In the start of an all-new mystery series set in pre–World War II Europe, an intrepid young photographer carries her dead lover’s final, world-shattering message into the heart of Berlin as Hitler ascends to power.“Thrilling . . . reminiscent of works by Eric Ambler and Graham Greene.”—The Wall Street Journal On vacation from London on the beautiful Italian coast, twenty-eight-year-old Elena … coast, twenty-eight-year-old Elena Standish and her older sister, Margot, have finally been able to move on from the lasting trauma of the Great War, in which the newly married Margot lost her husband and the sisters their beloved brother. Touring with her camera in hand, Elena has found new inspiration in the striking Italian landscape, and she’s met an equally striking man named Ian. When Ian has to leave unexpectedly, Elena—usually the more practical of the sisters—finds she’s not ready to part from him, and the two share a spontaneous train trip home to England. But a shocking sequence of events disrupts their itinerary, forcing Elena to personally deliver a message to Berlin on Ian’s behalf, one that could change the fate of Europe.
Back home, Elena’s diplomat father and her secretive grandfather—once head of MI6, unbeknownst to his family—are involved in their own international machinations. Worried when Elena still hasn’t returned from Italy, her grandfather starts to connect the dots between her change in plans and an incident in Berlin, where Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich are on the rise. It seems the message Elena delivered has forced her into a dangerous predicament, and her grandfather’s old contacts from MI6 may be the only people who can get her out alive—if Elena can tell the difference between her allies and her enemies.
New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry merges family secrets with suspense on the world stage, as darkness bubbles under the surface of a Europe on the brink of change. In these complicated times, Elena emerges as a strong new heroine who learns quickly that when nothing is certain, she can rely only on herself.
Praise for Death in Focus
“Masterful! It’s exceedingly rare for an author to have the talent to blend classic elements of a thriller with compelling family dynamics and geopolitical intrigue, but Anne Perry pulls it off like the consummate pro that she is. And, on top of all that, Death in Focus is written in her unique literary voice. I guarantee you’ll love Elena Standish. Brava!” —Jeffery Deaver, author of The Never Game
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This is a great first book in a new series by Anne Perry. Elena Standish is the daughter of a diplomat and the granddaughter of the head of MI6 during the First WW. This book takes place before the start of WWII. Elena, a photographer, and her sister Margot have gone to the Amalfi coast for an Economics Conference. Elena had previously worked in the Foreign office, fell in love with her boss, and he had betrayed them all. However, she meets Ian, who she easily connects with. After they find a dead man in the hotel, Emma agrees to ride the train to Paris with Ian. When she finds Ian dying, he asks her to go to Berlin to warn the British embassy that a high up Nazi, Scharnhorst, is going to be shot at a rally.
Emma tells the Embassy, and then goes to the rally and shoots pictures, including one of Scharnhorst being shot. When she returns to the hotel she finds a rifle in her closet and realizes they are going to pin the shooting on her. She escapes from the hotel, is befriended by some Jews, and while still on the run, watches the burning of books where she takes more moving photos.
This is a very exciting mystery, with graphic descriptions of what is happening in Berlin in the days before war begins. There is a very surprising event at the end of the book.
Death in Focus by Anne Perry is an amazing, gripping, suspenseful, and fabulous historical fiction/mystery novel. This is the first in a series (with hopefully many more books to come) involving Elena Standish. We are first introduced to her with hints of a recent past of an honest mistake that may have had multiple repercussions (Ms Perry does not show all her cards on this one which is exciting as it can be used to draw on for future material) and trying to find herself and pick up the pieces by delving into photography and being hired to take pictures of a conference in Italy with her polar opposite older sister Margot.
Unfortunately everyone (including her father Charles, and her beloved Grandparents Lucas and Josephine who were themselves involved /still involved in MI6/secret service) has been drawn into a complicated (but intriguing and delicious) mystery that involves murders, double crossings, espionage, and cat/mouse activities across several countries during the early 1930s, just as Hitler is coming onto the scene and Germany is undergoing a new identity. Nothing is what it seems, and no one is sure who to trust in this impressive story.
I love Elena and I honestly feel that I can relate to her. She is imperfect, makes mistakes, yet has a strong moral compass, and has loyalty that cannot be shaken. She is a realist and is intelligent, but also admits to making errors past and present. I love how she stands on her own, despite the fact that at this time, female self reliance and independence was not encouraged.
I love the complicated dynamics between Elena and Margot and Elena and her father Charles, as well as between Charles and his parents. I can’t wait to see how these relationships develop.
I leave out the rest of the synopsis as it will give away too much, and as the reader can see for themselves, but trust me when I say it is so worth it.
5/5 stars. One of the best books I have read this year.
This is a heart-pounding, fast-paced, full of action story, set in the perilous time between the world wars. Anne Perry has hit a home-run with the first in this new series. Elena Standish is an amazing photographer, who captures some dreadful events, and becomes mired in one of these events. This book is not to be missed.
This is the engaging story of a young woman who becomes entangled in a case of espionage and murder. A riveting tale with a heroic but humble main character (Elena Standish) make this a wonderful book to read! I can’t wait to read more books in this series! If you like murder mysteries and suspense, this is the book for you!
The first book in a new series and I hope it will continue.
Anne Perry in her easy readable style managed to bring to life some of the events taking place in the aftermath of World War I around 1933. For many people who have lost a loved one the hurt is still very much present and everybody has their own way of dealing with it. We see the increase of popularity of Hitler in Germany and how easy it is to become caught up in the situation. Not only in Germany but in England, France and the Nederland’s Hitler had his believers. They saw him improving the economy and making the train system punctual. What can be easier then to blame Jews and Gypsies for your bad luck and poverty. The ending was a bit of a surprise but it was a good ending.