On her first mission for MI6, the daring young photographer at the heart of this thrilling new mystery series by bestselling author Anne Perry travels to Mussolini’s Italy to rescue the lover who betrayed her.Britain’s secret intelligence service, MI6, has lost contact with its informant in northern Italy, just as important information about the future plans of Austria and Nazi Germany is coming … Germany is coming to light. And young Elena Standish, to her surprise, is the only person who can recognize MI6’s man—because he is her former lover. Aiden Strother betrayed Elana six years ago, throwing shame on her entire family. Now, with so much to prove, Elena heads to Trieste to track down Aiden and find out what happened to his handler, who has mysteriously cut off contact with Britain.
As Elena gets word of a secret group working to put Austria in the hands of Germany, her older sister, Margot, is in Berlin to watch a childhood friend get married—to a member of the Gestapo. Margot and Elena’s grandfather, the former head of MI6, is none too happy about the sisters’ travels at this tumultuous time, especially when a violent event at home reminds him that even Britain is growing dangerous. As his own investigation collides with his granddaughter’s, what’s at stake on the continent becomes increasingly frightening—and personal.
Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing Europe, New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry crafts a novel full of suspense, political intrigue, and the struggle between love and loyalty to country.
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This is the second in the Elena Standish series which I didn’t realize until I read a couple of the reviews. I didn’t feel too lost in this story because the characters discuss the events from the previous book Death in Focus enough to give me a sense of what happened. It’s 1933, and this is Elena’s first mission with MI6, Britain’s secret intelligence service. MI6’s man undercover in Trieste (in Northern Italy) hasn’t been heard from and the only person who can recognize him on sight is Elena. The reason she’ll be able to recognize him is because he’s a former lover–Aiden Strother. Will she do it? It’s been six years, but can she rescue the man who betrayed her?
This was an captivating story full of intrigue with interconnecting three storylines. There were quite a few characters because of the three stories–Elena’s in Italy to find Aiden because his handler has lost contact with MI6, Elena’s sister, Margot, is going to Berlin to attend a long-time friend’s wedding, and their grandfather, former head of MI6, has his own disturbing murder to solve, and traitor to find.
Once I was able to remember which characters went with each storyline I really got into this book. Elena proves she’s capable when she finds Aiden without too much trouble, but getting him and the information he has out of Italy is another matter. What happened to his handler? Was Aiden really not a traitor to Britain? Was it all just a part of his cover to get into Germany? Can she trust him? Does she dare?
The author weaves the three stories together almost seamlessly. Some of the threads from each story weave together making for a complex mystery. Who can be trusted? And if so, how much/how far can they be trusted? I had my own suspicions about who was guilty of what, but I was not prepared for the ending of Elena’s story. I look forward to reading more of this series and learning more about the Standish family.
A Question of Betrayal is the second novel of the great Anne Perry’s newest series, Elena Standish. I’m a fairly new fan of Ms. Perry and I’ve loved every book of hers I’ve read so far. The first installment of this series, Death in Focus, was fantastic, so I had high hopes for this one. I wasn’t disappointed; in fact, I was totally blown away!
MI6, Britain’s secret intelligence service, has lost total contact with their agent who’s in deep cover in Trieste, Italy. That’s always a bad thing, but it’s even worse now because a secret group is working for Germany to take over Austria, and Britain desperately needs the information he is gathering. Elena Standish, on her first mission for MI6, is sent by her handler Peter Howard to go to Trieste to find the agent and bring him home. Why Elena? The missing agent is Aiden Strother, her former lover who betrayed her six years ago. Peter believes she is the only one who will recognize Aiden if he’s disguised, plus he will trust her. While Elena is on her perilous mission, her older sister, Margot, goes to Berlin for the wedding of her dearest friend, who is marrying a young officer in the Gestapo. And back in England, their grandfather Lucas is dealing with danger on the homefront. Who in this dangerous world can be trusted?
This story was an absolutely brilliant thrill ride full of intrigue. Elena is coming into her own as a new MI6 agent. She may be new, but she’s no stranger to these dangerous times. I enjoyed watching her confidence grow as she’s on her own for this mission. I wasn’t a big Margot fan in the first book, but here she’s one of the most compelling characters; her observations are deeply insightful. Lucas is extremely worried about his beloved granddaughters, but he’s pulled into more intrigue back at home by a friend who has serious questions about secret funding to Germany. He’s helped by his wife Josephine, who was a brilliant codebreaker during the Great War. Peter is becoming more fascinating each time he’s in the picture. And Aiden? Well, he’s a wildcard. No spoilers here!
Besides the characters, it’s the great feeling of dread Ms. Perry is able to invoke that makes this novel so wonderful. It’s set in 1933: you know what happened in WWI, but it’s knowing what’s coming that brings a chill to your bones. When German officers discuss the new Dachau prison, I felt sick to my stomach knowing the reality of it. Ms. Perry also reminds us how our enemies are sometimes much like us in our hopes and fears. And she perfectly describes the beauty that surrounds us even in the worst of times. Absolutely brilliant.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
A Question of Betrayal, in my opinion, is one of Perry’s best. A cast of believable characters set in the days just prior to Austria’s annexing to Hitler’s Germany. If you enjoy page turners, this one is chock full of spies, mystery, and suspense.
I have not read book 1 of this series, but I intend to now.
This is a fascinating, tight story of events during the rise of Hitler in Germany, complete with those seemingly supporting him, those seemingly opposing him, and the difficulty of distinguishing between them.
Two storylines carry through, in England and in Italy, each trying to work out what is The Truth about the status of Europe.
Into this is added a young woman (introduced and experiencing a baptism of fire in the first book) who is sent to Italy to get an agent out and retrieve his information.
In England it becomes evident that there is corruption in the highest levels of government security.
How it plays out is an exciting story.
This book is different that her Victorian books. This takes place just before WWII. Elena Standish is the main character. She works for MI6 and is sent to Trieste to make contact with another agent. There is a lot of cloak and dagger activities and you never know who is on your side. The intrigue is cat and mouse is great and kept my attention. The characters are very different from Pitt and Monk. The plot reflects the changes in morals of a more modern time.
Excellent mystery. It kept me guessing as to who really was the bad guy.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and offer my honest opinion of this book.
A Question of Betrayal is the second in Anne Perry’s spy series set just prior to World War II. I found it worked well as a stand-alone novel.
Elena Standish’s grandfather, Lucas, retired from British Intelligence, MI6. She follows in his footsteps, and on her first official mission she is sent to Trieste, Italy, using her photographic skills as a cover. In Trieste, she’s to recover a British agent, Aiden Strother, whose handler has disappeared. He is also her former lover who humiliated her when he dumped her. Precisely because of her prior intimate relationship with him, she is the only person equipped for the job as she can immediately recognize Aiden and make contact.
A QUESTION OF BETRAYAL has a very intricate plot which Perry juggles to perfection. While Elena is involved in Trieste, her sister, Margot, is attending a wedding in Berlin—where her friend is marrying an up-and-coming young Nazi. In the meantime, their grandfather (retired from MI6) and grand mother are investigating traitors within MI6 itself. All three plot lines deal with the rise of Nazism and the overthrow of Dollfuss, the Chancellor of Austria between 1932 and 1934.
The ending is heart-stopping and brings the naive young Elena into a new light and definitively moves her into the category of “strong female protagonist.” I read this in one sitting and will backtrack and pick up volume one of Elena Standish’s story, Death in Focus.
Anne Perry continued her Elena Standish series with a winner in A Question of Betrayal. There are multiple storylines here, following three generations of the Standish family on the brink of WWII. The patriarchs – Lucas and Josephine Standish – investigate their friend’s murder and spies within MI6, while their granddaughters Margot and Elena each intimately face the growth of fascism in Germany and Italy (respectively).
It’s the development of Elena’s character that captivates the most. In this episode (which clearly won’t be the last), she goes undercover on her first major assignment with MI6 in Trieste, Italy, to rescue a missing deep-cover agent. She needs to find him, and get him out with what he knows of Nazi intentions and timing for Austria. She’s chosen for this assignment because she knows the missing agent – her former lover who betrayed her and Britain six years ago when he defected from the foreign service! Complicated, yes. But Ms. Perry pulls it off with well-developed characters and tension-filled plot twists.
Four stars instead of five because the climax was a bit too contrived for me. Still, I enjoyed reading the ARC copy I received from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own. Recommended read for historical fiction / war thriller fans.
A Question of Betrayal by Anne Perry is a gem. As an unabashed admirer of Anne Perry’s work, it is easy for me to say that this second Elena Standish novel is pure Perry and is exciting a character as the premiere novel promised. The story, which takes place in 1933, actually has three protagonists whose stories come together in the end for an explosive ending. Her MI6 boss, Peter Howard has sent Elena to Italy to extract Aiden Strother, an embedded agent whose handler has disappeared and who appears to have lost his cover. It is Elena because years before she had been in love with him and would recognize him on sight. Lucas, Elena’s grandfather and the retired head of MI6 was not happy when he heard, but recognized the wisdom behind sending her. While she is gone, an old friend of Lucas’, Stoney, visits with a bizarre story of money being laundered through MI6 and send to a Nazi organization. Several days later, Stoney turns up dead and Lucas and his wife, Josephine, race against the clock to locate any evidence Stoney may have left behind in his house. At the same time, Elena’s sister, Margot, attends a wedding in Berlin, and overhears sensitive information being discussed. It’s a frightening look into the years between World War I and World War II.
Perry has a novel way of putting together a story. A Question of Betrayal is fraught with emotion as Elena faces a lover who jilted her and Margot faces ghosts of her dead husband, Paul, who was killed on the battlefield. These are all multi-layered characters as are the others in the book, who have all faced loss, secrets, and fear. The main plot is a good one with the question constantly in the air about what might have been. The ending is explosive, one the reader might not see coming, but fits the scenario and the question of Elena’s growth as an MI6 agent beautifully. It’s a thrilling read, much more an adventure book than anything. I loved it and recommend it. The Elena Standish series is an excellent introduction to Anne Perry whose work is so voluminous as to be intimidating.
I was invited to read a free ARC of The Question of Betrayal by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #aquestionofbetrayal
This is the second book in the Elena Standish Series. It’s set in the years just before WWII. Elena is sent to Italy to get information from a spy for MI6. If she can get him out, all the better. The only problem is: the agent is her ex-boyfriend. He betrayed, made her look like a fool to her family and coworkers, and caused her to lose her job. It all comes down to sending her bc his handler has gone missing. Her sister Margot has gone to Germany for a friend’s wedding. With both his granddaughters in a harms way, Louis, former MI6 is not very happy.
Perry has a lot going on in this book, but you never get lost. She keeps the pace just right. One moment calm and smooth, the next ratcheting the speed and climax up, then taking it back down. This is a quick read that keeps you guessing if Anton, the ex boyfriend, is really as bad as everyone thought.
Even though the book is good, I was disappointed at the ending. Perry wrapped it up all neatly and to me kind of in a hurry. I would have liked another chapter or two to tell the rest of the story. Though she wrapped it up quickly, I think she could have done better, just my opinion. I do recommend the book, though.
Thanks to Netgalley for the Kindle Version of the book for my honest opinion and thoughts.
Long time fan of Anne Perry. This new series does not disappoint. As soon as I finished it, I looked forward to the next installment.
I usually enjoy Anne Perry’s books, and A QUESTION OF BETRAYAL, the second Elena Standish novel, did not disappoint. Even though this book references the first book in the series DEATH IN FOCUS, I think this can be read as a standalone. I was immediately immersed in this tale full of intrigue, duplicity, betrayal, and murder. There are three threads that all work together to tell an exciting, engaging story in the increasingly tumultuous years leading up to World War II. All of the characters are well developed and believable. I particularly enjoy watching Elena and her sister Margot continue to grow and become more confident in their place in the world. The sisters’ grandparents are another bright spot; their experiences are so interesting. I cannot wait to spend more time in Elena’s world. Highly recommended.
I received an ARC of this title through NetGalley from Ballantine Books and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
I received a free electronic ARC of this historical British novel from Netgalley, Anne Perry, and Ballantine Books on August 14, 2020. I have read this novel of my own volition and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. A Question of Betrayal is a pre-WWII story, but anything written by Anne Perry is a sure bet. She is an author I follow. I am thoroughly enjoying these books by several authors that cover happenings in between the European wars, and especially those that cover the growing unrest in some of the smaller countries that were rolled up by the German machine later on. There was so much going on, so many countries affected besides Germany and France. They are of course our usual focus group of WWI and WWII. The pain and suffering were however international, universal.
Elena Standish is the 28-year-old granddaughter of Lucas Standish, the man who was head of British Intelligence during WWI, and is herself a member of MI6 in 1933, though with only a couple of cases under her belt. Her boss Peter Howard is certain she is the perfect operative to undertake the retrieval of Aiden Strother, an operative embedded for several years in Trieste, Italy, and currently isolated, with the chain of contact and information broken. Things are heating up in both Italy and Germany and that information chain is essential. World affairs are looking bad again, with trouble in the wings, and England cannot be caught off guard.
The fact that Aiden was Elena’s lover six years ago when he was accused of being a double agent and cut off without a country might make Peter think twice about using Elena for this job but the work she has tackled for him in the past has been strictly professional, and she will know Aiden when she sees him. Without access to his handler Max, disappeared these many days, finding Aiden will not be easy. Getting him out of Italy unscathed will be even harder. If anything happens to Elena, however, Peter will have to answer to Lucas, a man he really respects – and sometimes fears.
This is the second book in the Elena Standish series and Elena hasn’t been able to get beyond having been betrayed by her lover, Aiden Strother, who was condemned as a traitor. When knowledge of her relationship came out, she was dismissed from MI6, a double betrayal. Worse, her shame was also heaped onto her family. Now, on the eve of WWII, as Nazism is growing throughout Europe, Elena is once again called on to serve her country and MI6. She is asked to go to Trieste to bring back Strother, whose handler has disappeared and Strother is alone in the depths of his long-term undercover assignment spying on the Nazis. Can Elena do her job and bring Strother safely home with the invaluable information he undoubtedly has?
There is an interesting sub-plot with Elena’s sister traveling to Berlin to be at the wedding of a friend. Her friend is marrying a Gestapo officer. The sisters’ grandfather, the former head of MI6, wants neither of his granddaughters anywhere near Germany and Italy because of the volatility of the area as events are speeding toward another war-to-end-all-wars, WWII.
Once again, Perry has written a spot-on historical mystery with all the elements we’ve loved since Monk first appeared on the scene in The Face of a Stranger (1990). She has developed Elena as deeply wounded young woman who isn’t sure she’s up to the task of dealing with the man who did her wrong, but nevertheless accepts the assignment to try to salvage her life. Perry has written a page turner of a story.
While this is the second book in the series, you need not have read the first book to thoroughly enjoy this book.
If you love well-written historical mysteries with complex characters and intricate plots that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning, this is the book for you.This book deserves to be at, or near, the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an eARC.
historical-research, historical-places-events, historical-fiction, espionage, double-agent, 1930s, British, family-dynamics, friendship
She thought he was a traitor who turned his back on her and on England. Now she is being asked to face him again under even more difficult circumstances in the backdrop of a pending world war. In another well researched historical mystery with entanglements in family and more, the author has provided us with another devious mystery and possibly a cautionary tale. The story is as convoluted as the politics of the era and the characters are only too believable. It held my attention even after I finished it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Random House Publishing /Ballantine Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
I really enjoyed this story. It was so interesting and I led me to research different things going on in that time. Hitler is on the rise and so things are going on in England, Italy and Germany that are suspect. Elena is asked to go to Italy by MI6 to get one of their men out of there with a very important list. Elena is really the only one who can identify him as he was her lover years before. Elena’s sister, Margot, goes to Germany for a friend’s wedding. She is marrying a Nazi. Margot hears conversations that are very frightening. Their grandfather, former head of MI6, is told by an old friend about something going on with a highly placed person in MI6. The friend is murdered and it is up to Lucas to figure out what he was working on. When Margot comes back from Germany and tells Lucas what she has learned, he is able to piece things together. Elena has made contact with her man, but is he friend or foe? Is he working both sides? She needs to figure it out before she and others lose their lives.
Anne Perry’s Elena Standish series has become one of my favorite new series. Set in 1930s Europe, the series follows Elena as she joins Britian’s MI6 and works to stop the growing Nazi party. “A Question of Betrayal” is the second in the series, and it was even better than the first.
In this second book, Elena is sent to Europe to recover a double agent who is in trouble. The fact that the agent in trouble is also her former lover adds drama to the story. What I have loved about both Elena Standish novels is that Elena does not seem to trip into any of female stereo types about needing to be saved by a romantic love interest. She very much stands on her own two feet and proves herself on her own. The ending this story, like the first, was also a surprise which is delightful since so many books seem to have such predictable endings.
Another wonderful element to the series is the strong cast of supporting characters with interesting side-plots. Elena’s grandfather was the former head of the MI6 and works to solve a related murder during this novel. Elena’s sister Margot attends the wedding of a childhood friend to a rising Nazi party member in Berlin, and hears information also related to the story.
While this is the second book in a series, each book is absolutely a stand along and satisfying read. You could easily read this book without having read the first and very much enjoyed the story.
I really loved this book and series. As a huge fan of the Maisie Dobbs and Bess Crawford series which take place during the same historical period, I have been sad that there are no release dates for future books including these characters. Now that I have found the Elena Standish series, I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment of this series!
This book is like watching your favorite Masterpiece Theatre episode on PBS. It’s as if John le Carré wrote a season of Downton Abbey a little after the show stopped being televised. It’s the 1930’s and Europe is on the brink of war. We find out that the Earl of Grantham used to work for MI6 and so did Mr. Carson. They think they kept it a secret from the women in their lives, but actually, they always knew/suspected, and now that the older men are retired, Mary and Edith help the MI6, with Edith becoming a full-fledged agent.
All the drama and flair you expect from Masterpiece is in A Question of Betrayal. So are cunning smart women, fantastic backdrops of Europe, and descriptions of fabulous parties and dresses. However, it is all mixed with the thrilling danger and grit of an espionage story. The main character, photographer Elena Standish, really comes into her own in this book. So does her older sister Margot. (Incidentally, just like Mary and Edith, they have an English father and an American mother.) The characters are complex and deep. The setting and history are expertly researched, and the plot and action are thrilling. After reading, you will want to spend a lot more time with all of the characters in this series.
A QUESTION OF BETRAYAL. Anne Perry
Setting before WWII. After four months she thought she had proven herself to do a more intricate job of espionage.for BMI. An agent cover has been blown, Alden had been getting information from the Germans, giving it to Britain.. He betrayed her, but not Britain. She will be going to Trieste, Italy without letting anyone know she is going, Alder will know and trust her. He has been a double agent, and she is there to extract him,a good time period plot, and a world one only reads about. It was fast paced with intrigue and danger, Good second book in this series. Given ARC from Net Galley and
Ramdon House for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
Again Anne Perry managed to get you engaged in the turbulent pre-WWII years.
This is the second book in the Elena Standish series and if you have not read the first one “Death in Focus” I highly suggest you read that first. It is not a 100% needed but I think you will enjoy this book a lot more if you do. This book is historical friction. You get to know each character and their way of thinking. The story makes you aware of the political unrest and intrigues of the times. The mystery plot keeps you guessing. Is Helena going to be betrayed a second time by the man she ones loved?
Both Margot and Elena find their inner strengths more as the story processes and hopeful we will see a closer working together of the two of them in the future.
A Question of Betrayal by Anne Perry is the second book in the Elena Standish series. This is an excellent historical fiction novel that literally has it all: an excellent plot, murder, mystery, intrigue, amazing characters, twists, turns, deception, and truly kept me engaged throughout.
I had the privilege to read the first book in this series, Death in Focus published in 2019, and I really feel that this book picked up wonderfully where the other ended. Being able to follow along again with some of my favorite characters really was a treat.
This book starts off only a few months after the other ended: in the early years during the rise of Hitler into the forefront of power and the beginning of Elena’s new career working for MI6. Just as the winds of change are really picking up is where we find ourselves immersed into the hotbed of fighting factions trying to rise into power, espionage just kicking up into high gear, and the first years of what we know that will come to be the blocks of foundation placed for WWII.
I absolutely loved the intricate plot and the best part was the ability to visit each character’s mindset with perfectly alternating viewpoints of: Elena, Margot, Lucas, and Peter. It added so much more to the richness of the novel. Each character had their own small subplot that perfectly weaved together to join one another and into the overall plot. It was nothing short of genius.
I loved all of the characters. Truly. I hope Peter can move up the ranks, I hope we get to see more of Margot, and I hope in future books we can see Lucas, Peter, Margot, Josephine, and Elena be able to work together. There is so much material that the possibilities are endless, and that makes me very, very excited.
Easily one of my favorite books of this year!
If you love historical fiction, a great espionage concept, creative and intriguing stories, agent/spy plots, and WWII era fiction, then this is for you.
5/5 stars enthusiastically
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine/Random House for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.