A Dangerous Fortune
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 36,704 ratings
Price: 21.88
Last update: 05-24-2024
About this item
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.
Top reviews from the United States
Children are born into family groups and situations. Hugh Pilaster’s father died. That set him on a life path to be a ‘poor relation’ in the Pilaster banking family. Banking was considered as ‘upper middle class’ working positions. Making interest on loans was how a bank succeeds, even today. How well that money is managed determines how successful the bank will be. I looked at this book from several perspectives. What was the banking industry like at that time? Who were these people? And what effect did the management have on others, good or bad.
The characters were intriguing! Hugh made his own way after his father’s death. He met Maisie and fell in love. He wasn’t spoiled, like his cousin Edward Pilaster. Edward was overindulged by his mother, Augusta. She was ruthless and manipulative to move her son, Edward, into the head position of the bank. But could Edward do the job?
No. We all can reach a level of incompetence where we can’t function. This is a fact even for the 21st century. Follett reveals this. Edward had no ambition, integrity, brains to help the bank move forward. Just because you are son of a lead partner doesn’t automatically mean you can do the job. We see this also today.
Women were dependent on their men’s positions. How ‘well’ you married determined your status and success.
As the boys at the elite boys school were all affected from a boy’s drowning, the book focuses on the Pilaster banking family. They were directly involved. Or were they? They were directly affected by the tragic event.
Miguel (Micky) Miranda was the protagonist. But so was Augusta Pilaster, Edward’s mother. This leaped off the page for me. How far would they go to get their needs met?
These two wonderful characters had their ‘own secret agendas’ to further advance their lives to wealth and fame. They both were ambitious people and put no limits on themselves to get what they wanted.
TV shows today lack revealing the internal thought process of what makes a person do something, what makes a character ‘tick’. Reading is where I go to find great novels that reveal the inner thought-process.
Edward’s indulgence in brothels with friend, Micky Miranda, was an excellent reminder of how men entertained themselves and how women used sex as their trade at that time. It again is a form of currency.
I won’t write the ending. It was fascinating to see how far the characters were pushed and what they did.
I highly recommend this psychological drama in this novel. It’s about different currencies and what we each trade during our lives.
I am age 74, a retired accountant, female. I love books. I learned to read at age 4. My grandmother raised me, pushed me early to read. It was the very best gift I ever received. She and my father taught me how to ‘think’. He was a business owner. I learned about banking and trade early in life.
We all have options. This novel is a great demonstration of this. Yes, the book is about banking. But our choices can determine and define our success.
Loved this book! Please read it. It is shocking, intriguing, baffling. Why do people do what they do? It made me think, analyze, reflect.
Buy this book!
A Colorado Reader Feb 7, 2024
The setting is in Britain and the Aristocracy of the 1800’s. The story unfolds smoothly with intrigue. The number of characters is manageable and fits well with the plot. I recommend it to all readers and followers of Ken Follett