Secret

Rome, 1700. Pope Innocent XII is dying. Politicians and powerful cardinals are secretly negotiating the most important papal election in centuries. Abbot Atto Melani—a former castrato, diplomat, and spy for the Sun King—arrives to manipulate the outcome of the conclave. A beautiful princess, mistress to princes and statesmen, knows more state secrets than she can tell. The future of Europe is at stake.
Secretum is the second part in a cycle of seven literary thrillers by the Italian writing duo Monaldi & Sorti, based on true events and existing historical characters. The authors have processed years of source research into a blood-curdling story in which the vibrant Rome of the past comes to life in an atmospheric way. Secretum, like the international bestseller Imprimatur, contains revelations of historical facts that shed new light on the history of Europe.