<p><b>'Full of glamour and intrigue. It slips down as easily as any cocktail.' Fern Britton <br><br>ESCAPE TO THE EMPIRE THEATRE WITH THE BRAND-NEW NOVEL FROM MUSICAL THEATRE LEGEND, MICHAEL BALL.</b><br><br>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.<br><br>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?<br><br>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.<br><br>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?<br><br><b>In this perfect Christmas gift for theatre lovers, Michael Ball transports readers to the roaring twenties as he works his magic in this second Empire Theatre novel.<br></b><br>'Theatre legend Michael Ball <b>writes evocatively and passionately</b> about a world he knows so well. Another <b>fabulous</b> and <b>entertaining</b> read. I devoured it!' <b>Santa Montefiore<br></b><br><br>'Secrets and <b>scandals, intrigue, glamour and romance</b>, and all the excitement and vibrancy of a theatre . . . there is <b>never a dull moment</b> from curtain rise to the final, action-packed showdown. ' <i>Yorkshire Evening Post</i><br><br><b><br><u>Readers are loving A BACKSTAGE BETRAYAL</u><br><br></b>'A beautifully described evocative piece of the era with <b>wonderful characters</b>. Loved it' <b>*****</b><br><br>'A<b> lovely cosy read</b> with a lot of excitement' <b>*****</b><br><br>'Wonderful characters, <b>great plot</b> and a perfect setting' <b>*****</b><br><br>'The second <b>brilliant</b> instalment in what I hope will be a long-running series' <b>*****</b><br><b><br><br><u>Praise for THE EMPIRE</u><br><br></b>'A wonderful book. <b>A love letter to the theatre</b>' Rev. Richard Coles<br><br>'A<b> fantastic</b> book. Brilliant' Don Black OBE<br><br>'A <b>wonderful</b> read' Jeffrey Archer<br><br>'A<b> golden </b>debut - charming, funny and romantic' Cameron Mackintosh<br><br>'Takes you to <b>the magical world of theatre</b>' Rosie Goodwin</p>