Dangerous Games

by Danielle Steel

Bringing together a cast of fascinating characters in a riveting tale of ambition and corruption, politics, passion, and ultimate justice, Dangerous Games is a thrilling drama from number-one New York Times best-selling author Danielle Steel.

Television correspondent Alix Phillips dodges bullets and breaks rules to bring the most important news to the world - from riots in America to protests on the streets of Tehran. With her daughter in college, and working alongside cameraman Ben Chapman, a deeply private ex-Navy SEAL, Alix revels in the risks and whirlwind pace of her work. But her latest assignment puts her at the center of an explosive story that will reshape many lives, including her own: investigating damning allegations involving the vice president of the United States, Tony Clark.

Alix starts with a nationally revered woman who may be the key to exposing frightening secrets. Olympia Foster is the fragile, reclusive widow of America's most admired senator, who had been destined for the presidency before an assassin's bullet felled him. Since then Olympia has found emotional support from Clark, who once wanted her as his wife and now stands as her protector and confidant. When Alix begins to dig deeper, federal agents pick up the trail. Then the threats begin. As the stakes rise in this dangerous game, Alix needs Ben's help as never before. And soon they realize they are grappling with an adversary far more sinister than they had imagined.

©2017 Danielle Steele (P)2017 Recorded Books

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Audiobook, Thriller, Contemporary, Suspense

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2017

About the author

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

Facebook.com/DanielleSteelOfficial
Instagram: @officialdaniellesteel

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of Steele's best work. A few good moments, but for such a short book, it was filled with a lot of 'nothing'. Boring ending.

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

----Friedrich Nietzsche


Danielle Steel, the #1 bestselling author, is back with a bang with her new political thriller, Dangerous Games that revolves around a senior journalist cum single mother who would risk her everything to feed the world with the latest and the honest scoop of the happening news but when she is assigned to keep track of the vice president's money flow and recent activities, she had no idea that she was going to stumble upon a dangerous track that would jeopardize not only the security of her life but also her daughter's life.


Synopsis:

Danielle Steel tears down the walls of power at the heart of the White House in the thrilling Dangerous Games.

Television correspondent Alix Phillips dodges bullets and breaks rules to bring the most important news to the world. With her daughter in college, and working alongside cameraman Ben Chapman, an ex-Navy Seal, Alix exhilarates in the risks and whirlwind pace of her work. But her latest assignment puts her at the center of an explosive story that will reshape many lives, including her own: investigating damning allegations involving the vice president of the United States, Tony Clark.

Alix starts with a nationally revered woman who may be the key to exposing frightening secrets. Olympia Foster is the fragile, reclusive widow of America's most admired senator, who had been destined for the presidency before an assassin's bullet felled him. Since then, Olympia has found emotional support in Clark, who once wanted her as his wife and now stands as her protector and confidant. When Alix begins to dig deeper, federal agents pick up the trail. Then the threats begin.

As the stakes rise in this dangerous game, Alix needs Ben's help as never before. Soon they realize they are grappling with an adversary far more sinister than they had imagined.


Alix Phillips, a daredevil news reporter, known mostly for her courage to cover even a daring and risky news from around the globe, alongside her ex-Navy cameraman, Ben Chapman. Together when they are assigned on a new project to unravel the scandals behind the life of the Vice President, Tony Clark, of USA. Gradually they stumble upon Clark's connections with the Afghan lobbyists and other notorious men funding the campaigns that lead them on the undiscovered track behind the assassination of the former senator of USA. Little did, Alix or Ben knew that this investigation of theirs would lead them on a groundbreaking discovery about the death of the former US senator and that it would throw them on a dangerous track where the lives of their loves ones would come under stake.

Danielle Steel, the household name in the world of crime drama and suspense, spins a gripping political thriller that will blow off the minds of its readers. This novel has got enough drama, juicy scandal and actions with random twists that make the whole reading experience as of one riding a fast roller-coaster with unpredictable tracks. Steel knows how to grasp the minds of her readers right into the heart of her very story and also how to keep them engaged all through out the story line. Even though Steel's books are an instant best seller, yet this is the first time that I managed to get my hands around a Steel novel.

The author's writing style is coherent and powerful enough to hook the readers easily into the story. Although there are not many layers to this story, yet the edgy suspense keeps the heat in check thereby making it an intriguing and exciting read for the crime fiction readers. The narrative is arresting and free flowing and which is something easy to comprehend with. The pacing is really fast as Alix and Ben journeys from one part of the world to another while on their quest.

The author has well concocted the mystery that flows deep into the depths of this story and the unraveling of that riddle is done equally tastefully and thoughtfully. The twists and turns, not many, yet they come at an unusual pace that will tense up the already anticipating mood of the story. The adrenaline rushing action scenes are excellently portrayed through this story that intensify the story line.

The characters from this story are well developed with a slightly realistic side to their authentic demeanor. The portrayal of the main character, no matter how much fictional she sounds, Alix depicts the strength of the modern day career minded and dedicated woman, whose prioritizes her profession over her personal life. her determination to get to the bottom of every story is something really enlightening to read about her. the rest of the supporting characters are kept interesting to a level and never once make the story feel dull or boring.

In a nutshell, this is an electrifying novel filled with action, mystery, murder and mayhem with a twist and lots of drama, perfect for both serious and occasional crime fiction readers.


Verdict: Because of a powerful protagonist and an equally strong plot, this is a must read book for one and all.

Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Pan Macmillan India for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Suzzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

Quick and entertaining. I liked the fast traveling around different locations for different stories and how most of the stories were pulled together. The mother daughter relationships added a bit of depth to the characters and the heartbreak of Ben's past made his character more dimensional than some of the supporting cast. Olympia was my favorite character of the book though. Honestly I even liked her more than I liked Alix.

Overall, a quick Danielle Steel book with political and even foreign corruption.

[Taanya Ahuja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corruption,ambition, power and international intrigue...

Dangerous Games, a political thriller is the latest novel by the bestselling author Danielle Steel. The book was released on 9th March 2017 and is published by Pan Macmillan India. The cover page of the book is very subtle in very soothing colors of blue having a picture of White House and the protagonists of the story.

Dangerous Games is a political thriller story about television correspondent Alix Philliphs who is very devoted towards her work and cares less about her own safety. She is always on the go for her work. She is hardworking,passionate and a brave woman. She dodges bullets to bring the most important news to the world. She has a daughter Faye, studying in college. Alix is working alongside cameraman Ben Champman, an ex-Navy SEAL who travels with Alix to cover the news. She gets into an investigation damning allegations which involved one of the powerful figures, the Vice President,Tony Clark.

The story is set in various different places and author has described them well. The characters are very well described. The female protagonist Alix, is shown brave which I liked a lot.The plot line is very intriguing which is full of mysteries and has an element of romance. The story is very gripping which will make you hold the book till the end. The theme politics is greatly discussed till the end of the book. The author has done justice with the plot. While reading the book one can easily visualize the happenings. The book seems like one is reading a true story. The book is a roller coaster ride having elements of thriller, romance, sympathy.

Overall, it is a very engaging read which is impossible to put it down. I recommend this book to those who are highly interested in reading political thriller.

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the least enjoyable Steele novels I’ve read in awhile. Normally she has a way of capturing your attention and keeping the pages turning but this one fell a bit short. The writing seemed stiff and incredibly formal, almost like I was reading an essay instead of a fiction novel! Which is quite a shame because the story itself was quite interesting and could have been really great!

[Lane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my goodness she needs to take break....her books are not good what happened to her

[Uma | Books.Bags.Burgers · Rating 3 out of 5]

(A huge thanks to Pan Macmillan India for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Actual Rating - 3.5

CHARACTERS

Even though Alix is the main character in the story she wasn't my favourite. The characters I really enjoyed reading about were Olympia Foster and Alix's daughter. I found them to be the most believable characters of the lot who had various qualities- both good and bad. Olympia's charcter development is the most interesting. She is wife who's still grieving the death of her husband and stuck in his memories. As the story progresses she grows wonderfully and I really loved getting to know her thoughts and feelings.

I loved how Alix was strong and independent but I was a bit tired of the number of times we were told that she was brave and fiercely independent. It was shown too but there was so much repetition of her qualities and personality that it got a bit tiring.

I enjoyed the romance in the story. It was subtle and never became the focal point of the story but is there in a comforting manner. I also enjoyed all the mother-daughter relationships in the book. I love seeing the role of family in books!

PLOT

It's been a while since I read a political thriller and I quite enjoyed reading Dangerous Games. The story is centered around a particular mystery but there are various other stories interwoven too. While the mystery is political it isn't overtly so, making this quite a light read. The plot was quite a bit predictable after a certain point but it never got boring. Even after the climax of the main plot, I really liked it that the author gives us glimpses of what happens with each character after that. We get to see how people have moved on from the main story and are leading their lives in the aftermath.

WRITING

The language used is quite simple and straightforward but at times the PoV seemed to shift abruptly confusing me for a couple of seconds but it always cleared up quick. But I quite enjoyed the simple writing and was able to read the whole book in a couple of hours.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK

- Certain characters
- The simple language
- Most of the plot
- The character development of Olympia foster

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK

- The predictable plot points
- The shifts in PoV
- The handling of certain characters (the way they were written)

CONCLUSION

This was my very first Danielle Steel book and while it had its flaws, I ended up enjoying this short, fast paced political thriller with some wonderful characters.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is always exciting when a new book is released but after reading it I was so disappointed. It is quite different in plot to her usual books but it could have been so much better. It was full of conversations that went on and on and were repeated. It had so much potential to take it to the next level and of course there was the usual French connection and reference to studying law which gets so tiring - there are many other occupations out there. GGGRRRR... Instead of pumping out a new book every few weeks the author needs to work on a quality story that is full of page turning suspense.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

All I can say is...boring. I read to 90 pages and had to quit because if I heard one more time how good Alix was at her job, I might scream. It was all about Alix and her cameraman going to places, but nothing really happened except that they were so happy to be heading somewhere...they would be bored with normal.

I used to read Danielle Steele in my younger years, this one is not at all how I remember her gripping stories. I say pass on this one.

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many subplots that were poorly closed out. It felt like Ms Steel had to bring closure to every plot and it felt really thrown together at the end. I did like the budding romance that came to fruition in the end, but that alone did not save this story. 4 out of 10.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite more than several verbatim repeats, the novel moves well up until the lame, tame end, costing a star. 5 of 10 stars

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. :)
Thank you Danielle Steel. :)

[Rhonda B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danielle Steel books are very enjoyable predictable reads. This is a book about a reporter and her cameraman that dig deep into a cover.ent scandal. Of course they win, the scandal is brought to light and the heroine wins her man!!!

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a Danielle Steel book after a gap of maybe about a year and it was like discovering the author’s works all over again.

Alix Phillips is a reporter with a passion for her job. She gets into dangerous situations in search of truth and then reporting it back. With Ben by her side, she launches an investigation looking into the life of one of the most powerful and influential person in the country. At first it seems like she is the only person who believes that this man has something bad to hide. But the deeper she digs in, the more dirt she uncovers. With threatening letters being sent to her, will Alix be able to complete what she started? Or will she give in?

I loved the narrative and the backdrop of the book. Set in a couple of different places, the book provides a kind of diversity. Along with that, I did enjoy the character of the protagonist. A strong woman who is passionate about what she does and takes on challenges. There are couple more character who the readers might find interesting as well. There’s an element of misfortune and heartbreak in the book though the author’s usual flair for heart-tugging emotions were missing. While the element kind of worked in getting me invested in the book, it wasn’t that hard hitting. The plot though was pretty straightforward and the surprise element was missing.

Overall, I think that this is not one of the author’s best. There were certain plot elements that seemed sudden, but the basic ingredients that we look for in Danielle Steel book were all there in smaller doses.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

TV correspondent Alix Phillips travels the world for her stories -- to war zones, earthquakes, floods, mass shootings, etc. She pairs with cameraman Ben Chapman, an ex Navy Seal who tries his best to keep her out of the path of bullets. But in the United States she faces one of her biggest tests as she suspects the nation's Vice President of selling out to both domestic and foreign lobbyists.

I can always tell when I'm reading a Danielle Steel book because her writing style is so unique. It is all her own and always predictable. This book should be interesting to those who love to read about adventure in places all across the globe.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars. Good book, easy read but not a real page turner. Simple story, no major twist or turns but still enjoyable and well written.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, summer read. The conclusion was abruptly ended......leading me to think there could be a sequel.

[Laura Wonderchick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lil different style for DS. More of a thriller drama. With a lil romance thrown in. Really enjoyed this one.

[Angela Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyed this book. The story was good with the adventure and murder. True romantic book with good storylines.

[Sreepurna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5 stars

I have heard A LOT about Danielle Steel novels, and they keep popping up on my Goodreads Recommendations. However, this was my first time reading one, and I was pretty excited.

The book started off in a both slow as well gripping manner. The narrative was smooth, hence I had to keep reading, however, it took a long time to reach the main incidents in the story. But I guess the character backgrounds were also necessary, hence the delay.

The main plotline was quite interesting and very relevant to current real-life incidents. I won't say the portrayal of the whole world was very realistic all the time though, and if you forget this is fiction, you might have problems with it. But I read it with the intention of enjoying the book, and so it worked well for me.

My favourite part was how this story seems to be about Alix Phillips, a journalist slash television correspondent, who "dodges bullets"for her career, but ends up being two individuals -- Alix and Olympia. They are both very different women, and the character development shown here is remarkable. Olympia, a grieving widow, stuck in a limbo since her husband's death, isn't a likable character in the beginning, but Danielle Steel slowly transforms her, infusing strength into her in every page. Alix, a fierce and independent woman, also struggles with her own issues throughout the book.

The language used is really simple but it makes the book an easy read, even for someone like me who does not understand much about politics at all. The romance is sort of half hearted, but it's good for people who don't want a mushy read. I also love how there are some parts where the author adds gentle irony to criticise issues, it makes the book funny as well.

The ending was really strange and abrupt, and leaves a scope for a sequel, but I am not sure about that.

Overall an enjoyable read, perfect for lazy weekends, with just the right amount thrill, intrigue, depth and an added sprinkle of romance.

[Barry Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A challenging thriller and a plot twist that engages the reader throughout the ordeal. Can any pilot or co-pilot imagine the Golden Gate Bridge gets visibility as the clouds roll in? The characters are well-developed and convincing as the plot thickens.

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[Kmmoy · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I was much younger, I really enjoyed Danielle Steel's books. After this book I now remember why I haven't read her in years. Ugh. This was awful. Only reason I finished was it was short and the narrator was good.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Not my kind of book

[Cheryll · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and repetitive! We KNOW Ben was a Navy SEAL!! We KNOW Alix was fearless and great at her job! Of course Ben and Alix were going to end up together! I'm surprised I bothered to finish it!

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy listening to Danielle Steel's books and this was no exception. Quite a departure from her other books, this book had me hooked from beginning to end. It tells the story of Alex and her colleague Ben. Alex is an investigative journalist who is placed in disaster zones and political hot spots to report the news with Ben who is her colleague and her cameraman. Alex develops a friendship with Olympia who was recently widowed when her Senator husband was assassinated. Alex discovers that Olympia's friend - who was best friends with her husband, and now is Vice-President of the USA has been associated with bribery and very dodgy deals. Olympia is devoted to him. Alex starts digging, and getting death threats which also affect her daughter who is at college. Its a race against time to expose him and save herself. I enjoyed this story very much and it had a good mix of suspense and intrigue which added up to a good listen. The narrator was good as well.

[Shelleen Toland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Television correspondent Alix Phillips dodges bullets and breaks rules to bring the most important news to the world from riots in America to protests on the streets of Tehran. With her daughter in college, and working alongside cameraman Ben Chapman, a deeply private ex-Navy SEAL, Alix revels in the risks and whirlwind pace of her work. But her latest assignment puts her at the center of an explosive story that will reshape many lives, including her own: investigating damning allegations involving the vice president of the United States, Tony Clark.
I really liked getting to know the characters and watching the relationship between Alix and Ben along Alix and her daughter.
I found this a little different than her other books I had read. Most of them have romance in them from the beginning but this one didn't. It was mostly Alix investigating the story of the Vice President and her reporting it. Watching her friendship with ben develop was on the backburner of the storyline.

[Areebah · Rating 1 out of 5]

4th graders are taught when they start writing an essay that "show, not tell". steel needs to revisit her 4th grade lessons clearly. the vocabulary is extremely limited, so many run ons, the plot could have been done better but that's not even the main issue. the characters are incredibly stupid, portrayed as some golden heroes so overglorification of some white people who are better than everyone. I read half of it before realising it wasn't even worthy to be read like those cheap trash novels because those are at least fun, and what's up with the title? please steel, stop living in wattpad.
this felt more like reading and grading a 4th grade essay of a student living in dreamland. smh. id rather have bought toilet paper over this

[Trina Dutta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a review copy of the book. This was my first Danielle Steel read, so I had no idea about her writing style or genre style. I started this book expecting a lot since I heard so many good things about the author.
Here's a short synopsis: Alix Phillips was a single mother and a television reporter. She was dedicated to her job and didn't think twice before taking up any assignment. Her boss was satisfied with her hard work and most of the news she covered was award- winning. She had her old mother Isabelle and her teenage daughter Faye. Faye was studying in college was much like her mother. Alix was brave and passionate. She worked mostly on riots and war related events and featured them in the most fearless way. Her co-worker Ben who was an ex Navy seal officer. He was a photographer who travelled with Alix while they reported the news.
Now that Alix risks her life everytime she goes to a sensitive war prone zone is not easily accepted by her daughter. Alix lost her husband at an early age and became a young widow-mothet. Faye didn't want to lose the most important person in her life, her mother. But Alix never listened, she thought she would get away with her working work give her best in reporting those news even if they brought grave danger. Now her boss Felix gave her an assignment on the senator, Tony who is running fir the US election. Felix thinks there's something fishy about Tony who might be into s9me bad business with lobbies. Now it's up to Alix to find out the truth on her own. While working on it, she also came across the CIA. As she went further to dig deep into the truth, things became more sinister.
The things I liked about this book is it's female protagonist. The way her character was described was absolutely amazing. Next thing was the portraying of the war zones and political situations and conspiracy. I also liked the way the author implemented this random travelling from one country to another and importance of Alix in her job.
The things I did not like was repetition. The sane thing about Alix and Ben's past as well as few conversations were described more than once. It made the story boring and broad. My opinion is that it could have done mire briefly then the story would have been more gripping.

[Elaiza Ayap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her narration is easy to comprehend but not boring, definitely still effective enough to hook readers. Though I
would have loved if the ending was not open-ended. I really wanted The Clark guy to go to jail, haha. Though I also understand why she chose that ending because that is the most realistic one. There are fugitives out there still not serving their time in jail because they have connections. It is such a shame that they are not being brought to justice. But with a life like theirs, where they are always hiding or always on the run, isn't it even worse than being in jail?

[Snehal Dalvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating 4.5/5

My very first Danielle Steel book and I must say that it had me hooked after I crossed some 50 odd pages. The book is very slow at first, after some 50-60 odd pages the story takes a strong grip and gets one hooked.
The story is about Alix Philips, who is a top class reporter and my boy! What a fearless character Alix is. She’s a women of steel, always ready to take challenges and fight for what’s right, even when it means that she can lose her life in the process. Alix is a single mother to a 19 year old daughter Faye, who is studying in Duke University. The main plot is about exposing the Vice President of USA, Tony Clark for his deeds and risking the nation for his own good. In the course of doing so Alix forms a close bond with Olympia Foster, who is the widow of one of USA’s senator Bill Foster, who also happens to be Tony Clark’s best friend. Olympia and Alix are poles apart from each other, but still strike a bond and there kick starts a mission to save the nation and every discovery of the progress is shocking and a an eye-opening truth of how the world has certainly changed from the times when friendship and relationships were a truly important part of one’s life and now everybody wants their own good. Tony Clark’s character is a shade of smartness combined with wickedness, he believes that if you have to achieve something you don’t have to wait for it to happen but rather mend your ways with everything it takes to achieve that one thing.
Every Assignment of Alix is written with utmost perfection that one can actually be there walking with Alix covering the story. The incidents and hot news that she covers are so much similar to what’s happening in real world. The book actually doesn’t seem like a work of fiction but rather seems like a true story.
Except for a few pages at start and some incidents in between the book is absolutely fantastic read and a wonderful contemporary fiction.
Thanks a lot to the publisher for sending me this amazing book and the views expressed above are my own and may differ from others.

Rating: 4.5/5