Ken Follett's "A Dangerous Fortune": Two Volume Set

Darleen E. Cormier: Another great story. I love the way Ken Follett brings History to life. His research is first class and his stories are the fabric of life, as seen through the ages.

Canada on Oct 23, 2023

Steve S.: An entertaining read.

United States on Oct 15, 2023

David E.: As usual Follett immediately immerses you into the characters and story line, and you can’t wait for the next shoe to drop. Great book.

United States on Oct 12, 2023

Nelly: I did race through this book, it is a hefty one. Not the best KF book but only because the bar has been set with the Knightsbridge books. Lots of nasty deception, awful behaviours and a good old smattering of love and romance. I think if you are on between books and fancy a bit of a large volume, and not have to put much effort into it then go for it

United Kingdom on Oct 11, 2023

Carol A. Keljo: This was a surprising book in that I could not put it down. The characters had so much dimension and the story unfolded with much action and emotion across the years. Follett is an awesome storyteller

United States on Oct 10, 2023

Nancy Campaigne: For someone that likes to read English period books, this one totally fits the bill. Mr. Follett can be depended upon to write an excellent book and this one is no exception. I highly recommend it.

United States on Oct 05, 2023

Lab lover Dave: Captures your interest, elicits sympathy, anger, resentment mixed with pleasure , envy and satisfaction. Hated to turn the last page.

United States on Sep 03, 2023

Silver Lady: Ken Follett is a brilliant author. He obviously does a great deal of research. His grammar is perfect and his stories riveting. I have previously read The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End and thoroughly enjoyed both those books.

A Dangerous Fortune is more up to date than those, being set in Victorian times and is just as exciting. It is set in the world of banking, which didn't sound too exciting to me but I became totally engrossed. He has this way of drawing you in even if it is not a subject you have any interest in. I didn't want to put it down and was quite sorry when I got to the end.

Yes. I would definitely recommend this book.

United Kingdom on Feb 09, 2023

Vicuña: There's little doubt that Ken Follett is a master story teller. He seems to turn his hand to any situation in any era and bring together all the elements of a great yarn. For me, the Pillars series is his best work. But I enjoy his writing and I've also been impressed by tales set in the Second World War, the First World War and, in this case, the mid 1860's and latter half of that century.

It's a story which resonates today; banking crisis and failure following imprudent lending. The social history of divide between the upper and lower classes is brought home by a well drawn characters from each social strata. The wealthy but divided Pilaster family; the Jewish Greenbaum bankers, the used and abused lower class 'ladies' and the foreign interlopers trying to capitalise on resource rich heritage and western greed.

It's a complex story, driven well by both plot and characters. It's rich in period detail so there's a strong sense of Victorian England, a period where class divide and social culture is clear. That divide is a compelling plot device which is fully exploited to explore the motivations and character failings of of central characters.

All in all, it's...

United Kingdom on Jan 07, 2016

M: "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...

United Kingdom on Jul 27, 2012