One of the things that makes "A Question of Betrayal" stand out is that it is set in Europe in 1933. The various European nations and their citizens are trying to recover from WWI, which is made harder by the Great Depression. The older generation remembers the horrors and devastation of the war, but the young adults, when not focused on surviving, are influenced more by the pride of victory or the embarrassment of defeat, as well as new political ideologies of socialism and communism. Hitler and Mussolini are rising to power in Germany and Italy, and there are worrying signs, especially with the Nazi party in Germany. The behavior and rhetoric of Hitler and the Nazis is quite disturbing, but there is no consensus in western European nations, especially Great Britain, as to what should be done. Some government officials fear that war is inevitable, while others believe that Hitler and the Nazis will fail or fall apart before another war occurs or believe that Hitler will be satisfied with creating a greater Germany, encompassing neighboring countries or parts of neighboring countries with Germanic origins or large German populations. There are even some British officials who secretly or openly support the Nazis.

Amongst those trying to figure out the turbulent world is Elena Standish. Her grandfather is the former head of MI6 and her father was a former ambassador in the Foreign Service. Elena had been starting a career in the Foreign Service, but she had been dismissed six years ago after the public exposure of her relationship with a British spy, Aiden Strother, who had turned out to be a traitor, passing along information to the Nazis. Peter Howard, an MI6 official, has approached Elena and asked her to secretly travel to Trieste, using her photography skills as a cover, to find Strother, as both he and his handler had gone missing and she is the only person who would know him on sight and be able to obtain any information he has and get the information, and Strother, back to Britain. Howard explains that Strother was never a traitor; he was passing information to the Nazis, but with the knowledge of MI6, who determined what was shared. Elena reluctantly agrees to take on this assignment. When she finds Strother, she discovers that the information he is collecting relates to a plot by the Fatherland Front to overthrow the young president of Austria, Engelbert Dollfuss.

While Elena is busy in Trieste, her sister, Margot, is traveling to Berlin for the wedding of an old friend, Cecily Cordell, to a young German officer/Nazi. While in Berlin, she sees and hears some rather disturbing things regarding the Nazis, Austria, and the Fatherland Front. Their grandfather, Lucas Standish, also finds himself drawn into international events. His longtime friend, Gladstone Canning, a brilliant mathematician, visits him with concerns that large amounts of money are being funneled through MI6 to the Nazi-led Fatherland Front. Stoney cannot prove it yet and does not trust the information with anyone else, but he also fears that someone knows what he has found and that his life is in danger. When he dies not long after visiting Lucas, it falls to Lucas and his wife Josephine, a former codebreaker, to unravel the mystery.

The author has created a great caste of characters in the Standish family and their friends/associates. The plot is interesting and well-developed, with lots of action and intrigue. There are some pretty good surprise twists in the story. The reader witnesses the growth of both Elena and Margot, as they discover new things about themselves and assert their inner strengths. "A Question of Betrayal" was an enjoyable book. I am interested in reading the earlier book in the series and seeing what the author has planned for Elena Standish in future books.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

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 is the second book in Anne Perry's new Elena Standish series. Elena just recently found out that her family has been part of MI6 for years. Now she is called upon to conduct her own mission - to rescue an informant in Northern Italy who was caught up with Mussolini's people just as Nazi Germany is coming into power. Elena is the only one for the job because the missing informant is her former lover, Aiden Strother. She is conflicted mainly because his betrayal brought shame to her entire family years before.. As Elena is working to find Strother and his handler, she runs into her sister, Margot, who is in Berlin to attend a wedding of a friend marrying into the Gestapo. Elena hears rumblings of a secret group working to place Austria in Nazi hands so the sisters set off to put things right , find Strother and untangle the mess surrounding him. Enter Grandfather, former head of MI6. His own investigations intersect with the Elena's and Margot's and it is soon evident that things are becoming increasingly horrifying on the contentment as well as more personal then they could have imagined.

Perry has done it again, with a very well researched, exciting novel chock full of characters that will have you on the edge of your seat. This would be a great book club read, also excellent for anyone who enjoys historical fiction and suspense, as well as fans of Perry's other works. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House publishing I was able to read a copy of book two of Anne Perry new series featuring a young English woman Elena Standish during the early 1930's. I've been a fan of Anne Perry since her first books and this was not a disappointment.
This is a thrilling mix of tensions after WWI both at home in England and abroad In Trieste and Berlin. Elena Standish had her accidental introduction to spy craft in Perry's first book of the series. In A Question of Betrayal she takes on her first dangerous task for MI6. She is shocked to discover that she is to find, and perhaps rescue, her former fiancé, Aiden Strother, the man accused of treason who left her life and career in ruins.
While her assignment plays out in Trieste, he grandfather Lucas Standish, former head of MI6, is approached by an old friend about corruption in MI6 itself. While her sister Margot goes to Berlin for the wedding of an old school friend to a young man advancing in the ranks of the Nazi.
It's interesting to watch Elena not only lose her naivety, but to grow as an agent. I found her realizations a little forced but I liked the growth in the character.
Like Anne Perry's other books this is a suspenseful, often thrilling, read. I certainly will be waiting to see where this goes in book three.

I love the Anne Perry books but I feel this new series is somewhat derivative. This is one series too many——and yes, I did read the first one in the series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

I didn't think that the Elena Standish series could get any better after the first book in the series, Death in Focus, but happily, I was wrong. This is a simply outstanding 1930's era spy novel with action skillfully weaving between England, Germany, and Italy. Once again, photographer Elena Standish is sent on a secret mission by M16 but other story lines involve a possible home front murder involving M16 and a trip to Berlin made by Elena's sister to attend the wedding of an old friend.

Bravo, Ms. Perry, this was another outstanding installment in what I hope is a long-running series.

Highly recommended!!

This is a very intriguing new series and in this installment I enjoyed reading of the Standish family’s new adventures. I really like the characters and it is so well written. Elena is such a strong female character and I look forward to reading more about her.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion

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

The terrific first book in the Elena Standish series, Death in Focus, was an espionage thriller wrapped around a traditional mystery, set in a changing Europe in the years between the Great War and World War II.

The years while Hitler was on his rise to power, the years when those with eyes to see were aware that a second war was on the horizon – no matter how badly they wanted that not to be true. And no matter how many people were willing to compromise anything and everything to keep the fragile peace at ANY cost.

But this second book in the series, set just a few months after the events of Death in Focus, is unquestionably all about the spy games. Not that there aren’t plenty of mysterious things happening, but those mysteries are wrapped around Elena’s mission – to rescue a spy that her government planted six years ago in Austria so that they could have someone on the “inside” if things went the direction that was feared.

Aiden Strother was in deep cover, but his “handler” is dead and his mission is compromised. Someone needs to go to Trieste, warn him, get him out if possible and his information out no matter what. And Elena is the best operative MI6 has for the job – no matter how new she is to the job.

She knows Strother on sight. And he’ll trust her, for the contacts he knows she has in the Foreign Service and MI6, if not for the relationship they once had. Once upon a time, they were lovers. Until Strother stole secrets from the Service and went over to the Austrians, burning Elena’s career in the process.

Now Elena learns he was tasked with becoming a double agent, setup by MI6 to pretend to betray the British. Elena’s career was merely collateral damage to MI6. Even if her grandfather was once the head of the organization. Or perhaps especially because, as Lucas Standish’ successor will do anything to erase the man’s shadow.

But this is a spy game from beginning to end, and nothing is quite as it seems. Not Aiden Strother, not Jerome Bradley, current head of MI6, not the situation in Trieste, and especially not Elena Standish. Whatever she may once have been, whatever she may once have felt, Elena’s experiences in Berlin at the hands of the Gestapo in Death in Focus have changed her focus.

Elena will do what she must, even if she must commit murder, all alone in the dark. After all, all is fair in love and war. And this is war, even if it is conducted in the shadows.

Escape Rating A-: My feelings about this book are somewhat paradoxical. On the one hand, I found it even more compelling than the first book. On the other, I feel like I have even less of a grasp of Elena’s character than I did in that first book. So I felt driven to keep turning the pages, but it wasn’t Elena’s story that I was turning those pages for. Definitely a paradox as this is supposed to be Elena’s journey and Elena’s series – or it should be as it is named for her.

(I’ve read at least some of three of the author’s previous historical mystery series, and all of those, Charlotte and Thomas Pitt, Daniel Pitt, and William Monk, are all unquestionably about the people they’re named for.)

So even though Elena was the one in danger, it was her grandfather Lucas and her sister Margot who seemed to have more compelling narratives. Or perhaps it’s that their stories felt like they had a broader focus on conditions in general. Elena’s story, although it did have implications for the war that no one wants to see on the horizon, was, of necessity, more tightly focused on her need to find Strother and convince him to leave or at least get his information out, while the Fatherland Front for the Nazis in Austria did its best and worst to kill them.

And while Elena’s feelings about Strother complicate her perspective on what’s really going on, both in general and between them in particular. Even though Elena has grown up a bit from the first book, she still reads as a bit naive and much too wrapped inside her own head to be actually good at the job. Although she’s learning, she’s still too emotionally conflicted to draw me in the way that Maisie Dobbs or Bess Crawford do in their respective series. (And they are all readalikes for each other, so if you like one give the others a try!)

Meanwhile, her sister Margot returns to Berlin to attend a friend’s wedding to a young German officer. Because it’s not Margot herself who is directly involved, she has a much clearer picture of the true state of affairs as she watches her friend marry someone who is such a fanatic that Hitler is practically a guest at the wedding, while both the bride and her parents desperately hope that this marriage will protect her and them in the storm to come. So many people on all sides of the wedding seem much more clear-eyed on what the future will bring than Elena playing spy games in Trieste.

But the part of the story that really grabbed my attention was Lucas Standish’ part of the story. He’s supposed to be retired from MI6, but he still has his hand, possibly both hands, into the service that he led for so long. He sees the war coming, and also sees that there are too many in Britain who are so weary of the cost of war that they will rationalize any atrocity in Germany in order to keep their heads in the sand.

And that there are an entirely too well placed few who believe that Germany has the right idea, and that Hitler’s Germany would be a natural ally for Britain. That the atrocities committed by Hitler’s Germany are not merely necessary but are actually a good start to the eradication of people that too many Britons, as well as Germans, believe are less than human.

While Elena is rescuing a spy, and Margot is supporting a friend at the outset of a terrible journey, Lucas is on the hunt for one of those Britons who wants to ally directly with Hitler’s Germany and not only supports his tyranny but possibly wants to import it. And is using MI6, a service that Lucas still loves, in order to subvert the expressed policy of the government.

Lucas is hunting for a traitor who has his eyes on Lucas’ country and his family. His part of the story, figuring out who the traitor is and convincing enough people in high places to root him out is the part of the story that took me for the biggest thrill ride.

So, I’m compelled to continue following the “Standish Saga” as the spy games continue leading straight into the war we all know is coming – even if the character the series is named for is not the character I’m following the series for.

WWII, spies, mysterious messages and lots of secrets.
What is the truth?
What is lies?
What will be the outcome?
Elena, a young British girl, is the main character. She is a agent for MI6. There were some issues from her past that caused her to be gossiped about. Unexpectedly, she is asked to rescue a English spy who has mysteriously disappeared. Could he be a traitor? As the spy was formally her lover, Elena faces trepidation as she heads into finding out what is going on.
The story contains twists and turns and unbelievable secrets.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

Anne Perry's books have always been able to pull me out of my everyday life and into the story. The characters and the communities they live and work in are so well detailed you could recognize them if you met them on the street, yet the stories never drag or get monotonous.
When MI6 feels like a family business, what else can you do but join? This is the second book in the Elena Standish series, It can easily be read as a standalone, but this series is going to be around for a long time, so you might as well read the first one too. Elena joins MI6, following her grandfather's example, in the first book but has many issues with rules. So, A QUESTION OF BETRAYAL is actually Elena's first mission in support of the Allies during WWII. The mission will test her skills and leave her emotions torn. There are several story threads running at the same time. How will Elena pull them all together to get the information she needs and rescue a man who used to be her world.
No spoilers here, but I'd settle in and get comfy. It's going to be awhile before you take a break.

I am thoroughly enjoying the Elena Standish series! They are set in the period between the wars as the Nazi party comes to power in Germany and Italy, and support for Fascism grows in Europe. The Standishes are a diplomatic family, familiar with continental Europe, and deeply opposed to the direction Germany is headed in. Elena is a young woman, talented in languages, and well connected. MI6 sends her to Italy to bring out an agent whose cover is blown. The plot is fast moving and the setting is atmospheric. I can’t wait to see where Anne Perry takes this series next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is an intense thriller covering the time period just before WWII. The characters are extremely interesting and realistic. the suspense becomes very strong at points, and the occasional violence is clear but not gory. I found it difficult to attend to other issues in my life while I was reading this book. It has everything I enjoy in a book. It is well-written, has great characters, a plot to has twists and turns, great suspense, and a bittersweet ending.

The first Elena Standish book, "Death in Focus" takes six years before "A Question of Betrayal". Elena was badly hurt in the first book by Aiden, a man who was tabled a traitor. Peter Howard, a MI6 operative, to go and find Aiden in Italy and help him to come back to Britain. Peter tells Elena that Aiden was really not a traitor that he was working for MI6. "A Question of Betrayal" includes several stories: Margot, Elena's sister, goes to Germany for her friend's wedding. Her friend, Cecily is getting married to a high-ranking Nazi German officer. Also part of the story is about Lucas, Elena's grandfather and former head of MI6. All the stories come together in a tension-filled mystery. Nazis, a wedding, a murder, and a search for a former lover makes this a highly entertaining book.

I highly recommend this book. It will keep you on the edge of your chair. There are several surprises at the end which ties everything very neatly up as Anne Perry is very good at doing.

This is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction that continues Elena's journey. Since this is part of a series, it was nice to go in knowing the backgrounds of the characters. As always, Anne Perry did a great job of providing a vivid description of the time period and location.

This is an excellent sequel to last year's Death in Focus by Anne Perry. The Elena Standish series shows off the 1930s England in an insightful and exciting manner. Not only does Elena mature in the second book, but Perry also brings perhaps the even more intriguing sister Margot into the mix.

This second in a series starts out suspenseful with Elena sent to rescue an English spy. One she believed had betrayed her and the country. As she arrives in Trieste and finds him the story builds. However, the end seems rushed and is a letdown. Will there be more in the series. Maybe but they need to be better than this one.

MI6 Fights Treachery at Home and Abroad Before WWII

The Standish family has been involved in British intelligence for many years from Lucas Standish who headed MI6 during WWI to Lucas’ granddaughter, Elena, a newly minted agent. MI6 is worried about a plot by a secret group to take over Austria for Germany. They have lost contact with their agent in Trieste and fear for his safety. They badly need his information so Peter Howard, Elena’s boss, decides to send her to get him out.

Elena is chosen for the mission because the agent is the ex-lover who betrayed her and ended her career as a foreign service officer. Meanwhile, Elena’s sister, Margot, is attending a wedding in Germany where she witnesses the upper levels of Nazi society first hand. Closer to home, a friend and colleague of Lucas’ worries that an enemy sympathizer has infiltrated MI6.

This is the second book in Anne Perry’s new series with events leading up to WWII. Although it’s the second book, I found it very easy to read as a standalone, although you may want to go back and read the first book to get a more in-depth view of the characters.

Elena has had her confidence badly damaged by her lover’s betrayal. In this book, she starts very unsure of ability, but grows into a confident agent. I loved the other plot lines in the story. Lucas and Peter Howard were two of my favorite characters. Margot also played her part well.

The book starts rather slowly, but the action increases quickly with several dangerous moments which include personal standoffs on policy as well as more overtly dangerous encounters.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical mysteries.

I received this book from Random House for this review.

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.

A very entertaining story about a brave girl who must do everything to protect her country. A story that takes place in Europe during the 30s, previous to the Second World War. MI6's secret intelligence has lost contact with its informer in Northern Italy. For this reason, they must choose someone who can go and investigate what is happening. They fear that Nazi Germany will annex Austria as part of their strategy. The young Elena Standish is the only one who can recognize Aiden Strother, a man belonging to MI6, with whom she had had an intimate relationship in the past. Elena heads to Italy to find Aiden and discover what happened to him and why he cut off communication with Great Britain. This magnificent book caught my attention from the first page. The situation was undoubtedly tense for those who lived in Europe before the war. I liked that the author mentioned the knowledge of Elena, a woman who speaks many languages. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to get into territory that is occupied by a potential enemy. The author excellently narrated the situations that Elena experienced clearly and forcefully. A story that is full of suspense, mystery, and political intrigue. I thank NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.