This is the second book in this series, and I highly recommend it. Elena is being sent in to Italy to rescue another MI6 operative from a life or death situation. She is reluctant at first to want to go because her and Aidan were lovers once upon a time, and she still is angry over how things ended. The trickier part is Aidan has been under cover for 6 years, so its unclear exactly whose side he is on.
Great read, and love the characters. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book of a new series featuring Elena Standish. As part of M16, post WWI, Elena is sent to Italy to bring out another operative. Unfortunately, she has history with Aidan, which can complicate matters. I really like the parts played by her grandfather, Lucas, the ex head of M16 and his wife, Josephine. In addition, her sister Margot is trying to face up to the loss of her husband and the new realities as Hitler’s supporters begin to increase. I recommend this book, and look forward to the next installment. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the second book in a great new series. Elena Standish is working for London's Special Branch (where her grandfather Lucas was previously the head). It's 1933, and Germany is becoming belligerent while most of Britain is trying to prevent another war. Her boss, Peter Howard, asks her to go to Trieste to rescue Aiden Strother. He had been her lover and betrayed her six years previously, shaming her and her family. It appears that he openly crossed over to the Germans, but was secretly still a British agent. He had been gathering names of folks who were contributing to the Germans. His handler has suddenly cut contact and disappeared, and Elena is the only one who could recognize Aiden and bring him home.

Meanwhile, Margot, Elena's older sister goes to Berlin to be with her friend, the daughter of the British Embassador), as she married a Nazi Gastapo member. Margot has overheard word of a secret German group aiming to take over Austria. Elena goes to Trieste, and finds Aiden with a beautiful French woman, Gabrielle, who is very supportive of Elena. Elena isn't sure whether she can love or trust Aiden again or not. Meanwhile, her grandfather meets with a former colleague, Stoney, who had discovered that there was a problem with money laundering in MI6. When Stoney is killed, Lucas and his wife Josephine must find out why.

Elena and Aiden move to Gabrielle's apartment in hiding. They find out about the Fatherland Front and it's activities with Austria. Elena must figure out what Aiden really is and whether or not she can trust him, as well as how to get them both out of Trieste and back to England, while Lucas is working on the home front and the political intrigue within MI6. Then Peter Howard tells Lucas that he is worried about Elena and he going to get her back. There is a lot of suspense in this book with cleverly interweaving plots with activities in Germany, Trieste, and England.

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.

The second in the Elena Standish series will reveal much of Elena's youthful affair with Aiden, another MI6 agent. When Elena is sent to rescue Aiden from a life or death situation she will have to let go of the past. Since Aiden had been undercover for six years, no one is quite sure which side he's on. Time will tell if Aiden is a true spy for England or a double agent for the Nazis in this exciting spy thriller. For full enjoyment, readers are encouraged to read the first in this series. Recommended!

I have read every Thomas Pitt, Daniel Pitt, and William Monk book and have thoroughly enjoyed every single one. This second book in the Elena Standish was no exception. The tension in the plot and Elena's uncertainty were almost palpable. I had no idea what would happen next.

As is usual for an Anne Perry book, the characters are well-drawn and the "good guys" have a realistic bit of shadow added to their virtues. That in itself made me uncertain what each one would do next.

By the time I had a feeling about what might happen in the end, I still could not imagine it happening.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book as well as those in the other series mentioned above. I am grateful to have received a pre-release copy of this book.

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

As usual Anne Perry had me interested from the beginning. I highly recommend her books which cover different eras. All are mysteries or thrillers. A Question of Betrayal takes place prior to WWII and is a spy thriller.

The second book in the Elena Standish series, this book takes the painful relics of Elena’s past and puts them front and center in her role as a photographer-cum-secret-agent for the British secret service. Once upon a time, a young and naive Elena had an affair with Aiden Strother…who went on to betray his country and disappear from her life branded a German spy. Now that she herself has entered the intelligence world, Elena learns that things are a bit more complicated. Aiden’s desertion was actually an act of supreme self-sacrifice, a front to make it appear to the Nazis that he was on their side. Embedded in Trieste, Aiden has been obtaining information for Britain as a double agent, but with his closest contact gone incommunicado, the secret service fears that his cover has been blown. They need someone to travel to Trieste and extract him…preferably someone who can recognize him on sight.

Hitler’s grip is growing on Europe and the latest question in the game of politics is whether Austria will unite with Germany. Money is being funneled from many sources to achieve this objective and the list of donors will prove indispensable to those who value the world’s freedom. In this fast-paced spy thriller, Elena must confront her insecurities and demons and get Aiden–or at least the information he is carrying–back to Britain. In the process, she must decide whether he’s worth trusting again, with her mission, her heart, and ultimately, her life.

This book continues to develop a trio of interesting Standish characters. Elena’s grandfather Lucas is the retired head of MI6 who has not quite given up his influence among members of the department. While Elena sleuths through the streets of Trieste, Lucas must uncover the corruption at home. Disconcerted by what is being asked of his granddaughter, he nevertheless recognizes that she has a part to play and must play it well. Meanwhile, Elena’s older sister Margot makes her own journey to Berlin. There, Margot witnesses the marriage of a childhood friend to a blond-haired, blue-eyed member of the Gestapo, all while hobnobbing with diplomats and gaining valuable details about the simmering tensions that threaten to boil over the whole continent.

This book hits the same notes of suspense, mystery, and fascinating history as the first book in the series, and although readers would benefit from knowing how Elena got tangled up in secret service work initially, it could probably be read as a standalone. Once again, Elena is a resourceful yet vulnerable heroine, learning to use her talents and looks as a weapon in the service of her country. Although she is not the title character, Margot still comes off as my favorite, combining the manners of a glamorous socialite with a streak of fierce intelligence. World War II history aficionados, or those who just want a fast-paced thriller, will enjoy this series.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love Anne Perry! This book was no exception. I hadn't read this series but I loved the characters and the intricate details that she includes. Each story is well told and captivating!

Anne Perry's latest book A Question of Betrayal is an thrilling adventure-love story set before Woorld Wr !!. I was completely inolved in the story and had to stop myself fromreading the ending. I'm glad I did since the ending was a complete surprise! I encourage anyone who enjoys exciting plots to read this book.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This excellent historical fiction takes the reader to the difficult days between the World Wars. It is 1933 and Hitler is looking to expand his control to Austria. There is disagreement in Britain between a policy of appeasement and standing up to this growing threat.

Elena Standish, a young British photographer working for MI-6 is send to Trieste to find and bring home a deeply-buried operative. Unfortunately, they have "history" between them.

This spy thriller not only covers the relationships among the European nations, but also highlights the uncertainty in knowing who is truly loyal and who is a double or triple agent. Are these agents working for us or trying to steal our secrets for the enemy?

Ann Perry has done it again!!! What an intriguing & inspiring story. It's a fantastic historical fiction book. A must read!!

I've long been an avid reader of Anne Perry's novels. This latest series with Elena Standish is engrossing and deeply satisfying.

Elena Standish had a privileged upbringing as the daughter of a prominent diplomat. Among her father's posts had been Berlin and Paris and their family is well received throughout. In her own nuclear family, Elena is a bit of an ugly duckling, less appreciated and constantly overshadowed by her glamorous older sister Margot and her father. It takes Elena's grandfather Lucas to see the extent of her strengths and intelligence.

Lucas had similarly been undervalued by his diplomat son until Lucas's secret professional life had been revealed. Lucas had been in charge of MI6 and his granddaughter Elena Standish had previously been an agent. Drummed out of MI6 after a disastrous and ill-advised affair with an older double agent, Elena Standish has tried to rebuild her life.

Elena is known for her photographs and it is under the guise of travel photography that her former boss at MI6 asks Elena to travel to the Continent and make contact with her former lover, the double agent who might have been loyal all along. There is great risk as Hitler's reach has penetrated greater aspects of German and Austrian society. There is the possibility that even in Great Britain there are supporters and sympathizers that are willing to aid Hitler to avoid another war.

Elena finds herself pushing her personal feelings and reactions aside to search for and make contact with an old and treacherous lover. Her skill with languages and observation make the difference for Elena but it is unsure whether she will be able to evade a dangerous enemy and if she can trust the man whose life she is sent to save.

Meanwhile Lucas Standish is approached by a former colleague, similarly retired from MI6. There are unusual money transfers hiding a fund that may be used for one of Hitler's organizations. But to have such reach inside MI6 indicates a grave danger to Great Britain and to world peace. When his old friend is found dead, Lucas and his wife the former codebreaker come out of retirement to search for answers.

A Question of Betrayal captures the closeness between Elena and her grandfather Lucas and the competitive relationship between Margot and Elena while building the elements of a wartime mystery/thriller. I couldn't stop reading A Question of Betrayal!

A spy thriller novel involving Elena who is sent by M16 to rescue Aiden her former lover working as a spy in Austria before Hitler starts his invasion. Spy novels are not my usual genre but I throughly enjoyed this one. The characters of Elena, Adrian, Elena’s grandfather Lucas and Gabrielle are well developed and interesting. There is a lot of excitement, twists and turns and unforeseeable consequences throughout the novel.

Anne Perry's new sleuth, Elina Standish, is proving to be a worthwhile addition to Thomas Pitt and
William Monk. This latest outing has Elina off to Italy to find a British spy who has dropped off the radar.
This spy was formerly her lover, and the breakup was gossip fodder for many months in the halls of MI6.

Many twists and turns. Who lies and who is truthful?

I read this EARC courtesy of NetGalley and Random House. pub date 09/08/20

This was the first book I read in this series. Although it can be read alone I recommend you start with Book One. I loved this author’s descriptions of Italy and Austria on the brink of war with Germany. Elena Standish is a breath of fresh air in the stories of spies and their adventures. This is a wonderful new series and this book leaves you begging for more about Elena and her family both in the Mi6 and blood related.

Good read for a rainy weekend. While not as good as Perry's WWI books, and a little predictable, A Question of Betrayal has just enough quirks to make it interesting.

Pre WWII British spying of the volatile situation of Hiller influencing Austria. A multi-generational family of spies hearing and gathering intel on The Hiller and German influence and intentions regarding Austria. The intel gathering centers on Elena reconnecting with Aiden in northern Italy to get him out with his list and details on the Austrian situation. Elena and Aiden had been lovers; Aiden had betrayed Elena and Britain. Elena’s strength came from knowing Aiden but can she trust him? As Elena and Aiden try to escape back to Britain, the matter of trust becomes the critical issue.

Elena Standish is working in the family business, espionage. Anne Perry's second book in the Elena Standish series finds our heroine waiting for her next assignment for the secret agency MI-6. Her her father works there, her grandfather Lucas is a retired director and her grandmother Josephine worked in code-breaking during WW1. It's now the 1930's and the evil of Nazi Germany is growing. Elena is asked by her handler Peter Howard to go on a mission to Trieste. Aiden Strother betrayed Elena, and she thinks England, but Peter tells her that's not true. He was creating a cover to spy on the Nazis and now he's in grave danger of being exposed, and his handler has disappeared. Elena is the only person that could recognize Aiden, even if he was disguised. And he would trust her, unlike a stranger.

Elena may not be very experienced, but she has great instincts. Her cover for being in Trieste is that she's a freelance photographer. She goes and after searching a few days finds Aiden. Together they find out what happened to his handler, it isn't good. Aiden needs to get a list of counterespionage agents in England back to MI-6 and trusts Elena to help him. Then things get really interesting. This story explores relationships of trust and how do you know someone is a patriot or a traitor. If you like a good spy thriller with a strong female protagonist you need to read this book. In addition to the story of Elena in Trieste, her grandparents in London help with another aspect of this case, some people never completely retire. I strongly suggest you first read Death in Focus, where Elena begins her new career in espionage.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.