The Dancer Upstairs - by Nicholas Shakespeare (Paperback)

About the Book

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Javier Bardem and directed by John Malkovich, "The Dancer Upstairs" is a gripping suspense novel based on the search for the leader of Peru's notorious guerrilla organization, the Shining Path.

Book Synopsis

The Peruvian guerilla leader Ezequiel is responsible for tens of thousands of fiendishly cruel murders, yet he consistently eludes capture. But in Agustn Rejas he has an indefatigable pursuer. From secluded city streets to the paths of a mountain village the policeman persists, tracking and anticipating Ezequiel's every move. Rejas' only reprieve is his love for his daughter's beautiful dance teacher--until he begins to pick up unmistakable signals that her circles--and Ezequiel's--intersect.
Based on the extraordinary manhunt for the leader of Peru's notorious guerilla organization, The Shining Path, The Dancer Upstairs is a story reminiscent of Graham Greene and John LeCarr--tense, intricate, and heartbreaking.

Review Quotes

"Riveting...an intriguing, well-crafted and powerful novel."-The Washington Post

"A beautifully crafted tale of love, obsession, and terror."-The Baltimore Sun

"Enviably good, a genuinely fine novel from a writer who possesses real heart and flair."-Louis de Bernieres, The Sunday Times (London)

"An intriguing, well-crafted and powerful novel." --The Washington Post

"I cannot think of any other contemporary foreign writer who has ventured with such curiosity and such sure instincts into the labyrinth of the politics of my country and acquitted himself so well." --Mario Vargas Llosa

About the Author

Nicholas Shakespeare is the author of The Vision of Elena Silves, winner of the Somerset Maugham Award, The High Flyer, and Bruce Chatwin, a biography. He lives in London.