New York Times bestselling author #Anne Perry has a new novel. This is her second in the spy series set in Europe. '# A Question of Betrayal' is the first mission for MI6, and she's a daring young photographer. The mission is to rescue the lover who betrayed her. Author # Anne Perry has a novel full of suspense, political intrigue, and the struggle between love and loyalty.
This is a wonderful thriller. For all of us stay at home happy people it's perfect. This I would buy for a gift since it's a series and holiday time approaching.
Thank you,
#Netgalley, # Anne Perry, and # Random House

Excellent story with a bit of a surprise ending. The setting, between WWI and WWII in Europe was well described and added to the story. The characters were believable and well developed. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

This book was quite good. It was just as good or even better than the first! I was unsure because sometimes sequels don't match up to the first success in the series. It exceeded all my expectations!

This new series by Anne Perry is definitely going to be a winner. With mystery and intrigue surrounding the time of WW2, fans of both historical fiction and mysteries will find themselves drawn into Elena and the difficult mission she finds herself on. This book kept me reading from start to finish and on the edge of my seat at times!! Cannot wait for the next book!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Caught against the backdrop of an ever changing world,a young MI6 recruit gets the opportunity to make her mark by pinpointing an agent out of contact and feared lost. Elina has personal reasons to have this mission succeed. The elusive Aiden Strother destroyed a young girls life only to have her be the only person to pull off the mission. A story rife with world turmoil and a cast of characters with the depth you’ve come expect from Perry.

Ooooh this book! Perry does a marvelous job of getting inside a character's emotions, to the point you can feel the anxiety or agony or dread or nervousness a person feels. As I delved more and more into this book, with three major plot points, I thought there was no way to get this all wrapped up nice and neat-I was wrong! It was an engaging and good read, fast but well paced. Elena had more stamina and grit in this novel-despite the heartache and loss she's experienced, she's grown as a woman and as a spy and it really shines in this book. I liked that we saw more of her family in this book, and I surprisingly found myself liking her sister more and more. I'm hoping if this series continues, we see them paired up on a future assignment together.
Well written, well done!

This is the second novel in the Elena Standish series and the second I have read. The first was well worth reading for Anne Perry's sheer skill, but the greater reason was that it conveyed some of the atmosphere of the Nazi rise to power in Germany, which in many unfortunate ways is being emulated here in the United States. Although set in Italy, this one conveys much of the same feeling of danger and impending doom. There is a history lesson here that we all need to absorb. In terms of characterization, Elena Standish is not as fully fleshed out as Ms. Perry's William Monk, for instance, but she is admirable and likable. I will be reading future books in the series.

A Question of Betrayal is the second installment in Anne Perry's spy series set on the cusp of World War II. Like Death in Focus, the new novel features Elena Standish, an M16 spy who poses as a professional photographer when working overseas. This time around she travels to Trieste in 1933 to locate a missing British spy whose handler has disappeared. It's Elena's first official mission—or at least her first really dangerous one--and the assignment is difficult for a number of reasons. Not only must she venture into Mussolini's Italy and guide a jittery agent back to safety, but she must also confront the love of her life. Make that former love of her life. Because it was solely due to Aiden Strother's efforts that Elena was publicly humiliated and forced to leave her respectable government job. Oh, and did I mention he broke her heart?

Not too surprisingly, she's not exactly keen to see him again. But as the granddaughter of former M16 chief Lucas Standish, spycraft is in her blood. And Elena is one of the few operatives who knows Aiden well enough to recognize him under cover. So she sets aside her feelings and settles into city life. At the same time, two additional subplots begin to unfold. One involves Lucas, now enjoying his retirement in the English countryside. A third involves Elena's older sister Margot, who has been invited to a friend's wedding in Berlin. All three strands are interwoven to create an engaging historical mystery that comes together to create a satisfying ending.

I've read quite a lot of books set during World War II, but only a handful set in the pre-war years. The historical backdrop—which involves Austria's Fatherland Front and Christian Social Party leader Engelbert Dollfuss--was my favorite thing about the book. I can't say more without giving away the plot, but I did a little research on the Fatherland Front after I finished. The supremacist group did indeed exist and its fascist, far-right goals were just as much of a threat in real life as they were in Perry's novel.

A Question of Betrayal is the first book I've read in the Standish series but I had no problem picking up on the backstory. I liked Elena's character and from what I could gather, she's changed quite a bit from the inexperienced mousy woman she was when she first met Aiden. Of course, Aiden has changed as well. Or has he? Will he betray her again? Is Elena's life in as much danger as his missing handler? More importantly, can she manage to bring him – and the information he's discovered – back to London?

There are plenty of twists along the way to finding out the answers to these questions and though the ending wasn't what I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I do prefer Perry's new Daniel Pitt series, but the Elena Standish mysteries are a solid addition to Perry's extensive body of historical fiction. I'll definitely be on the look-out for book three.

Much thanks to Random House and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An well-written work that keeps the reader engaged and guessing who the real good "guys" are right up to the end. This account of events in Europe leading up to WWII portrays the role of women in previously male dominated roles of information gatherers. The female protagonist is strong, but vulnerable, having a certain frailty but with an inner strength.

Unfortunately NetGalley didn't send me this book, even though it appears in the list of my shelf, so I am obligated to provide a review and rating even though I wasn't able to read it. There needs to be a way to alert netGalley when a book isn't showing up on my kindle. Better luck next time?

I really enjoy Ms. Perry's writing and have been a long time avid fan. I started reading this book in good faith and then just got bogged down and put it down hoping to be able to come back to it in a better refreshed frame of mind. I picked it up and put it down several times. I try not to look at other reviews on a book because I don't want their opinions to color mine but in this instance I actually went to look both on Netgalley and Amazon and found the story had great reviews.
With all good intentions I picked it up again but for some reason and it's got to be me but I cannot make my way through this story.

Set in England in 1933-34. Second in the Elena Standish series. In the first book of the series, Elena Standish barely survives. She believes herself ready for some down time. Unbeknownst to her, she is surrounded by spies and double agents and is to be sent on another dangerous mission. Germany is still angry from its defeat following the first World War. Austria becomes the center of a takeover plot, as Hitler is rising to power. Mussolini is ruling in Italy. Churchill is out of power in Britain, as all of Britain wants peace and a time to rebuild their country. A German organization, The Fatherland Front, is becoming more powerful and appears to be leading the way to German's rise in power. Elena is asked by MI6 operative Peter to go to Trieste to check on an agent under deep cover who might be in danger.

Margot, against her parents' wishes, has gone to Berlin to attend her best friend's wedding to a German officer. Margot, although concerned about affairs in Germany, believes if anything does happen, it will be a long time coming. Lucas has an old friend who knows and keeps deep, dark secrets. He suffers a fall down the stairs which the police rule as accidental. Lucas believes he knows better and becomes very concerned about both his daughters and their well-being.

We are introduced to spies, counter spies, double agents as Elena stumbles her way along. Based on true historical events, this is a fascinating spy story.

A really good action packed spy story. The second book in this new series is terrific and am now looking forward to the next book.

Partner: Netgalley and Ballentine Books

I read the first Elena Standish novel and loved it. Set during the 1930s and featuring Elena and the Standish family, all who played or play a role in the British secret service, it captured my attention and didn't let it go until the end. The book ended with a bang and I was so very curious to see what was going to come next.
Well, A Question of Betrayal got off to a slow start and I found myself drifting from the story at times. However, once I got a quarter of the book in I found myself pulled in to the Standish family world. And I say Standish family because the book didn't just focus on Elena, it also focused on her sister and her Grandparents. I loved that aspect and found myself hoping that we will continue to see them more in future books
Spies, intrigue, and the rise of the Nazis party during the 1930s lead this book. It is a time period I haven't ready much about and found myself fascinated by the politics that were occurring in Britain and Europe during it. It ended up being a crackling good read and I look forward to the next outing for Elena and the Standish family.

This novel was about British intelligence officers during WWII. It was the okay. I found it to have too much backstory and not enough action scenes.

This was an interesting read and a different slant on the history of WWI. I enjoyed the personal relationship details and the interaction between characters.

A Question of Betrayal by Anne Perry is about a young woman photographer who travels to Italy to find and bring back to England a former lover/MI6 agent. While we learn that this lover, Aiden, had betrayed her six years previously, she is still the best person to send since she knows what he looks like. This story has a few back stories, all just as interesting as the main story, so it moves along at a fast and interesting pace. If you enjoy a book with intrigue and suspense, then you will enjoy reading this historical novel. (I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest opinion.)

Entertaining and quick read! Enjoyable characters with great familial ties to loyalty and government service, but not entirely believable and somewhat predictable. If you’re looking for a well written, entertaining read with a predictable action plot, then this is it. I will say this book was easy to enjoy without having read the first in the series. I plan on reading more in Perry’s Pitt series but won’t be reading more of Elena Standish’s character’s novels.

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.

I received a complimentary copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed in my review are my own.

Elena must try to find her partner Aiden. He has disappeared and it is feared that the Nazis have captured him.
Elena’s Father has no idea that one of his comrades has enlisted his daughter to help them find Aiden. Elena soon discovers there are many people she cannot trust. Is Hitler trying to capture Austria? She cannot believe her world is changing so fast and who is in charge.
Anne Perry will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.