Loved, loved this book!! I got hooked within the first chapter and couldn't put it down. This is my first book by Glenn Cooper, but it definitely will not be my last!

When the first American pope is found dead in his bed after just 2 years in office, a conclave is formed to elect the new pope. Locked behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel, the world awaits their decision. As the hours pass and no tell tale smoke rises from the chimney, concern begins to take root. The first female Vatican Secretary of State (Elisabetta Celestino) is met with an unexpected horror when she finally unlocks the doors... The conclave is missing!

What follows is a wonderfully woven historical mystery/thriller. The journey will take you from the present day halls of the Catholic church back in time to an 800 year old atrocity. Cal Donovan, a Harvard theology professor on site during the conclave, joins forces with the Vatican and the police to help track down the missing cardinals before time runs out for them.

I really enjoyed the interaction of the various characters, especially Cal and Elisabetta.They were likeable and relatable. The dialogue was believable. Glenn painted a picture with his words that was easy to imagine. The story was fast paced as it traveled between the two time periods and the various characters perspectives. The historical elements of the Cathars were well told and provided a fascinating insight into a religious sect that is largely unheard of today. While the ending was predictable given the storyline, it was a fun and entertaining ride. Thank you Glenn Cooper, Lascaux Media, Book Whisperer and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this wonderful book.

What great timing for the author!
Not only has the Pope died but a Conclave has taken place in Rome and now we have a new man in the Vatican - Pope Leo XIV.
On the heels of Robert Harris's brilliant book and subsequent film (surely Ralph Fiennes should have gone for the top job?) this fast paced thriller is more Dan Brown- but in a good way.
We feel familiar with the setting of Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel and the wait for the white smoke to announce the Conclave vote has elected a new Pope.
But here Glenn Cooper gives us an immediate shock when no smoke shows and Swiss Guards opening the locked doors of the Chapel find it empty.
There is some brilliant descriptions of the underground archaeology of the Vatican and although the plot may be a touch improbable the introduction of the historic connection with the Cathars and their long term hostility and bitterness to the Catholic Church adds seriousness to the thriller.
The love interest of Nun Elisabetta (a Senior Member of the late Pope's staff) and Cal Donovan a Professor of Theology who comes to Rome to report on the Conclave and hopes eternally to gain her love.
There is clever writing involving us in the Cardinal's lives and whether they will survive this world wide controversy.
The author gives an exciting twist to this story. Probably best it was published after the 'real main event' recently in Rome.......

I can only imagine the excitement Mr Cooper felt when this book was slated for publication not long after the film of Robert Harris’s Conclave got so much attention at the Oscars. This excitement will have grown exponentially with the death of Pope Francis and the real conclave to elect his successor. This novel about a papal conclave that goes disastrously wrong, should do well while the world is still in the grip of papal fever.

Stylistically it isn’t the kind of book that I would normally read, and is most definitely not the exquisitely researched Robert Harris story. I enjoyed it though as a not entirely serious read. The Last Conclave is a page-turner, with plenty of action, no getting bogged down in detail and with an engaging group of central characters. I was glad of the distraction after a few heavy books recently and I whipped through it in three sessions.

The writing is decent, though has that slightly US edge to it and perhaps half an eye on the TV adaptation. The plot is, as I’ve said exciting and fast-paced, but it does need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Without giving away spoilers, let’s just say that the crime could never actually be pulled off for real, and the cause in whose name it was committed would never be a credible force in the world of ultra-wicked bad guys and terrorists. Is that a problem? No, not at all. It’s a fun idea and I enjoyed what the author did with it.



Some things didn’t quite work for me. A lot of the characters are supposed to be Italian, French or Swiss (I lost track) but they all basically sound American in my head. I also felt there could have been more atmosphere around the locations. Some of these should have been amazing places, but slipped by without capturing my imagination. The chapters set in the 13th Century did not add much to the story and the information could be put across more efficiently through Cal's expertise. The backstory took the pace out of a rip-roaring good thriller, at a critical point. These points notwithstanding, I enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for making an advance copy of this book available for review. The opinions expressed above are entirely my own, following a full read of the novel.

A topical mystery novel given recent world events, The Last Conclave (2025) by Glenn Cooper is an atmospheric thriller. The death of the Pope, John XXIV focuses media attention on Rome and the cardinals are sealed in the conclave to elect a new pope. However, when there is no smoke after the first cardinals’ vote, the decision to unlock the doors leads to the discovery that the cardinals have vanished. With its fast-paced, action narrative and an international hunt by various security forces, there are unintended consequences, including a mass kidnapping in Africa and an unusual ransom demand. There is also a series of flashbacks to events in 1208, that help explain the reasons for this extraordinary, brazen crime. A riveting and believable tale of the kidnapped cardinals with its pulpy ending makes it a four star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Book Whisperer and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

Good enough to keep reading but it draggggggggggged. 😭 And then finished up all a little too neat and perfect all of a sudden, which was not in keeping with the rest of the book. Needs some major editing.

This book falls somewhat outside my usual reading preferences, it's not a title I would typically gravitate toward. However, the recent conclave and the election of the new pope piqued my curiosity, prompting me to explore it. It also marks my first foray into the work of author Glenn Cooper.

The novel skillfully weaves together elements of suspense, mystery, and historical intrigue, resulting in a compelling and well-crafted narrative that held my attention throughout.

Overall, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to others and am now eager to delve into more of Glenn Cooper's work.

This could not have been a more timely read, as we just witnessed a Conclave and a new pope. As I did not see the movie Conclave and was on a cruise during the most recent one, I was not following the news.
A Pope has died, and a Conclave is called. The Pope was progressive enough on his views to appoint a nun , Elizabeta, to be his second in command, but not progressive enough to call for the ordination of woman.
As the Conclave begins, Cal Donovan, the MMC, and the hero of the series of which this is apparently the 6th and perhaps last if the ending is any indication, is asked to appear on CNN to narrate.
As the Conclave goes on for too long and no smoke appears , Elizabeta is called in to make a decision, so they break down the doors to the Sistine Chapel and find it empty.
Now, the real excitement begins.
Several threads begin. We see the searching for the missing men. We see what is happening from the point of view . We see the point of view of the kidnappers.
Then we go back in time to the 11th century to see the life of the Cathars, a sect of Christians in France, who were wiped out in the 13th century.
This was a very exciting thriller, and I learned a lot about Christianity, picking a Pope, the sometimes very cruel religious massacres, and more. Thanks to the Book Whisperer, Netgalley, and the publisher for the EARC. These are my honest opinions, and I highly recommend this book.

In The Last Conclave, cardinals are sequestered to choose the next pope. When no smoke appears, it is discovered that the Cardinals are gone. A journalist covering the conclave and a nun with a high powered church office work together to find the missing men and the reason behind their disappearance.

I wanted a mashup of The DaVinci Code and Conclave. The Last Conclave was that but the pacing seemed wrong. There were long (boring?) passages about church history, a flirtation with a nun that may upset some readers, and then an abrupt wrap up at the end. However, the plot was interesting so I will round up and rate the book 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Book Whisperer for providing me with an advanced review copy.

Good story but I found the pacing a bit off. Some parts were very exciting and others dragged a bit. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

Conclave is a two-thousand-year-old mix of rituals and traditions. Even though we know quite well what the process looks like, there are still some mysteries. That's why it captures people's imagination.
This book is a thriller that revolves around an idea that terrorists kidnap the cardinals and... want them to make a particular choice, which is not a choice anymore, but that doesn't matter. For a moment, I thought that this book would be calling for the Church to stand up against the Islamists who keep slaughtering Christians across the globe (Nigeria, Congo, Sudan, Egypt, Germany, Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Kazakhstan...). But no, the author chose an easy, safe, however ridiculous path. That's to say, if you decide to take it seriously. If not, then this is a cynical laugh at modern feminism, and a great one.
Either way, it's an easy and fast read.
One more thing: who heard of Cathars? Like ever? Me neither. Always happy to learn something new.

This was very topical and gave me Dan Brown vibes a little whilst reading it but that is not a bad thing. It kept me fully entertained for an afternoon..

After reading this I went on a complete rabbit hole of investigating the main theme, it was so interesting and I learnt a lot especially in the context of tourism. Very fascinating.

Courtesy of The Book Whisperer and Netgalley, I received the ARC of The Last Conclave by Glenn Copper. This suspenseful mystery/thriller proved to be very timely, dealing with the conclave to choose a new Pope. As the conspiracy emerged and the tempo increased, I found myself unable to stop reading! The well researched history of the Cathar religious movement during the Crusades proved very interesting, along with the thought provoking role of women in the Catholic Church. I highly recommend this novel, my first book to read by Glenn Cooper but not my last!

This was a timely story as one pope died and a conclave was convened. In the book a pope has died after a short new years as a pope. Who will take his place? When the smoke doesn't appear in a reason amount of time, the chapel is unlocked to find the men are missing. The story is about the search to find them. And to find who is behind the kidnapping of all those men. The story is interesting and I stayed up way to late reading this one. Well worth reading.

Great timing for the release of this novel what with an actual conclave having just concluded albeit without much fanfare and in quick time.
I have been a fan of Glenn's books having recently read the Cosmos Key.
This story starts off with a tragedy with the Pope's passing and the process to elect the new Pope. The mystery erupts during the conclave and with characters one would root for backed with a fast paced story, the novel forges ahead as a thriller. With disappearance of the cardinals the mystery deepens and ancient forces bring their influence over the program.
Cal Donovan is a Robert Langdon wannabe is at the heart of the book and Glenn brings his skills in weaving ancient societies, history and conspiracy while keeping a taut control over the reins of the story. The history and the back and forth sometimes obfuscates the casual reader while the topic of discussion about the origins of Catharism makes this a serious novel. I loved the delves into history and learned some fine details.
The process of the story tips a hat to Langdon's adventures while very books detail the papal process as exquisitely as it is done here.
I would have been happy with a trigger happy editor to trim the size of the book and edit some of the more detailed part which while making the book lighter would allow it to be in the TBR's of a wider variety of readers. The book ends well and with a satisfactory conclusion.
Recommended.

The Pope is dead, and the conclave begins. Everyone is waiting for the smoke from the first vote, but after 4+ hours, still no smoke. The Vatican Secretary (Eli, a nun) and others decide they need to go into the Sistine Chapel to investigate if something is wrong. The Sistine Chapel is empty - all 100+ Cardinals are gone.
Thus ensues a suspenseful story of the kidnapping of the Cardinals, the race to find them, and the historical significance that lead to the kidnapping.
This was particularly interesting after the world just watched the election of a new Pope!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Good story but i found the pacing a bit off. Some parts were very exciting and others dragged a bit. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

This is my first book by Glen Cooper and I went to peruse his other books to see what I'll read next!
1st, the cover to the Last Conclave is eye catching and with the current death and election of a new pope, it peaked my interest.
This intriguing suspense novel opens with the unexpected death of the current pope and as the new conclave gather together to elect a new pope, the cardinals vanish. The multifaceted suspense builds as they try to locate them and the 1st ever, female Vatican Secretary of State Elisabetta Celestino is left to not only deal with this but other political pressures from within the Vatican.
The detailed historical facts are well written and provide very interesting insights into the Catholic Churches past and present, weaving in other religious factions leading to the current situation.
Other main characters are Cal Donovan who is a religious professor and who helps with the investigation with historical context and has a romantic interest within the story, Emilio, Elisabett's brother is head of the Vatican police and deeply involved in the investigation.
There is some violence, and references to child abuse some historical and some present, none overly graphic with language clean and contained.
On occasion the storyline would jump between the past and present tense a bit too quickly, some characters needed some deeper development and the ending was tied up to quickly for me and why it is a strong 4 stars and not 5. Having written that, I was still highly engaged and entertained and learned a lot about the history of the early religions.
If you enjoy historical novels with engaging suspense, a unique storyline, political intrigue, betrayal, enjoy Dan Brown books, I highly recommend this well done conspiracy thriller
A big thank you to Net Galley and The Book Whisperer publisher for the ARC it was a pleasure to read. All opinions expressed are my own.

Reading this Vatican chronicle held great interest for me and it certainly spiked my adrenaline. Glenn Cooper, the author, knows how to tell a tale! How could a conclave of over 100 Cardinals, sealed tightly into the Sistine Chapel, simply vanish! What a mystery! Oh, and, what does a religious affliation of centuries past, considered 'extinct', have to do with it all?!

As this is a work of historical fiction, I really appreciated learning about the Cathars, what they believed and what happened to them because those beliefs starkly conflicted with the more dominant, at the time, Roman Catholic church.

I enjoyed 'meeting' Elisabetta, Emilio, Cal Dononvan and even Geralda. They were surely 'put to the test'. I liked their strength and bravery under duress. In my opinion, those potential readers who find themselves in exceedingly stressful situations may well be able to relate to these particular protagonists best.

~ Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger ~

May 2025

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

What impeccable timing to have a novel for a new conclave to be released… there were some odd similarities to world events today.

Reads like a lesser Da Vinci Code with less mystery. But the Cathar story made me roll my eyes. I don’t get it. Their beliefs the whole ideology. It’s comical to me, but then again as an agnostic most religion themes are.

Where it lost me was the crap ending that wrapped in 2.5 seconds after a major buildup.

I had to flip back to see if I missed something.
I hope the released finished version has more of a denouement and is not so rushed.

Could also be I did not realize there was a Cal Donovan series?! But still the whole thing felt like a rip off of Robert Langdon. Iykyk.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

3.5 ⭐️

Another great book in this series. I like the historical explanation without being too much. The characters are great and plot holds your attention. This is a page turner.