A BACKSTAGE BETRAYAL
MICHAEL BALL
*****
Get ready to step into the roaring twenties...
1926. Running a theatre may appear to be all about the showbiz, but times are hard at The Empire. Following a turbulent period Jack Treadwell, erstwhile proprietor, his mother Lillian, and his playwright wife Grace, know they need to get things back on track - and how better than with the annual pantomime, a new venture, and an all-singing all-dancing talent contest, showcasing the best performers around.
But could Lillian's new admirer, Grand Duke Nikolai Kuznetsov, be bringing disaster in his wake? Will The Empire be caught up in the scandal surrounding West End star, Stella Stanmore? And what are their enemies in Highbridge planning?
While Jack and Grace fight to ensure the show does go on, a royal visitor raises the stakes and a young widow, Sally Blow, dares to dream that the talent contest might be her big break.
As the talent contest draws closer, tragedy strikes. Amid the glitz and glamour there are strange goings on and a plot afoot. Is everything Jack and Grace have worked so hard for about to come crashing down? And could this be curtains for The Empire theatre?
MY REVIEW
*****
As someone who works professionally in the theatre industry, I was very excited to get access to the ARC for the second book in the Empire series from Michael Ball – A Backstage Betrayal.
As excited as I was to start reading it, I was also very surprised that I had not known about the first book in the series – The Empire, which was published in 2022. As someone who is undoubtedly the target market for this kind of book and who has dedicated social media both for theatre and for reading – you would have thought it would have come to my attention sooner! If you, like me, haven’t read the first book, then don’t let this put you off – there are a lot of characters, but previous events and backstory are nicely woven into a narrative in a way to give you important context without feeling too much like an exposition dump.
There are a lot of characters in this book, and I must admit the dramatis personae at the beginning, which runs to 4 pages on my Kindle, did make me a little apprehensive at first. Even the smallest of characters feel well-rounded and fleshed out though, with their own quirks which makes the world feel real. The setting of the slightly crumbling Empire Theatre and the 1920s backdrop that surrounds it felt gritty and realistic and I felt fully immersed throughout. The book is quite cosy at times, with the characters trying to restore the glory of the theatre and even partaking on a new adventure to make some money. There’s a lot of sub-plots going on and some humour injected into the narrative as well. The over arching plot is does get quite political at times and I didn’t enjoy this thread as much as the others, but it all came to an action-packed climax, which tied together all the threads to make for a satisfying conclusion.
Overall, A Backstage Betrayal is a joy for any theatre lover - if you’ve read The Empire then you’ll enjoy this next instalment, and if you haven’t then you’ll love being introduced and immersed in the world of the Empire Theatre. Thank you to NetGalley & Bonnier Books UK – Zaffre for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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