A Dangerous Fortune

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: Michael Page

Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

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)

Read, then listened

I both read and listen to this book and enjoyed it in both forms. Mr. Follett took me on a journey of England that taught me much about its history in banking, aristocratic life, and the struggles of women during a time. I was not familiar with but found intriguing and educational. I always enjoy his books and this one was another one that I enjoyed both imagining in my head as I read it, and listening to it being read by somebody else.

Great book

Great book. Narrator is excellent. Made a looong road trip go fast. Didn't like the detailed sex scenes and could not have listened to it with any age kids in the car.

Fascinating story, almost until the end...

Great read telling the story of the bankers class of London at the turn of the 20th century. Fascinating and surprising story almost until the end (it seems like Follett couldn't think of a good ending to the story, it comes to a "bad movie" ending....).
All in all - worth the read, but don't be disappointed of the ending.

You can't go wrong with a Ken Follett novel

My first experience was Pillars of the Earth followed by World without End and then every non espionage novel of his that I could find... I have not been disappointed...

Disturbing and Longwinded but Enthralling

One afternoon of rule breaking leads to over two decades of disorder in the lives of six English schoolboys.

The main character Hugh starts out as just... cringey and annoying and bookish. He ends the story as confident, intelligent, and bookish. He starts out as a black sheep but nevertheless ends up being the saviour of his entire family... in a way, because their empire falls.
The other main character, Maisie, is flatter than a sheet of paper. She’s a circus performer turned prostitute - who is also a virgin, in all senses. Gets knocked up but doesn’t make hardly any effort in trying to tell the father - marries a very nice, fat millionaire (a character who the author can’t mention without reminding the reader of his overwhelming fatness) and then she co-runs an unwed mothers hospital.
Other characters are the Selfish Fingers In Everybody’s Pie Augusta, So Stupid It’s Amazing He Doesn’t Just Grunt Edward, and Incredibly Evil and Outrageously Lucky Mickey.

The book is split into Three parts each with about five “chapters” that are all an hour long if not longer. The Prologue is 50 minutes describing that events of the “fateful day” of the five school boys NOT witnessing a murder and the following over-sped farce of a trial. Part One is about young Hugh, bookish and hardworking but nauseatingly virginal to the point of I wasn’t sure if he was meant to be “the good guy”. Also featured is virgin prostitute Maisie finishing Hugh and “not really liking him”, a disgusting adventure to a brothel and snapshots of Victorian life like an Angel faced 10 year old being offered by an old lady pimp, a dog being brutally slaughtered by rats, and our dear main character coming in his pants because of a single prostitute touching him. Also... Hugh is “banished” to America because of daring to lose his virginity and dear now-not-virgin Maisie is kicked to the curb by... HERSELF, having been “manipulated” by the aunt.
Part Two is six years later - Hugh is a GREAT banker, our villains kills again, Maisie is married to the corpulent millionaire, lots of frustration and more questions with no answers.
Part Three... well, to be honest, this story drags on and on and on... and on.

The ending is somewhat satisfying. Out of the five original boys, only two remain alive and one of the two to live is so far removed from the story that his only contribution is a letter. Our main villain gets what’s been coming to him at the hands of an unexpected character...

Many parts will stick with me for all the wrong reasons but overall, not bad. I REALLY wish the author would learn how to write realistic, well rounded women with actual character arcs.

Lovely. Never a Dull Moment

No one spins this genre of yarn like Follett. The characters are larger than life and good wins in the end. Well done!

I am a ken Follett fan from way back

but this was not one of my favorites. it was just kind of cheesy. not horrible just not up to his usual standards

well done

a good story about the underdog and the class system in the late 1800s. enjoyable story and easy read.

Dangerous Fortune

Another Ken Follett great book. Never disappointed, always a very entertaining listen. Good narration and a fine performance.

Great reading

Without a doubt one of the best books I’ve ever read and I’m 83 years old. The characters are believable, the story is plausible, and the plot is fascinating. I actually listened to it on Audible. Narrator Michael Page delivers an award worthy performance. I loved it and found it difficult to “put down”.