave, the area in Rome and the Cathars in and where they lived. I was not aware that this sect even existed so it was very interesting to read what they believed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering this book.

I particularly enjoyed the historical flashbacks and the political and religious overtones of the book, the period referenced was clearly well researched and it made for an immersive contribution to the overall story. But I have to admit I went into the book expecting a more tense and fast paced thriller than the actual outcome, which negatively impacted my time with it.

The ample cast gave the narration more depth and realism, but some odd elements of the plot and the clunky dialogue hindered its potential. At traits the suspension of disbelief was had to achieve and I had trouble with it from the very beginning to the end of the story, where I found the plot device that brought to the resolution of the book to be annoyingly stupid.

On the whole, the novel was predictable but engaging enough to finish it, but it definitely suffered from the middle-of-the-book slog typical of thrillers where you just wish to be able to skip to the final chapter and move onto more rewarding reads.

Rated 2.5 stars.

Genre: Contemporary Thriller
Vibes: ⛪🕵️‍♂️🕰️🔍💀⏳📜🌍😱🔥
Rating: 3.75⭐
Tropes: locked-room mystery / dual timeline / conspiracy / historical lore

Very timely with the election of the new pope, had to read !!

As a former Catholic, I have a somewhat-knowledge of how a Conclave works. I guess I went into this book thinking it would give "Angels & Demons" vibes. It did not give me the same thrill that Dan Brown does, but it was a good book nonetheless. I enjoyed learning about Catharism, which I knew nothing about.

Totally gripping
The Pope is dead and a conclave has begun to choose his successor but as the hours tick by and no smoke comes from the chimney, Vatican Secretary of State Elisabetta Celestino is pursuaded by the Vatican police to break in to the Sistine Chapel and the sight shocks everyone, all of the Cardinals are missing. One of her friends, historian Cal Donovan, is in Rome to cover the conclave for CNN and ends up embroiled in the mystery
I really enjoyed this book, it has some very unexpected twists that had me gripped and that had me reading and researching some things further in depth. This may sound a bit vague, and apologies for that, but I’m trying not to give any spoilers!
The characters, especially Cal and Elisabetta, seemed well rounded but some others were missing details that stopped them seeming as human. I think it’s mainly because the focus was on the story and not necessarily on the backgrounds of all of the characters
There has been a lot of focus over the last year or so about Conclaves, from the popular film, to the actual Conclave of 2025, and this book has a place among them. It’s a story that feels like it may happen and has enough realism in to make me as a reader wonder what if
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a mystery novel with a bit of a religious twist that is full of unexpected drama and details that will have you hooked

The Last Conclave is a fast-paced thriller that blends Vatican intrigue with historical conspiracies. Cooper's accessible writing style keeps readers engaged, though occasionally the dialogue feels stilted. The ambitious plot, showcasing extensive research into Church history, intertwines multiple timelines effectively but can sometimes feel disjointed. While the protagonist is well-developed, some supporting characters lack depth. Despite these minor flaws, Cooper successfully creates an atmosphere of tension and mystery that will appeal to fans of religious thrillers. Overall, "The Last Conclave" offers an entertaining read for those who enjoy conspiracy-laden stories with historical elements, even if it doesn't break new ground in the genre.

I chose to read this book mainly because of the recent election of Pope Leo XIV earlier this year. I was immediately gripped by this intriguing novel which refers to historical facts about the Cathers and the storyline is divided between this and the disappearance of the conclave which results in a woman, the Vatican's Secretary of State, becoming in charge of the Catholic Church. This book is a mix of history, suspense, mystery and a touch of disbelief.
If this sounds like your kind of book then I can recommend it most highly..
I would like to thank Glen Cooper, his publisher, Lascaux Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

The Last Conclave is a strange project since its origin. It has been funded by an Italian Editor before arriving in America, a thing which is unexpected for a giant of modern thriller as Glenn Cooper. However, here it has been an incredible success so no longer after the publication it has even arrived on the American Bookshelf and here I am reviewing the English version. The story starts with an incredible strength, and develops focusing on a specific theme, the one of the Cathars as their extermination, which I find optimus as a description. It is a shame it ends up being too built up around international spying, with an excessive amount of dialogues between characters organizing new operations in order to save the kidnapped Cardinals, more than on a “historical puzzle” development, and there is absolutely too much drama between the multiple figures involved. The style is simple but captivating when it needs to be, and the range of locations and moments are interesting for the way it takes his time to start with multiple details on TV Networking, politics behind the scene of the Vatican, and even vices of the vicar of God. In this way, The Last Conclave is like a strange union between Robert Harris and Dan Brown, in which the functionality of the writing introduces a vast range of characters all interacting too much and with too much drama. However, when the story focuses on unexpected elements of a real Conclave, or on the educational description of other Catholic cults as the Cathars, this is a perfect bingo for Glenn Cooper. It’s a shame this happens only a few times in the whole book.

FINAL VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐

Following the death of Pope John XXIV, the Cardinals are sealed in the Sistine Chapel to vote on the Papal successor. However, when no smoke or sign of voting occurs, protocol is eventually broken and the doors to the chapel opened only to find it empty. The Cardinals have vanished.
Cal Donovan is swept into the global investigation which uncovers ancient secrets and a ruthless power.
I enjoyed the first half of this book better than the second was the pacing seemed slower. Despite that it was an enjoyable and engaging tale, ideal for fans of Dan Brown.

A great read and having recently seen a movie about the Conclave and also having a new Pope elected recently this book came at the right time. I love the way this book is written, the pacing is perfect and the chapters short keeping the flow of the book on point. A very interesting story that really kept my interested and intrigued.

A great read and one I do recommend. I now have some understanding of how a Conclave works and all the goings on behind closed doors.

Thank you NetGalley and Book Whisperer for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this story more than most like it. It was grounded in a bit more history than speculation. But while it had a bit of a unique approach to the Catholic Church thriller than others like it, it still fell in to the “Catholic Church bad, heretical persecuted alternative Christian group good.” We are spared the “Mary Magdalene and Jesus were a couple” motif, but still left with overdone tropes of pedophile priests, oppressive patriarchy and the like. The author did however, have many traditional Catholic characters who were genuinely winsome and likable, which was a change of pace. Usually the likable ones want to bring down the Church. The pacing slowed down when the historical chapters were introduced. While the connections between past and present were developed, it wasn’t difficult to guess where those developments were headed. And in the last third of the book the “ticking time bomb” device was gutted of its effects as the story had to work to weave past and present. The final three chapters wrapped up far too quickly, almost as an afterthought. What the book has going for it, in spades, is it’s timing, and how it mirrors current events quite nicely.