On the eve of September 28, 1978, Pope John Paul I died unexpectedly-apparently of a heart attack-after a reign of only thirty-three days. Within the Vatican there were serious disagreements about the time of death, who found the body, and the true state of the Pope's health prior to his death. These arguments led to rumors of foul play and conspiracy-variously involving the KGB, the freemasons, crooked financiers, and Vatican officials. In 1987 the Vatican invited John Cornwell to conduct a new, independent investigation into the true circumstances of the Pope's death. In A Thief in the Night Cornwell tells the story of his search, including a startling theory about John Paul I's untimely demise-and a chilling and unsurpassed look inside one of the world's oldest, most secretive institutions.