Dangerous Games

One woman risks everything to expose the truth in Danielle Steel's deeply suspenseful drama, the gripping bestseller, Dangerous Games . TV journalist Alix Phillips is always willing to put herself on the frontline for her job. Driven by her ambition to succeed and her passion for her work, all that matters is getting the story. After the loss of her husband, only her beloved mother and daughter are allowed to get close. And her cameraman, Ben. Neither of them fears death – but neither can face up to their true feelings for each other. With rumours circulating of major scandal in the White House, Alix is determined to uncover the truth. This story could blow the corridors of power wide open, and this time Alix is feeling the heat. But as Alix delves further into the scandal, powerful people want to silence her, targeting her family. For someone who was never scared, Alix now realizes that the time has come to play some very dangerous games . . .

One woman risks everything to expose the truth in Danielle Steel's deeply suspenseful drama, the gripping bestseller, Dangerous Games . TV journalist Alix Phillips is always willing to put herself on the frontline for her job. Driven by her ambition to succeed and her passion for her work, all that matters is getting the story. After the loss of her husband, only her beloved mother and daughter are allowed to get close. And her cameraman, Ben. Neither of them fears death – but neither can face up to their true feelings for each other. With rumours circulating of major scandal in the White House, Alix is determined to uncover the truth. This story could blow the corridors of power wide open, and this time Alix is feeling the heat. But as Alix delves further into the scandal, powerful people want to silence her, targeting her family. For someone who was never scared, Alix now realizes that the time has come to play some very dangerous games . . .

The game isn't over until somebody dies. Eva knows what it's like to be imprisoned by a man's twisted obsessions. But after running, hiding, and finding refuge in a rescuer's arms, she's suddenly pulled back into the black hole of her past. Kidnapped by her sadistic ex, Dimitri, and with the love of her life left for dead, Eva is facing down the worst of her demons alone. If Dimitri wants to play sick games, Eva's ready. She already knows how dark they can get. But despite her fears, she hasn't been abandoned. Naz is in hot pursuit. And the last thing Dimitri expects is for a dead man to come calling. For Eva and Naz, worlds apart yet bound by fierce and unbreakable passion, it's time to beat the devil. To do it they'll have to be just as ruthless, seductive, and cunning. With every pulse of the heart, they must risk it all to play Dimitri's final game to its harrowing end--and win.

The game isn't over until somebody dies. Eva knows what it's like to be imprisoned by a man's twisted obsessions. But after running, hiding, and finding refuge in a rescuer's arms, she's suddenly pulled back into the black hole of her past. Kidnapped by her sadistic ex, Dimitri, and with the love of her life left for dead, Eva is facing down the worst of her demons alone. If Dimitri wants to play sick games, Eva's ready. She already knows how dark they can get. But despite her fears, she hasn't been abandoned. Naz is in hot pursuit. And the last thing Dimitri expects is for a dead man to come calling. For Eva and Naz, worlds apart yet bound by fierce and unbreakable passion, it's time to beat the devil. To do it they'll have to be just as ruthless, seductive, and cunning. With every pulse of the heart, they must risk it all to play Dimitri's final game to its harrowing end--and win.

The 1980s saw the peak of a moral panic over fantasy role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. A coalition of moral entrepreneurs that included representatives from the Christian Right, the field of psychology, and law enforcement claimed that these games were not only psychologically dangerous but an occult religion masquerading as a game. Dangerous Games explores both the history and the sociological significance of this panic. Fantasy role-playing games do share several functions in common with religion. However, religion as a socially constructed world of shared meaning can also be compared to a fantasy role-playing game. In fact, the claims of the moral entrepreneurs, in which they presented themselves as heroes battling a dark conspiracy, often resembled the very games of imagination they condemned as evil. By attacking the imagination, they preserved the taken-for-granted status of their own socially constructed reality. Interpreted in this way, the panic over fantasy-role playing games yields new insights about how humans play and together construct and maintain meaningful worlds. Laycock's clear and accessible writing ensures that Dangerous Games will be required reading for those with an interest in religion, popular culture, and social behavior, both in the classroom and beyond.

The 1980s saw the peak of a moral panic over fantasy role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. A coalition of moral entrepreneurs that included representatives from the Christian Right, the field of psychology, and law enforcement claimed that these games were not only psychologically dangerous but an occult religion masquerading as a game. Dangerous Games explores both the history and the sociological significance of this panic. Fantasy role-playing games do share several functions in common with religion. However, religion as a socially constructed world of shared meaning can also be compared to a fantasy role-playing game. In fact, the claims of the moral entrepreneurs, in which they presented themselves as heroes battling a dark conspiracy, often resembled the very games of imagination they condemned as evil. By attacking the imagination, they preserved the taken-for-granted status of their own socially constructed reality. Interpreted in this way, the panic over fantasy-role playing games yields new insights about how humans play and together construct and maintain meaningful worlds. Laycock's clear and accessible writing ensures that Dangerous Games will be required reading for those with an interest in religion, popular culture, and social behavior, both in the classroom and beyond.