A Dangerous Fortune Audiobook By Ken Follett cover art

A Dangerous Fortune

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A Dangerous Fortune

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: Michael Page
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A breathtaking thriller featuring “political and amorous intrigues, cold-blooded murder, and financial crises” (San Francisco Chronicle), from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Column of Fire

In 1866, tragedy strikes the exclusive Windfield School when a young student drowns in a mysterious accident. His death and its aftermath initiate a spiraling circle of treachery that will span three decades and entwine many lives.

From the exclusive men’s clubs and brothels that cater to every dark desire of London’s upper class to the dazzling ballrooms and mahogany-paneled suites of the manipulators of the world’s wealth, one family is splintered by a shared legacy. But greed, fed by the shocking truth of a boy’s death, must be stopped, or the dreams of a nation will die.

©1993 by Ken Follett. (P)1994 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Genre Fiction Historical Mystery Sagas Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Historical Thriller

Critic reviews

"Breathlessly plotted...relentlessly suspenseful." (The New York Times)

"Ken Follett is a matchless storyteller, and this story is tailor-made for audio.... With Follett teamed up with Page, you can't stop listening." (AudioFile)

Captivating Plot Twists • Excellent Character Development • Rich Historical Detail • Engaging Family Saga • Clear Diction
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I'm a real Follett fan, but I ran tepid and cool on this one. The turn-off for me was all the emphasis on bosoms and sex, crying and tears, women and men, page after page, chapter after chapter, ad nauseum (and I'm a boob man, too). A real soap opera.

Other than that, it was ok with interesting twists and turns although the overall plot was somewhat pedestrian, predictable and quite unbelievable. Descriptions of 19th century London with its brothels, mistresses and royal parties seemed authentic and it gave me a much better feel for the British class system and how it worked. The hierarchy of royal titles and how they are obtained was interesting, too.

Also on the positive side, there were some events depicted and resolved (if a bit tritely) that accurately parallel the horrible financial situation that we're presently experiencing. There's an interesting twist at the end, too.

But, oh yes, this is a book review of a thriller. Not too thrilling, but I did finish it.

The reader was excellent. He altered his voice nicely to represent individual characters, and maintained it throughout the book. This made following the sometimes intricate plot a bit easier.

I'm glad I bought it, but probably wouldn't again.

mixed review, a net disappointment for a Follett

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Ken Follet is my favorite author when he writes period pieces. His best was Pillars of the earth and right behind that was World without end. This book comes in third and that is why I gave it only four stars. It is pretty hard to match those first two books. The characters in this book are interesting and some very evil. The way he writes makes you believe they are real though. I won't give away the plot but will just say it held my attention and interest and is worth the download credit.

excellent period book

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Ken Follett is one of the contemporary authors who both excite and annoy me. I have read Follett novels that are brilliant (i.e, Eye of the Needle) and hopeless messes (i.e., Jackdaws) For me, Dangerous Fortune is on the side of brillance. Follett takes that overdone and predictable plot wherein a bunch of school chums participate in a crime that comes back to haunt them years later. Such begins Dangerous Fortune. What moves Follett's characters into the field of art is the author's artistry. He shapes and presents each character so decidedly that the reader is never lost. These characters have style, wit and purpose and Follett throws them at us with brave gusto. Aided by a great narrator, Michael Page, Ken Follett's brillance is on every page. I loved this book and was sorry when it was over.

Family Saga Done Well

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TRUTH IS, HE IS EVIL THROUGH AND THROUGH
This book is like a mini epic, following a couple of families from childhood to old age, from rags to riches, from riches to rags. If your in a mood for an epic, but don't have the time for three books 20+ hours long a piece, then this may be your answer. It is not great literature, but it kept my attention for 16+ hours. It was predictable, but like a car wreck, I could not quit listening. The evil characters are evil through and through. I like the way they are mostly plotting and conniving. I like how they insult people without making it obvious. I used to work with a woman who would do that all the time. If you called her on it, she would act all innocent, as if she did not know what you where talking about.

"DO YOU THINK ABOUT FINANCES ALL THE TIME?" NO, HUGH THOUGHT, I THINK ABOUT YOUR BREASTS ALL THE TIME.
This is only my second novel by Follett, but what I notice is that he does not ignore sex in everyday life. He does not make it the over whelming part or get that explicit, but there is lots of it. Maybe with women it is different, but men think about sex, once every so many seconds (based on age). It is a big part of life and effects a lot of what we do, so to ignore it is to ignore life as it really is. YOU ALWAYS GET PREGNANT FROM ONE F.

BUTTERED BUM

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I loved this book. As a constant listener of Audible, I found this to be one of my favorites! I enjoyed all of the characters and could not stop listening to it.

Excellent!

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This story ticks all the boxes if you like the classic "Dickensonian Struggles" (if you will). The writing is superb, and the narration is consistent.

Underdog Story

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This book was certainly no "Pillars" or "World's End" but it was a good read that I was always eager to resume on my daily commute. I did appreciate that, unlike many works of historical fiction, I was not confronted by characters were modern figures transported into the past. The characters in this book generally behaved as one would expect for the time period.

In addition, this book had one of the better "coup de grace" moments toward the end of the book. Usually I feel the villain gets off too easily (or too quickly). Not this time.

Overall a very good read that will not disappoint.

Enjoyable, solid work by Follett

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Having just watched Follett's "The Pillars of the Earth" on TV, I have to admit that his stories are somewhat formulaic, but they are so well written that I love them anyway. The bad guys are all bad, and the good guys so good that - in another writer's hands - the book could be dull and predictable. But Follett manages to engage the reader from the first page to the last. Loved this book.

Great Wealth, History, Great Characters & Conflict

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Ken Follett can craft plot twists and evolutions with the best of them, and he creates characters you care about to follow the plot. Appealing protagonists, evil villains, dire straits, appalling treachery, and satisfying revenge. I was drawn in, and looked forward every day to my commute to hear what happened next. I enjoyed Michael Page's narration, and have added him to my list of search parameters.

Well-Plotted Melodrama. Fun to Hear.

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Ken Follet has written another masterpiece thriller. The story is a complex of story line and characters, whose lives intersect over a life time. In his usual manner he has well developed characters and there is no mistaking the "good guys" from the "bad guys". You cheer when the bad guys get their just desserts, but you heart is broken when one of the good guys falls victim to one of the bad guys.

You will enjoy every moment you listen to this novel.

Follet has written another masterpiece thriller

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