Conclave Conspiracy

Three popes have died within a year; foul play has not been eliminated. The Vatican is in total chaos. Cloistered for more than two months, the conclave of cardinals is gripped by discord and indecision.

But, on the seventy-ninth day, white smoke finally appears above the Sistine chapel. For the first time in one thousand years, a layman—from the United States—will lead the church. Before the smoke clears, it is obvious the papacy, and the world, will never be the same.

Conclave Conspiracy carries readers into the heart of the Vatican, and around the world, to follow the inspirational celebrity Pope James as he shatters long-held positions and fundamentally transforms the image of the Bishop of Rome.

But not everyone is happy. Cardinal Manoles Sicoli, a fundamental doctrinaire who has long had his own eyes on the Papacy, fears James will end the Catholic Church as he knows it and concludes the new pope is the antichrist. Sicoli will stop at nothing to terminate James’s reign.

A suspense thriller, both timely and relevant, Conclave Conspiracy will appeal to those who hope for change in the church, and those intrigued or perplexed by the Catholic Church’s present position and image.

Burnham Philbrook is a recognized social entrepreneur, lawyer, and philanthropist who served in President Obama's first administration as Deputy Under Secretary at USDA. He has visited more than fifty countries as president and CEO of Global Volunteers, an international human and economic development organization he cofounded in 1984.

Philbrook has received numerous honors for his work and has been featured in national and international media. His accomplishments include the Ambassador for Peace Award; Alumnus of Notable Achievement from the University of Minnesota; Distinguished Alumnus from Hamline University School of Law; and appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, CNN International, NBC, CBS, and ABC, and in People Magazine.

Married to Michele Gran, together they have three sons. He is a lifelong Catholic and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. He makes his home in Florida and Minnesota. Conclave Conspiracy is his first work of fiction.