A Dangerous Fortune: An Epic Work of Historical Fiction from the Bestselling Author of the Kingsbridge Series

My husband's favourite author. Gripping, fast moving story. Well written, great read. Will buy his books again.

"A Dangerous Fortune" is a story about the Pilasters, a large wealthy banking family, spanning three decades in the late 19th century. Hugh Pilaster is an honest bright young man who is the black sheep of the family due to his late father actions, who left him and his mother penniless. He has to work his way up in the family banking business, proving his worth over and over. Hugh's cousin Edward couldn't be more different: he is a dumb brute, spoiled by his mother Augusta. Augusta is an ambitious woman that dominates the entire family using her social skills, with one purpose alone: reaching social glorification through her husband and son. She will step over anyone who might jeopardize her plans, with the help of Edward's best friend, the attractive and unscrupulous Micky Miranda. This is a typical Ken Follett story, and you will find a lot of elements similar to other books such as "The Pillars of the Earth". The honorable heroes have to overcome countless difficulties caused by the scheming villains who plot their way up socially and professionally, sparing no means such as gossip, physical aggression, blackmail, murder or even civil wars. All this wrapped up in a high-paced fun story. Being written in the 1990's, it's curious that some of the events related to the 19th century banking business fit like a glove to the global banking crisis we live today. +: Light fun read, even though the book is 600 pages long -: The characters are completely black and white, without any development what-so-ever; the holiest of the saints wouldn't react to adversity as gracefully as Hugh Pilaster =: If you liked "The Pillars of the Earth" you'll certainly enjoy this

This is a thrilling historical saga. As a retired banker I found this very entertaining. It is story about greed, evil and scheming individuals but it is also about integrity and honesty. Brilliantly written.

I started reading Ken Follett recently & this is the third book I've read. Although the story is not usually the type I would have chosen, I decided to give it a try based on the previous books being so good. I enjoyed this one just as much, the writing style flows very well and the mix of characters, plot and historical setting keeps your interest. It's a book you can read & enjoy and get a flavour of life in the late 19th century so for me, it meant learning through enjoyment which is always good!

' A Dangerous Fortune' tells the story of Hugh Pilaster and his family - bankers and influential people-from his days as a schoolboy and the mysterious death of Peter Middleton, a schoolfellow- a death in which Hugh's cousin Edward might well be implicated- to the family bank's collapse some twenty years later.It is full of intrigue, love, murder, plots, blood... It is highly nonsensical most of the time. All the characters are either villains of the deepest hue or near saintly goodies. Implausible turns and twists abound and credibility is stretched to the maximum , so stretched in fact you can hear it snap quite a few times. But it is nonetheless entertaining. I've been so disappointed in what I've read lately that ' A Dangerous Fortune', in spite of all its flaws, was like a bit of unpretentious fresh air. It amused me a lot and I kept reading because I wanted to know what would happen next rather than because I wanted to throw the book away. I must say that Ken Follett didn't waste any subtlety on this one. Aunt Augusta for example, who manages to manipulate everybody, doesn't have too difficult a time plotting and planning. A few well chosen sentences and everybody does her bidding. You don't believe in it one moment but funnily enough it never annoyed me. And it is exactly the same with all the other characters. Even the main protagonist Hugh, shrewd and talented man of business with impeccable flair for arranging profitable mergers, goes and marries a feckless fortune hunter when it is obvious that alarm bells should have been ringing in his head and creating quite a cacophony.You have to admire the sheer nerve it took to write so much nonsense with great aplomb. But I did enjoy it and it doesn't bother me to admit it!

It was of a quality that I expected.

Another great read from KF, always a book I don’t want to put down, a real page turner, great story line

I enjoy reading Ken Folletts books but found this one quite different to others I had read. I downloaded it onto Kindle quite a while ago & was short of something to read after finishing another of his Kingsbridge books. Never the less once I'd started I couldn't put it down. It's about the banking dynasties in the mid to late 1800s, their lives & downfall into near bankruptcy. If you like Ken Follett, you'll like this book. What to read next??

New copies are stopped being printed, so you'd get only the older ones unless new edition kickstarts. So watch out if you desire pages and cover in pristine condition. But if you forego this con (if it is) then you're in for an epic rollercoaster ride that keeps lingering in your thoughts for a long time. Book review: Having read Follet's other works such as the Kingsbridge and century trilogies, one could feel there are just a handful of main characters and a plot circle with a small radius. But it is where Follett proves again to be a master story teller. The pages would be swept in a whoosh as the plot heats up. It can also be viewed as a murder mystery book. But there's more lot to that. A school boy dies mysteriously in a swimming pool in the campus and the shade of his death bounds on his companions for twenty four years. The narrative travels swiftly from the hushed halls of the bank in London to the restless nitrate mines in Cordova, from lascivious brothels to humbled households in the suburbs. We also get to add one in Follet's row of infamous villains, only this time it's a female. Her character sketch is very meticulous and would stay on for long in the minds of the readers. Never miss this gem of a book. Packaging and delivery review: Well, these were just above average for I was concerned. I received an old copy packed in a simple cover without the bookmark.

Ken Follett is my favourite author and this book for me is one of the best, I’d give it 10 stars if I could. It’s a fascinating, remarkable and an emotional read. Full of intrepid characters, some loyal, others not. He weaves a tale that I couldn’t put down.

Set in Victorian England, this tale of the rise and fall of a banking family could have been dead boring. But this is Ken Follett. The plot is a work of genius, the characters come alive and are as realistic as ever. A wonderful book that you never want to finish. Thoroughly recommended.

The edition is a bit small and hard to keep open at first. However, in general, it is acceptable. The story is quite entertaining. Not quite as historical as Ken Follet's later books, but still quite entertaining.

Ken Follett enriched my life and intellect with Pillars of the Earth and his Trilogy (must reads), so I thought I would read some of his earlier books. Wow, he has been a master story-teller for years. A Dangerous Fortune is still a master piece. I can't wait to read more of his earlier works. A Dangerous Fortune takes you to the banking and aristocratic world of London in the late 1800s. Follett fills the story with engaging characters, who spin a complex plot. He seems to have an unerring eye for accurate history - do I dare call his works, 'historical non- fiction'? Reading Follett's translation of history is so interesting and believable.