Was it suicide or murder in the Paradise Hotel? Why is someone in the Vatican willing to pay for silence? Answer these two questions and you will know the result of the next papal conclave. When a church confessional is bugged, those who seek forgiveness find instead blackmail, extortion, and dark rumors. Among them is a man with a hidden life who might become pope. A police detective and his amateur sleuth wife uncover much that is hidden. But only the reader will know the whole story of how a papal conclave elected an accidental pope.. An Accidental Pope is not so much a 'Whodunit?' as a 'How did it happen?' Answers can be found in two wooden boxes, one the confessional and the other a coffin in an isolated churchyard. Secrets, lies, and intrigue lead to unanswered questions as the Catholic Church faces one of the greatest scandals in its history. James Casper was born and grew up in southern Minnesota. Apart from living in various Minnesota locales, he has resided in Boston, St. Louis, eastern Tennessee, and London, England. He and his wife of twenty-four years have traveled extensively. Rome is one of their favorite places. He is happiest walking from lock to lock along the Thames in England.