9 h 56 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A count is held captive, and a soldier of fortune faces a rescue that tests both courage and heart.
In Direst Peril by David Christie Murray brings a hard-fighting adventurer to the centre of a dangerous rescue. A nobleman is held against his will, and his freedom is the prize. Risk and quick decisions drive the action, while rival loyalties make courage more than a matter of facing danger.
Alongside the struggle for freedom runs a romantic thread. The daring rescue is also a test of loyalty, with the pull of the heart bound to the demands of action. This is adventure in the old tradition: bold deeds, clear moral choices, and a leisurely, confident voice that invites you to settle into the tale.
What you’ll discover
- A captive count A nobleman's lost freedom gives the rescue its purpose and the adventure its central stake.
- A hard-fighting adventurer Follow a soldier of fortune whose courage faces the demands of a daring rescue.
- Loyalties under strain Rival loyalties turn bold action into a test of commitment as well as nerve.
- Romance beside danger The promise of love draws the heart into a story shaped by peril.
- Old-fashioned storytelling pleasure Settle into a leisurely voice, lively action, and the clear choices of traditional adventure.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy a Victorian adventure with a daring rescue, secret societies, scheming spies and a courtship at its heart, all told with humour by a plain-spoken old soldier.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A soldier falls in love on a staircase
- Fyffe promises to bring the count home
- At Itzia the guards seem friendly
- Hinge's secret opens the way out
- Freedom has a price for the count
- Love, rivalry and an unwelcome ghost
- Arms, tears and a betrayal on the Thames
- Shut out and racing against a trap
- What the story is really about
Who’s who
- Captain John FyffeA big, plain-spoken Scottish soldier of fortune who falls in love at first sight and risks everything to free the father of the woman he loves.
- Violet RossanoA warm, brave young woman raised in England who has never known her Italian father and means to stand by him and by the man she loves.
- Conte di RossanoAn Italian patriot held twenty years in an Austrian fortress, shattered in body but unbroken in spirit, who longs to see Italy free.
- Robert HingeA former English lancer working as a groom in the fortress, blunt and loyal, who has pitied the secret prisoner for years.
- George BrunowA charming, boastful Englishman who loves being liked and cannot keep a secret, and who is in love with Violet and in debt.
- Baroness BonnarA pretty, skilled actress who poses as a patriotic noblewoman while working as a spy for the Austrian government.
- Count RuffianoA very tall, shabby, excitable Italian exile who dreams of a free Italy and speaks in grand gestures.
- Lady RollinsonViolet's kind, talkative aunt, who praises Fyffe for saving her son and later closes her door against him.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 9 h 56 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear En el mayor de los peligros in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
En el mayor de los peligros
by David Christie Murray · 1894
A Scottish soldier of fortune falls for Violet Rossano and sets out to free her father from an Austrian fortress.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
A man falls in love on a crowded London staircase, and within weeks he is riding for the Austrian border to free a prisoner everyone thought dead. In Direst Peril is an adventure novel by David Christie Murray.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A soldier falls in love on a staircase
In the London season of 1847, Captain Fyffe returns from South America with a little fame that he enjoys at first but begins to tire of. His friend, the Honorable George Brunow, takes him to a crowded party. On the stairs a young woman in white muslin signals with her fan, and Fyffe feels as nervous as before any dangerous mission.
She is Violet Rossano, cousin of an old comrade whose life he once saved. Fyffe has spent his years far from women, and he fears her more than a fortress wall. Still, she treats him like an old friend and invites him to call.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about En el mayor de los peligros
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is In Direst Peril about?
It follows Captain Fyffe, a soldier of fortune who falls for Violet Rossano and sets out to free her long-lost father, an Italian count held by Austria. After the rescue, he faces spies and traitors in London.
Who is Hinge in In Direst Peril?
Robert Hinge is a former English lancer who works as a groom at the Austrian fortress. He discovers the secret prisoner under the stable, helps with the rescue and then becomes Fyffe's loyal valet and companion.
When is In Direst Peril set?
The story takes place in 1847 and 1848, as revolution spreads across Europe and Italians hope to throw off Austrian rule. Louis Philippe's flight from France and the Milan rising appear in its pages.
The author
David Christie Murray
1847–1907 · English novelist and journalist
David Christie Murray (1847–1907) was an English journalist and novelist. He was born in West Bromwich and died in London. He worked as a journalist before writing novels. His books, published in the late nineteenth century, include Aunt Rachel, In Direst Peril, and VC: A Chronicle of Castle Barfield and of the Crimea.
More by David Christie Murray
All 4 booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
