And here it is folks - my first Book review of 2019 😊

Since the start of the year, I have faithfully stood by Ken Follett and it seems like the ensuing months have plenty more in store for me! Here is another one of Follett's novels that I deemed worthy of review. This is a book that I finished fairly quickly and that usually (but not necessarily) serves as an indication of a positive verdict. 

A Dangerous Fortune is a novel that was penned by the British author in the year 1993. The story is set against the backdrop of collapse of a Bank in the 19th century. It is a saga of love, power and revenge, set amid the wealth and decadence of Victorian England. 

The book also features Follett's first female villain, the domineering and unscrupulous Augusta. 

 Contains spoilers

The book begins on a sombre note culminating in tragedy. Young Peter Middleton is found dead as a result of drowning in a swimming-hole of the prestigious Windfield school. Five young boys are at the scene of the crime but what really transpired is shrouded in mystery. Hugh Pilaster is pulled out of the school immediately following his father's suicide over bankruptcy. South American nationals Tonio Silva and Micky Miranda may know a bit more than they are letting on. Edward Pilaster offers an explanation that is not contested by anyone except for the dead boy's family. The tragedy sets a ominous tone for the ensuing treachery of the next three decades.

The illustrious Pilaster banking family based in London is controlled by a manipulative matriarch. The Pilasters are wealthy and well-respected but also somewhat dysfunctional. The inscrutable Augusta Pilaster leaves no stone unturned when it comes to advocating for her husband Joseph and protecting the interests of her son Edward. She despises Hugh from the time his father Tobias (brother of Joseph) withdraws his capital from the Pilaster bank. Making things worse is Hugh's banking expertise and undeniable potential that far eclipses Edward's limited capability. Augusta's co-conspirator is her son's best friend Micky Miranda and together they hatch devious schemes and cover-up dark secrets - the former, to increase her prosperity and gain a title and the latter to aid his criminal father in his ill-conceived war efforts in the South American city of Cordova.

Young Maisie Robinson runs away from home to escape a life of poverty. At 11, she finds herself on the streets but at 19, she finds herself married to one of the wealthiest Jewish bankers in London. Her husband Solly, heir to Greenbourne bank is upright and benevolent. Having schooled at Windfield, his circle of friends and acquaintances include the five boys (now grown men) associated with the Middleton tragedy and as an extension of this, to Maisie too. Although originally Maisie envisioned a future with Hugh, destiny intervenes and sets her on a different path.

Several people end up dead during Augusta and Micky's quest to fulfill their goals. After Joseph's passing, the Pilaster bank is looking for a senior partner and the incompetent Edward bags the role. After making a catastrophic mistake by secretly financing a controversial project at the behest of Micky, civil war breaks out in Cordova plunging the bank into an unprecedented financial crisis. Hugh has no choice but to clean up the mess created by his cousin. Forced into bankruptcy he has to make difficult decisions to protect the bank's reputation further deepening the rift in the Pilaster family.

Meanwhile, skeletons are tumbling out of the Pliaster family closet and the final straw is when Tonio Silva is found murdered in cold blood. Scotland Yard is now on a manhunt for the killer.

Does Hugh manage to save the bank? Do Hugh and Maisie have a future together? Will Micky and Augusta end their trail of destruction?

Read the book to find out more!