A Dangerous Fortune

by Ken Follett

Overview

In 1866, tragedy strikes at the exclusive Windfield School. A young student drowns in a mysterious accident involving a small circle of boys. The drowning and its aftermath initiates a spiraling circle of treachery that will span three decades and entwine many loves... From the exclusive men's club and brothels that cater to every dark desire of London's upper classes to the dazzling ballrooms and mahogany-paneled suites of the manipulators of the world's wealth, Ken Follett conjures up a stunning array of contrasts. This breathtaking novel portrays a family splintered by lust, bound by a shared legacy... men and women swept toward a perilous climax where greed, fed by the shocking truth of a boy's death, must be stopped, or not just one man's dreams, but those of a nation, will die...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781509864294
Publisher:	Pan Books (UK)
Publication date:	05/30/2019
Sales rank:	228,187
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Ken Follett is one of the world’s best-loved authors, selling more than 160 million copies of his thirty books. Follett’s first bestseller was Eye of the Needle, a spy story set in the Second World War. 
 
In 1989 The Pillars of the Earth was published and has since become Follett’s most popular novel. It reached number one on bestseller lists around the world and was an Oprah’s Book Club pick.
 
Its sequel, World Without End, proved equally popular and the Kingsbridge series has sold 38 million copies worldwide.
 
Follett lives in Hertfordshire, England, with his wife Barbara. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren, and three Labradors.

Hometown:

Hertfordshire, England

Date of Birth:

June 5, 1949

Place of Birth:

Cardiff, Wales

Education:

B.A. in Philosophy, University College, London, 1970

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "A Dangerous Fortune"
by .
Copyright © 1994 Ken Follett.
Excerpted by permission of Random House Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

Like The Pillars of the Earth, Mr. Follett's intricate saga about the construction of a medieval cathedral, A Dangerous Fortune reads more like an exercise in which the author applies the conventions of the plot-driven thriller to the historical novel. He delivers a silly, good-time read that for all its giddy leaps and bounds shows us little about the Victorians and the vital era they inhabited. -- New York Times

Bill Kent

A mysterious drowning at a school in England in 1866 enmeshes the lives of several young boys in a web of treachery and greed. Set among late-19th-century British aristocracy, the novel follows Hugh Pilaster and his cousin Edward as they battle for control of various enterprises, including the family bank; Maisie Robinson, the beautiful and willful Jewish immigrant; and Michy Miranda, the smooth and manipulative heir of a brutal South American family. Follett, using the same basic formula that he employs in The Pillars of the Earth (Morrow, 1989), quickly gains the listener's interest in the characters and-by drawing upon personal experience-the world of British banking. Reader Michael Page has an excellent voice, even if he can't immitate South American accents. Recommended for public libraries.-Mark Watson, Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale

Library Journal

"A terrific page-turner." —Los Angeles Times 

"Political and amorous intrigues, cold-blooded murder, and financial crises . . . old-fashioned entertainment." —San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Breathlessly plotted . . . relentlessly suspenseful." —The New York Times
 
"Gripping, complex plot . . . sexual intrigue . . . fascinating characters . . . You won’t be able to put down this exciting page-turner." —Lexington Herald-Leader

"Follett [builds] to a dramatic climax with the same masterful control that guided Eye of the Needle and The Pillars of the Earth." —Playboy

"I don't usually enjoy historical thrillers but admit to being totally captivated by Ken Follett's A Dangerous Fortune." —Chicago Tribune

"Highly entertaining . . . Follett's characters are drawn with broad, realistic strokes . . . this story of greed and retribution should win Follett new fans." —Publishers Weekly 

"Rich, complex, thrilling, suspenseful, well plotted . . . A Dangerous Fortune is dangerous reading. You won't be able to put it down." —Authors and Critics 

From the Publisher

Ken Follett is a matchless storyteller, and this story is tailor-made for audio. With the selection of Michael Page as narrator, the result is choice. Dangerous Fortune is the saga of an English banking family. It follows the Pilaster clan through a generation in the second half of the nineteenth century. There are multiple characters of all ages. Page's British articulation differentiates each voice, displaying a wide range, from English-speaking South Americans to Londoners of all classes. Augusta, the treacherous matriarch, comes across particularly well. With Follett teamed up with Page, you can't stop listening. D.W.K. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine

NOV 94 - AudioFile