Robert Harris' Conclave is an imagined look inside a modern Papal conclave. It is difficult to characterise, because while it's often touted as a thriller, it's almost clinical in its description of the process of electing a new Pope. It takes a while before the backbiting starts to set in.

Three weeks after a progressive Pope dies, Father Lomeli must oversee the conclave of cardinals from all over the world as they gather in the Sistine Chapel to anoint their successor. Will it be an Italian Pope after a long drought, the first Black Pope, or even the first Third World* Pope? Will their Doctrinal approach influence the decision at all, or is it all down to identity? Over as many votes as it takes, Lomeli must shepherd the cardinals to their ultimate decision, and yet he is so very, very tired.

Harris was taken on a tour of the forbidden parts of the Vatican while researching this novel, and he got the approval of the Archbishop of Westminster, so much of Conclave reads as inside (Catholic) baseball. It has the potential to be dry, but Lomeli is a sympathetic lead and his own strong opinions about his fellow cardinals mean that neither he nor they come across as shrinking violets.

But because of the implicit approval of the Catholic church, who either had no opinion on this novel when it was published or respected its accuracy, Harris comes at his subject matter with a respect, if not reverence, that means nothing particularly scandalous can happen. Individual cardinals can be corrupt, but there is no threat of the church itself being to blame for anything. When it becomes clear there is no peril to the institution itself from within or without, Conclave loses much of its teeth.

Like Al Capone, much of what Conclave hinges on is forensic accounting - and Lomeli is on the case. In between rounds of voting, he investigates as much as he can within the strictures of the rules, and he either skips meals or bemoans the quality of the catering offered to the members of the conclave.

It boggles that this is the stuff of bestsellers, but there is a germ in here for a slick movie with an all-star cast – and of course, that's exactly what's happened. The pomp and ceremony described herein would translate well to the screen, and there perhaps would be a dynamism that's not quite there on the page.

Conclave is a relatively straightforward novel, and it is a bit more interesting than is communicated here. It takes a while to build up momentum, and it's amiable, but there's definitely an interest barrier to admission that simply won't be there for many readers. With the success of Ralph Fiennes' film (Lomeli becomes Lawrence, who cuts a dashing figure amongst the men in red), Conclave is going to get more attention. It's good, but consider whether it's really for you.

*Harris' term.