A Dance for the King

Anton Du Beke

WARTIME danger is not limited to the fear of bombing raids and enemy invasions in the summer of 1942... there are spies operating in some high society circles and London’s prestigious Buckingham Hotel is suspected to be a hotbed of plotting and subterfuge.

Put on your dancing shoes, polish up the sequins, and glide seamlessly into the glitz and glamour of Mayfair as the dark shadows of conflict once again fall over the luxury hotel which has become the much-loved stage for Strictly Come Dancing royalty and all-round entertainer Anton Du Beke’s richly nostalgic novel series.

The king of dance – and now king of romance – Du Beke (pictured below) returns to sweep us off our feet and waltz us back in time to the upstairs and downstairs dramas of the residents and staff of the Buckingham Hotel in wartime, and the mystery, romance, perils and personalities that have made this series such a winner with readers. A Dance for the King is our seventh trip back in time to the music and magic of the Buckingham’s magnificent Grand Ballroom where dreams and dilemmas are part of everyday life, but where the war is proving the catalyst for changes, some totally unexpected and some – like the arrival of American forces – exciting.

In London in the summer of 1942, the war is far from over for soldier Lieutenant Raymond de Guise when he returns to his family and friends at the Buckingham Hotel after what seems like a lifetime in North Africa. His wife, Nancy, who is in charge of the hotel’s housekeeping department, is overjoyed to be reunited with her husband and to introduce him to Arthur, the baby son that Raymond hasn’t yet met.

But a new kind of covert war is opening up for Raymond on his return to the city, a war that will mean he has to keep secrets from Nancy. Under the auspices of Maynard Charles – once the director of the Buckingham Hotel and now an officer with MI5 – Raymond must undertake espionage and surveillance work at the hotel.

Not only has a wave of American GIs arrived in London, but now spies have reportedly infiltrated the upper echelons of British society. Raymond’s orders are to return to his role as the hotel ballroom’s professional dancer and discover the dark secrets held by some of the glittering figures who frequent the Buckingham. And it’s on the dance floor that Raymond uncovers a dangerous relationship that could not only change the course of the war, but also threaten his marriage. With his safety – and that of Nancy, too – now threatened, can Raymond protect his King and his family before it’s too late?

A Dance for the King delivers the same heady mix of real social and British history with a story full of nostalgia, suspense, romance and intrigue as Raymond dices with danger while the music plays and the dancers dance. And Du Beke – whose research and inspiration for the series came from speaking to war veterans – doesn’t put a foot wrong in this new hotel drama as he whisks readers round the opulent ballroom, through the humble staff quarters, and into the lives of wealthy guests for another helping of mystery, dance and romance.

As always, the cast of flamboyant characters from all walks of life – not least dapper dancer Raymond, the feisty Nancy, the ballroom’s feted black American bandleader Max Allgood and now his wayward nephew Nelson – take centre stage as deadly secrets are unearthed.

Enjoy music, rhythm and some of the author’s trademark fancy footwork in this captivating story but readers can also expect some hard-hitting themes and Du Beke’s sharp insight into a country and its people coping with the daily realities of a far-reaching conflict. A time-travelling dance of delights!
(Orion, hardback, £20)