The Winter Ball

Anton Du Beke

THE fear of bombing raids and enemy invasions have haunted the streets of wartime London throughout the long months of 1942 but, as the winter cold arrives and Christmas season approaches, the danger lies closer to home closer… and at the city’s prestigious Buckingham Hotel, a traitor is on manoeuvres.

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. The Winter Ball is our eighth 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, and where the war is proving the catalyst for changes, some totally unexpected and some – like the arrival of the American forces – exciting.

As the snow falls on Berkeley Square in December, the staff at the Buckingham are busy preparing for the arrival of American soldiers. Raymond de Guise, known to all as King of the Ballroom, is rallying the performers for the upcoming Winter Ball, with a familiar face returning to surprise the guests.

As rumours circulate that the Royal Party will be in attendance on the night, tensions begin to rise on and off the dancefloor as shocking secrets are revealed. Raymond has always been a keeper of secrets, most especially his own. But what his friends and family don’t know is that he has returned from the frontline to the ballroom to feed inside information from high society to the British government.

And as the festive season approaches, he is given his most dangerous assignment yet… welcoming three American officials into his home with the knowledge that one of them is a traitor. As the Christmas baubles glitter, he must discover who has treachery in his heart before it is too late. Will Raymond be able to protect his home and his country… or will this be the time he finally loses what he loves the most?

The Winter Ball delivers the same heady mix of real social and British history with a story full of nostalgia, suspense, romance and perilous espionage 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 as he whisks readers round the opulent ballroom and into the lives of staff and guests for another helping of wartime drama.

As always, the cast of flamboyant characters from all walks of life – not least the fleet-footed Raymond and his delectable wife Nancy – are the stars of the show as the hotel’s opulent luxury provides the backdrop to hidden danger and the unravelling of deadly secrets, and a traitor in their midst.

 There is music, rhythm and some fancy footwork in this sweeping, sultry story but there is also authentic period detail, a perfectly portrayed wartime London, and Du Beke’s sharp insight into the fears, uncertainties and suspicions of a country caught up in another brutal conflict. It’s another whirlwind waltz back in time… and here’s hoping the Buckingham’s last dance is still far from over!
(Orion, hardback, £20)