I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is another installment in the excellent Elena Standish series. Elena is a young photographer who is also an MI-6 operative. The time period is between the World Wars as Hitler is consolidating his power in Germany.

Once again, Elena is in Berlin to try to bring a defecting German scientist to England. His work on germ warfare is crucial to the Nazi effort and Elena must either help him get out or kill him.

Another interesting character is Hans, a young German Gestapo officer who is working for the head of the germ warfare program. How will his participation affect the outcome?

I look forward to Elena's next adventures.

A Truth to Lie For by Anne Perry (Elena Standish #4) 4 stars

It is still the 1930’s and Britain is not yet at war with Germany. Elena Standish is sent by MI-6 to get a scientist out of Germany. There are a pair of scientists specializing in germ warfare and Elena is sent to get the individual that is working on the antidote. It is extremely dangerous and one wrong move could lead to capture and death. Her grandfather, Lucas Standish, previous head of MI-6 during WWI is also involved because an old enemy is in charge of the germ warfare program. The stakes are high, the danger extreme; can Elena complete her mission and escape Germany in one piece?

This was a compelling story, more thriller than mystery. The POV would change from Elena to Lucas because they each had a part to play in this story. There was also a subplot involving a subordinate to the head of the germ warfare department and his disillusionment of the Nazi regime. Elena was in the thick of things and there was a lot more action, but I don’t think there were any major milestones for her character. As the timeline progresses towards the start of WWII, I am looking forward to the next mission undertaken by Elena.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine for this ARC.

In many ways, this may be the best in the Elena Standish series yet. This book has Elena returning to Germany during Hitler's rise to power. While she is trying to help two scientists escape Nazi Germany, Hitler scrambles for absolute power in Germany's political & military scene. The book flows and the action keeps your attention. However, this is not a mystery book despite Anne Perry's status as a mystery writer. There is no who-dun-it aspect - it is an action / adventure spy novel. throughout.

My only real complaint is the amount of time the book deals with Hitler. Anne Perry includes chapters from a Gestapo officer's POV as he is introduced to Hitler and during the Night of the Long Knives killings. Obviously, these events and more lead up to the beginning of WWII and are a part of that history. Still, it was rather creepy to read the officer's conversations with him as well as other Nazi leaders.

Anne Perry continues to build the tension in the Elena Standish series, as Hitler's power grows, and Britain and Germany edge ever closer to war. Elena is a young MI6 operative, with a mixed record of success. Her grandfather, Lucas Standish, is a former head of the agency, and the affection and tension between the old guard and the new is very well done. Elena is sent to Germany to extradite a scientist involved in germ warfare. This feels like a somewhat quixotic mission, as he is clearly under surveillance as an important asset to the regime. Elena arrives just as the "Night of the Long Knives" blood bath is occurring, complicating her plans and imperiling her mission.

My favorite characters in this series are the older generation, Roger and Winifred in Berlin and Lucas and Josephine in Britain. The younger generation is coming into their own, though. Elena still has a lot to learn, and is obviously setting up for many more books! I hope that Jacob, Hans and Cecily will continue to appear.

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

Elena Standish’s grandfather was the head of MI6 during WWI. Following in his footsteps, she is now an intelligence operative as Hitler has risen to power in 1934. Her current assignment takes her to Berlin, where she needs to extract one of two scientists who have been working on germ warfare. While one has been developing the weapon, Hartwig has been working on the antidote. Another operative will extract the second scientist while Elena extracts Hartwig. Once she arrives in Berlin, she realizes that her time is limited and she will need help. On a past assignment she had been saved by Jacob, a Jewish American journalist, who may be her only hope to now succeed.

Paulus is a Gestapo officer who oversees the chemical weapon’s development and has access to Hitler. His subordinate is Hans Breckendorff, a new father who is married to the daughter of the British cultural attaché. While Paulus may sometimes praise Hans, he is cold, calculating and using him as the fall guy if his actions displease Hitler. Hans is flattered at first, but soon realizes that his position may be putting his family in danger.

As Elena, Jacob and Hartwig flee Berlin, the safest place to hide may be in Germany, an unexpected choice. Pausing for rest in Munich, they find themselves in the center of the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler’s purge of Rohm and his followers. The raid in Munich is the result of Hans’ investigation of officers’ loyalties. While Anne Perry’s A Truth to Lie For follows two separate stories, it is Paulus who ties them together. While Elena fears discovery after her previous assignment, she must prevent Paulus from developing his weapon. Hans must also decide what is right when faced with Paulus’ threats. This is the fourth entry in the Elena Standish series and fans will be happy to see her return. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for providing this book for my review.

I've been a fan of this series in which Elena Standish and her grandfather Lucas, an estimable MI6 chief, find themselves in the midst of various bad situations during WWII. This time, Elena is sent to Germany to retrieve or kill a biological weapons expert who works for the sworn enemy of Lucas. She arrives and reaches out to Jacob, who helped her in an earlier effort, for assistance. They find themselves in the middle of the Night of the Long Knives (I did a little googling to better understand what happened). This alternates between Elena and Hans a Gestapo officer ,a device which works well here. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC. I was, I admit. a little disappointed with this latest in the series, which I think will be most appreciated by those who have read the earlier ones, but it's still a good read. .

A Truth to Lie For is the fourth book in Ann Perry's exciting Elena Standish series. You will be better served starting with the first book and reading in order. The story stands alone, but you'll want to follow Elena's growth. Also, characters from previous books make an appearance here. I swear this series just gets better as it goes along.

In 1934 Germany, Hitler is becoming more powerful. Elena Standish is now an MI6 agent, and her missions are becoming more complex. Germany is working on germ warfare, and one of its scientists has made a breakthrough. Britain cannot risk allowing Hitler's elite forces getting their hands on this devastating research, so MI6 sends Elena to retrieve the scientist to keep him away from German forces. Unknown to Elena, her grandfather, the former head of MI6, is also sent to Germany. The new head of Germany's germ warfare division is an old enemy of Lucas, and wants revenge for being defeated by Lucas many years before. Will Elena and Lucas be able to stop Germany from spreading death across the continent?

It's been satisfying watching Elena grow from an insecure, disgraced girl to a competent British intelligence agent. Not only does she have to travel to Germany to keep the Nazis from getting their hands on a potentially horrific bioweapon, but she also knows that if she's unsuccessful she will have to kill the scientist she's meant to retrieve. When Elena needs to obtain a vehicle to spirit the scientist away, she turns to American newspaper journalist Jacob, a man who helped her escape Germany during a previous mission. Jacob is a great character and I was glad that he was included in the story. I hope we have an opportunity to meet up with Jacob in future books. Elena's storyline was exciting, but it was overshadowed by a parallel story featuring Hans Beckendorff, a young Gestapo officer who worked for Paulus, the man who is Lucas's old enemy. Hans was married to a friend of Elena's sister and had a beautiful young baby. He loved them both dearly, and when they were threatened by Paulus he became disillusioned with what was happening in Germany. He was also disillusioned when he met Hitler and observed his erratic behavior. The dilemma Hans was dealt had me riveted to the pages. The most exciting portion of the story concerned the Night of the Long Knives, an actual event that took place in 1934. I had heard that phrase before, but wasn't aware of what exactly it was. Hitler was concerned that the Brownshirts, who numbered in the millions, were becoming too powerful. Hitler's SS guards were ordered to purge the Brownshirts, including their leader, Ernst Röhm, and others who were believed to be dangerous. It was a massacre; hundreds were killed. I love how Ms. Perry incorporates actual historical events in her books and blends her characters in seamlessly. I'm guaranteed a thrilling story, plus I actually learn something. I hope I don't have to wait long for Elena's next mission!

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.

I've been reading Anne Perry for years now. While I prefer both the Thomas Pitt and the William Monk series, I was very impressed with "A Truth to Lie For". Obviously, the author did a lot of research plus what was already stored in her brain. I learned a lot, myself, about the "Hail Hitler" regime" and its causes, as well as what made it evil.

My word of advice to future readers is that if your reading seems slow or confusing at first (there were SO many different characters), persevere until it gets so exciting that you don't want to put your Kindle (or book) down. And the stories WILL connect, trust me.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4992904422https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-truth-to-lie-for-by-anne-perry

Will also post a review on Amazon when allowed to.

Who can you trust?

Despite her troubles with her last assignment Elena is once again called on by MI6 to take part in an operation. This time it’s back in Berlin (a place Elena escaped by the skin of her teeth) to escort a German chemist out from under the Reich’s nose. He’s part of the German chemical warfare program. The head of the division is a sworn enemy of Marcus Standish, Elena’s grandfather and previous head of M16. If he identifies and captures Elena, Marcus is in no doubt of the outcome.
Of course problems arise. Things don’t go to plan. Elena is forced to contact a previous source for help. She ends up driving across Germany in her efforts to fulfil her mission.
Does Elena’s character develop? Not really. She’s on some sort of plateau. She still has ground to makeup. It will take time for MI6 to forget her past challenges. But then they’re all members of the same old boys’ network.
This German intervention was harrowing for Elena, and as equally ghastly for us. She did show courage and agility of thought. Maybe she’s come further than I’ve given her credit for.

A Random House - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Elena’s latest MI-6 assignment takes her back to the beginning of her career- back to a Germany darkening under the Nazi Party takeover of the country and build up to war. Anne Perry has long been a favorite author of historically authentic, complexly charactered, and well plotted mysteries, but this latest series featuring Elena Standish crosses over into thriller territory with Elena’s espionage work and I’m all anticipation.


A Truth to Die for is the fourth book in a series of strongly connected books that don’t make for good standalones.


Elena’s up against her most dreaded assignment yet. She must return to Berlin and extract a scientist working on germ warfare right out from under the nose of the formidable Gestapo who are watching the scientists closely. She encounters familiar faces and this is good because when the plan goes awry and she must improvise, Elena needs all the help she can get.

Elena shares the narration and storylines of this latest with her grandfather who ran MI-6 during WWI and has a more active role than simply consultant or teacher in this one, and also a German Gestapo officer, Hans Beckendorff, whose loyalties are more than divided though climbing through the ranks swiftly after the brutal ‘Night of the Long Knives that made him see the actuality doesn’t live up to the earlier rhetoric. And, the future will likely bring more and worse.



The last book, A Darker Reality, was a mixed bag for me so I went into this one warily. But, the annoying immature behavior in Elena that shocked me after the first two books was blessedly absent and this was back to a woman who is vulnerable and learning, very afraid, but still putting herself on the line against dangerous opponents. My stomach was in knots so many times as it looked like Elena was about to get caught or I wasn’t sure whose side someone near her was on. Hans’ situation snug up against Hitler and the powerful men around him had me equally tense. Elena’s grandfather is usually at home in his house and providing advice to the current British espionage workers, but this time, an old enemy sets him on a more active course.

The plot marched on at a steady fast pace as it swapped scenes and narrators and kept the reader on the edge of the seat. There were moments that were there to show just how high the stakes are even though this is pre-war time. The ending had me unable to put the book down until I got to the finish and even then I was tingling for the next installment and what comes next.



More espionage thriller than mystery set in an interesting and tension-filled time of the world in the 1930’s with the shadow of WWII growing bigger and darker on the horizon, an intrepid young woman went from clever amateur photographer and failed foreign office worker to a valuable British spy. I love this world and the series and recommend it highly to historical mystery fans who like some spy action.

I enjoyed this continuation in the Elena Standish series. There are two characters who are followed in separate timelines. I really enjoyed Hans’ story. It was more engaging and he had more serious personal choices to make now that it’s 1934 in Germany and Hitler is becoming more powerful.
Elena’s story was rather a rehash of past adventures and she didn’t make any more forward moves in her character. Still, a fun read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I’ve read with pleasure nearly every novel Perry has written, and love this newest series involving a novice female spy. She makes hard decisions and learns to live with the consequences of her actions, whether good or ill. This is not a James Bond kind of thriller where there is tension but he always prevails. Instead, this is a fallible and honest character who struggles against the fates and is sometimes unable to catch the breaks she needs to prevail. Even when the undoing is not at her hands but at the hands of the enemy, she finds a way to go on knowing she has done her best under the circumstances. Hoorah to fallible heroes; this tale is chockablock with them. Perry reminds us that sometimes those who fail are still heroic; perfection may be the goal but doing the best you can under the circumstances can be heroic too. Not everyone is Superman, and even he met kryptonite and did not let it stop his efforts for good.

Of all of Anne Perry’s series, currently this one featuring Elena Standish is my favorite. For those who don’t know she has also written books about Thomas and Charlotte Pitt and their son Daniel Pitt has his own series. In addition, there are the Monk books, the Christmas novellas, a WWI series and some standalones. Clearly, Ms. Perry is a busy novelist.

The Elena Standish stories take place in the lead up to WWII. The period is well portrayed. Elena has been the subject of four books and, in my opinion, they just keep getting better. Readers will admire Elena. She is brave but that does not mean that she is not scared; this makes her seem quite human.

In this entry, Elena is sent back to Berlin. It is a city where she previously faced great danger so she is aware of the high stakes. Her mission is to extract a scientist who has knowledge of and works in a germ war program. Will she be successful? As this is a series, readers read hoping for the best.

I enjoyed spending time with Elena and those around her. I especially like her paternal grandparents.

It was hard for me to read this novel without thinking about current events. The germ warfare plot may make readers think of Covid. Some of the ways in which Hitler is described will (sadly) remind some of U.S. politicians. I don’t know if this perspective was intentional on the author’s part but perhaps it was.

Those who enjoy books by authors like Susan Elia MacNeal are sure to like the Ella Standish novels. Best read in order but one could dip in anywhere.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for this title. All opinions are my own.

Elena Standish works for MI6, which her grandfather Lucus used to head. She is now being asked to go to Nazi Germany to bring out a germ warfare scientist, Hartwig. Her colleague Cooper will be bringing a second scientist Fassler, who is a Jew. Meanwhile, in Berlin, the daughter of British Ambassador, Cordwell, is married to an SS man, Hans, and they have just had a new baby, Madeleine. Hans works for Paulus, a rabid Nazi who had run into some problems with Lucus after WWI. Hans has been presented to Hitler by Paulus, but it isn't clear whether Paulus has been protecting himself or helping Hans. However, they do tell Hitler than they need to do something about the brown shirts.

Elena arrives in Berlin and meets her contact (who is acting as a bell hop), and manages to find Jacob, the American journalist who had helped her the previous year, and he agrees to help her. Jacob finds a car with Elena's money, and they manage to get Hartwig and get away from Berlin and go for Munich. Unfortunately, there is a huge group of brown shirts there at their hotel, and Hans and Paulus are there to arrest and or kill many of them. Elena, Jacob, and Hartwig get separated for awhile, but eventually get out of Munich. As they are about to leave a road block someone recognizes Hartwig. They shoot at the car as it races away. When Jacob finally manages to get hidden away, they find that Hartwig had been hit and was dead in the back seat. They hide his body in the woods and decide to go back to Berlin, where they are told that Cooper has been badly injured and Elena now needs to get Fassler out. Meanwhile, Hans makes a quick and dangerous decision which puts him and his family in extreme danger.

The book is filled with excitement, danger, and heroism. It is a great addition to the series!

A young English spy, Elena Standish began working for MI6 in the 1933 as Hitler grabs more and more power and Europe teeters toward war. In "A Truth to Lie For" Elena is sent back to Berlin to extract a German scientist from under the Nazis' noses. Understandably apprehensive, Elena barely escaped with her life after her last visit to Berlin. Since then, she's had three more assignments, gaining confidence and skills, but still understands her limited experience means she relies on emotion too often.

Other characters who were introduced in previous books make appearances, but without the cozy family feel of earlier books in the series. Instead, Perry gives a deep look at the rising tension in Berlin and Hitler's power struggle with Rohm and the other leaders of the Brown Shirts. In a secondary storyline, Hans Breckendorff, a young officer in the Gestapo who married a Standish family childhood friend, is coerced to prove his loyalty by his boss who heads the Nazi intelligence section.

With her strong characters, Perry helps her readers understand how people can become enamored with charismatic leaders to the point that they ignore the danger of granting absolute power. Working to prevent Germany from advancing germ warfare, Elena gets caught up in aftermath of the Night of the Long Knives (when Hitler massacres the Brown Shirt leadership). Forced to improvise as she goes, she fights to protect her allies and fulfill her mission.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy. I enjoyed "A Truth to Lie For," especially Perry's deep dive into the political scene of Germany between the two world wars. But I was disappointed that Perry didn't wrap up the storylines. Instead, we are left waiting for the next installment.

I was thrilled to see that another book by Anne Perry was available, as I've bought and read almost everything of hers over the decades. She has truly branched out into another century of characters, though some are interconnected with protagonists in one of her first, long-running series, with Thomas and Charlotte Pitt.

This particular series focuses on Elena Standish, a young Englishwoman who, in the interwar period of time, works as an agent for MI6, of which her grandfather was the head of durring and after WWI. Hitler has been on the rise for some time, and she and other agents are doing their best to hinder his intensification of Germany's war effort, as well as monitoring the use of concentration camps and tightening his noose around German Jews and other "subhuman" races. Elena is gradually becoming used to making difficult decisions in her line of work, and this case of hers now is no exception. She too has changed and grown over the past few years, and her family, who knows little about her work (only her grandfather is aware of he MI6 connection), sees her growth and increasing confidence in herself and the work she is doing surreptitiously for England.

We are also reunited with characters introduced in the past briefly, and their part to play is greatly expanded in this book. Seeing how some Germans who first were rapturous about what Hitler could do for their country, and themselves, to be honest, yet over time began to doubt the methods used and the peoples so terribly discriminated against, those people had to reach within themselves to prioritize what was most important to them and their country, and act accordingly.

I really enjoyed this book, as I have Perry's others, and hope this newer series can continue for a long time.
Thanks to NetGalley fro providing me an ARC of this work; the opinions expressed are all my own.

Since I enjoy books written about the time during WWII, I always gravitate towards those titles that are about that time in history.

A Truth to Lie For by Anne Perry is a book about the MI6 spy organization in Great Britain during the war. The British government learned that Nazi Germany has two scientists who are working on germ warfare. They need to get the men out of Germany before they share their knowledge with Hitler’s regime. One is eager to leave, while the other is not.

Elena Standish has been picked to take one of the scientists out of Germany. The clandestine adventure is made dangerous by the Gestapo, who are keeping watch over the scientists which makes it much harder to free them. The trek out of the country involved local resistance fighters, Germans sympathetic to the Allies, and their training as spies.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It had all the elements of danger and deception.

Another good read. I like the character development and the book has multiple characters. The plot is compelling and holds your interest throughout. I definitely recommend this book

Excellent entry into this series. Elena becomes Ellen of the blonde hair to guide a scientist who has been working on germ warfare out of Germany. A subplot involves Hans who works for the Germans but is married to an English woman and has recently become a father. He struggles inwardly as he sees the direction that Germany is going. The author has great character development, builds tension in the escape and gives you looks at the inner turmoil of the characters as Germany goes closer to war.

This series keeps getting better and better. Although I had to suspend disbelief for a moment about the issue of --would Elena be actually sent on this mission and later, would the person sent to help her actually be the person sent, I was able to dive right into the book and enjoy it. Perry has created a strong young woman whose past mistakes do not define her and who has marshalled her considerable talents to serve the cause of her country when all is on the brink of war. I like that it takes place in the period right before the war (and love how well Perry makes that era come alive with small details of clothing , culture, etc). It is eerily like our own time--people willing to follow charismatic leaders, ignore the evil they show and simply forge ahead with their own lives in the face of a brewing international storm. She reveals the depths of anti-semitism that was so common among the British upper classes at that time--and in America as well.
Perry excels not only at the scene setting and plotting, drawing characters we come to love (or dislike in the case of one or two)--in this series she shows herself also to be a master of spy thriller chase scenes, of the horrible realization by Elena that she must kill to secure her mission's success.
The only caveat I have for this book is one you might share--that I had a hard time putting it down once I started it.