This is book two in this series and follows on after the shenanigans of book one - The Empire - so, for full enjoyment, I would really recommend reading that first.
We are now in 1926 and times are hard in theatre-land. Jack is barely keeping his head above water, and still desperately needs an assistant. His wife Grace is still suffering writers block, a situation not helped by her losing their baby. Meanwhile Lillian returns along with a new beau - Grand Duke Nikolai Kuznetsov, exiled from his native Marakovia, but feeling quite at home with Lillian!
Meanwhile, we also meet a young widow, Sally Blow, who is trying to keep the wolf from the door she shares with her young son. Juggling jobs she has struck lucky singing in a pub for board and tips and has caught the eye of Tom and Ruby.
And then there's Harry the rat... who I will leave you to get to know on, obviously, his terms!
If you have read book one, you will know what to expect from this follow up. And it delivers exactly that! Again, as with book one, we start with a fair few pages of "who's who" which I still find unhelpful and scary. I learnt though, and just ignored it!
There is an awful lot going on herein, plots and sub plots and wee little romantic asides which all sounds like it could be a bit busy and overwhelming, but the author juggles them all with aplomb, giving each its own voice and platform as they all meander around and about until the majority all comes together nicely at the end.
It's fun, it's glamorous, glitzy, and ideal for those of us who love all things theatre... But it's also gritty and hard hitting on occasion and doesn't shy from the important things. Me, I'm now hanging for book three!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

An engaging enough read, though not quite as exciting as The Empire, nice to catch up with many characters from the first book and to meet some new ones.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Back to theatrical 1920's again, with the Treadwell family. A tale of love, intrigue , and life in 1920's theatreland. An enjoyable read, perfect wet, cold day reading .

I admit I was a bit put off by the cast of characters at the beginning, but I ignored it and just read the book. It,s an easy read with multiple plot lines running simultaneously which added layers to what could havebeen a bit of cheese. It is a bit smaltzy in places and everything gets resolved with a pink bow but i liked it.

4.5 Stars
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.
The second book by the author & his love of the theatre oozes from the pages. This book is set two years after the dramatic end of the first. The Empire is rebuilt but whilst some productions have been a hit, others have flopped. You don’t have to have read the first book but having done so will certainly add to the enjoyment of this. We meet old friends & make new ones. Lillian has a new admirer, Grand Duke Nikolai & Stella Stanmore is caught up in a scandal, Jack & grace have suffered a couple of miscarriages so Jack is mollycoddling Grace. The book starts slowly but the pace & the tension increases as lives are in danger & unlikely sources help save the day. I thoroughly enjoyed the book & hope to read more from the author
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

Another superb book from this amazing man, beautifully written, as expected, and the story draws you in, with the characters staying with you long after you have finished reading

At the end of book 1 we left the Empire in ashes and a New Empire has risen from those ashes but is not without problems. The Lassiter family are at the centre of the novel but representatives of all aspects of 1920s society are present from the poverty stricken widow, Sally Blow to the Prince of Wales including foreign assassins and crime families. There’s a lot of action as the various narrative elements unfurl but they combine into a very entertaining read.

A return to The Empire with another episode of treachery and skullduggery besetting Jack Treadwell and Lillian . Throw into the mix some new romance and the stage is set . There are a lot of characters both old and new to keep track of including a very versatile rat

This book had lots of potential but it was a little like several Mills & Boon books rolled in to one. Too many different & completely unbelievable story lines rolled in to one mish mash of a book. Michael, stick to singing & the theatre !

After enjoying the first instalment of the Empire series I was looking forward to reviewing the second instalment. Unfortunately I don’t have the same enthusiasm for this episode.

There is a huge character list that for me made it difficult to follow.

Lots of flitting around chapter after chapter that I began to wonder what was going on and whether I had missed something.

And I found the writing a bit flowery. At one point the moon was “buttery” and lost interest about two thirds of the way through it.

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 lover of theatre, 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.

A great book. So much background about the theatre and how it works. The story has everything you could want in a book, romance, mystery and twists. Loved it

A delightful return to The Empire and the characters we met in the first book, plus some new characters just to make things interesting. Crime, intrigue, emerging talent, romance and love - this book has it all.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Just the right amount of love, fashion and treachery. Michael Ball writes a very good novel a d I hope there will be a third book in the series.

This is the second book that Michael has written about The Empire and it is just as good as the first one. I love stories set in the 1920’s and I love books with a theatrical setting and this ticks both boxes. Michael has clearly researched his subject thoroughly, the book is full of interesting characters, plots and subplots and at times it can get a bit confusing. There are some real pantomime baddies in this story and it is definitely a fun read. The plot is fast moving and I love the cast of returning characters like Jack and Grace. Well worth a read and I look forward to more stories from Michael Ball in the future.

This is an excellent period piece.
This book is set in 1925/6. Author Michael Ball is not old enough to have first-hand experience of a provincial northern theatre of that time, but his research into it has clearly been very extensive. The story follows on from his earlier book, "The Empire," set some 3 years before, which introduces many of the characters here. I've not read that book, though I might well do in the future, but this works very well as a stand al9ne story,with previous incidents and happenings recalled where necessary.
The book features a group of disparate characters from all levels of 1920s society, and it also explore the interactions between these levels and also the social changes that were beginning to take place.
This work is very well written, and readers will be rewarded with a compelling story that is very well written..

The spotlight's hot, but backstage's where the real drama unfolds.

So, round two of The Empire series is here, and it's a real page-turner. We're back in good old Highbridge, 1926, and The Empire theatre's scraping the bottom of the money barrel. Running The Empire theatre isn't all jazz hands and glitter. Jack Treadwell, his mom Lillian, and his playwright wife Grace are in a tight spot. They need to turn things around, pronto. Their game plan? A killer pantomime, a fresh venture, and a talent show to end all talent shows.

But hold up - Lillian's new flame, this Grand Duke Nikolai guy, might be bad news. And what's the deal with West End diva Stella Stanmore causing a stir? Oh, and don't forget their rivals in Highbridge - they're up to something fishy.

While Jack and Grace are busting their butts to keep the show rolling, a royal drops by, raising the stakes. Meanwhile, Sally Blow, a young widow, is crossing her fingers that this talent show could be her ticket to stardom.

Heads up though - there's a boatload of characters to keep straight. I didn’t read the first book and found myself playing flip-the-page with the cast list on multiple occasions(ever so grateful that there was a character list available at the beginning of the book or else I would have been in trouble here). You might also find that this novel is a bit of a slow burn at first, but stick with it - it gets good, I promise.

Overall, this novel is a crazy ride, packed with juicy theatre gossip and behind-the-scenes drama. Michael Ball clearly knows his stuff - guess all those years on stage paid off, huh? Everyone's got skeletons in their closets, and when they come tumbling out... well, some aren't so bad, but others? Oh boy.

“A Backstage Betrayal” is a fun, entertaining read that'll keep you hooked. You'll probably finish it in one sitting, so maybe clear your schedule for this one. You won’t be disappointed.

Michael Ball uses his knowledge of the theatre and theatre people really in this novel. The descriptions of back stage happenings, the running of the theatre and the characters involved, including Harry the rat(!), work very well. Good background storyline running through the novel. Romance, drama, sabotage, international assassination - it is all going on!

I liked book 1, but found this a bit too all over the place. A huge cast list and sub plots aplenty, I sadly found myself losing interest quite quickly and it didn't come back.

All centred around the empire theatre. A multi layered story, full of intrgue, love and ambition. At its heart a family but not a straight forward one.
You will understand the motivations and cheer the characters on.
A very readable book that will keep your attention and hope there is a follow up. Lady Lassiter, Tom, grace and Sally blow will become friends.