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Elena Standish #5
Un traître en la demeure
Un agent du MI6 est retrouvé mort près de la propriété d'une des familles les plus influentes d'Angleterre. Une nouvelle enquête pour Elena Standish !
Alors qu'Hitler étend son emprise sur l'Europe et que la sécurité de l'Angleterre est menacée, un agent du MI6 est retrouvé mort près du domaine des Wyndham. Ce dernier était en mission pour surveiller les membres de cette très influente famille qui auraient des liens avec les mouvances fascistes. Elena Standish se voit secrètement confier l'enquête mais l'affaire prend un tour personnel : sa propre sœur, Margot, est sur le point d'épouser le frère de Lady Wyndham !
Déchirée entre ses obligations politiques et sa loyauté ainsi que son amour pour sa sœur, Elena parviendrait-elle à faire éclater la vérité ?
387 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2023
193 people are currently reading
3721 people want to read
About the author
Anne Perry
363 books3,381 followersAnne Perry, born Juliet Hulme in England, lived in Scotland most of her life after serving five years in prison for murder (in New Zealand). A beloved mystery authoress, she is best known for her Thomas Pitt and William Monk series.
Her first novel, "The Cater Street Hangman", was published in 1979. Her works extend to several categories of genre fiction, including historical mysteries. Many of them feature recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in 1990, "The Face Of A Stranger".
Her story "Heroes," from the 1999 anthology Murder And Obsession, won the 2001 Edgar Award For Best Short Story. She was included as an entry in Ben Peek's Twenty-Six Lies / One Truth, a novel exploring the nature of truth in literature.
Series contributed to:
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
. Malice Domestic
. The World's Finest Mystery And Crime Stories
. Transgressions
. The Year's Finest Crime And Mystery Stories
Her first novel, "The Cater Street Hangman", was published in 1979. Her works extend to several categories of genre fiction, including historical mysteries. Many of them feature recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in 1990, "The Face Of A Stranger".
Her story "Heroes," from the 1999 anthology Murder And Obsession, won the 2001 Edgar Award For Best Short Story. She was included as an entry in Ben Peek's Twenty-Six Lies / One Truth, a novel exploring the nature of truth in literature.
Series contributed to:
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
. Malice Domestic
. The World's Finest Mystery And Crime Stories
. Transgressions
. The Year's Finest Crime And Mystery Stories
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
August 30, 2023
Ripping good novel replete with tension, danger and riddles.
A tramp has been found dead in a ditch. It turns out to be an MI6 agent nearing retirement who’s been watching Wyndham Hall. It seems Agent John Repton was most likely killed on or near the estates of the very well connected Sir David Wyndham. His body has possibly been moved there after death. No-one quite knows what he was doing in that area. The What’s and Why’s are definitely piling up.
Lucas Standish recommends his granddaughter Elena be part of the team that investigates, along with James Allenby whom Eleanor had last seen in Boston. And Yes, that had been an exhausting and dangerous time!
Repton had been Allenby's mentor. For James this is personal.
Elena’s sister Margot looks set to become engaged to Geoffrey Baden, Sir David’s brother-in-law. A house party being thrown to bring the two together will give Elena an entree. Margot is rather disturbed about Elena being there. As far as she knows Elena had that disastrous affair with Aiden Strother that had Elena dismissed from the Foreign Office, and James Allenby seems just like him. Margot has more than a few surprises coming.
Elena and Allenby’s investigations lead to alarming links between the Wyndhams, the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson, and Sir Oswald Mosley.
Things come to a rather nasty head.
I finally feel more empathy with Elena. She’s come a long way and Lucas’ trust in her is rewarded.
The dark side of politics at this time is never more present.
Great read!
A Random House-Ballantine ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
A tramp has been found dead in a ditch. It turns out to be an MI6 agent nearing retirement who’s been watching Wyndham Hall. It seems Agent John Repton was most likely killed on or near the estates of the very well connected Sir David Wyndham. His body has possibly been moved there after death. No-one quite knows what he was doing in that area. The What’s and Why’s are definitely piling up.
Lucas Standish recommends his granddaughter Elena be part of the team that investigates, along with James Allenby whom Eleanor had last seen in Boston. And Yes, that had been an exhausting and dangerous time!
Repton had been Allenby's mentor. For James this is personal.
Elena’s sister Margot looks set to become engaged to Geoffrey Baden, Sir David’s brother-in-law. A house party being thrown to bring the two together will give Elena an entree. Margot is rather disturbed about Elena being there. As far as she knows Elena had that disastrous affair with Aiden Strother that had Elena dismissed from the Foreign Office, and James Allenby seems just like him. Margot has more than a few surprises coming.
Elena and Allenby’s investigations lead to alarming links between the Wyndhams, the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson, and Sir Oswald Mosley.
Things come to a rather nasty head.
I finally feel more empathy with Elena. She’s come a long way and Lucas’ trust in her is rewarded.
The dark side of politics at this time is never more present.
Great read!
A Random House-Ballantine ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
October 22, 2023
After the harrowing events of the previous book that read more like thriller than mystery with Elena working for MI-6 in Germany when Hitler’s Brown Shirts come into the open with their bloody and lethal Night of the Long Knives, Elena is called into service once again, but this time on her home soil and with a mission that strikes her own family. Anne Perry passed away earlier this year and she has long been a favorite historical mystery author for me so I felt emotional picking up this post-humus release for her one of her current series.
The Traitor Among Us is the fifth of the Elena Standish historical suspenses that read best tied together as Elena learns the secret heritage of service within her own family and follows in her grandfather’s MI-6 footsteps working in Britain’s best interest as Nazi Germany is on the rise during the 1930’s.
Elena poses as a gifted professional photographer, and she is that, with a history of flubbing her chance to follow her Ambassador father into the Foreign Service by trusting the wrong man. Now, she has been recruited by the secret service and must hide her work like her grandparents have all these years. This time, her pose is as sister to the woman set to join the powerful Wyndham family while investigating the death of a nearly retired British operative outside Wyndham Hall. This is complicated as a truth because her widowed older sister Margot is on the verge of becoming engaged to Lady Wyndham’s powerful banker brother. The Wyndham’s are part of a powerful social set that include the Prince of Wales and his intriguing American mistress, Wallace Simpson, and plenty of other political pacifists. Are their political leanings behind the death of the agent? Do they in fact do more than admire Hitler and his Nazi Party? Elena and her partner James Allenby must find out quickly.
Wow, a suspenseful and emotionally-taunt story. There is the mission that has Elena and a familiar Allenby, who was her partner in book three, A Darker Reality, keeping up a pretense to the rest of the country house party and Margot that they are the carefree younger sister and her new boyfriend down to meet Margot’s love interest and his family while listening carefully, sneaking about the estate, and gathering evidence without getting suspected. But, there is the personal struggle that happens between Elena and Margot who rub one another wrong. Margot is convinced Elena is jealous and attention-seeking and will embarrass Margot with the Wyndhams and their friends. She is convinced Elena can’t have happiness because she’s different and has no patience for the sister who was always trying to catch up with her pretty, graceful and fashionable older sister. Elena can’t tell her the truth about James or her own life and Margot senses the reserve, but not the reason so the chances of Elena saving her sister from the net she is caught up in, at least it is starting to look that way, is grave.
So yes, this was exciting and had me feverishly flipping pages so I finished the book in a day. Impressive to the end. For those who wonder since this will be the last released in the series, the series is worth reading because this one wraps up the mission and leaves Elena’s story in a good place with broad enough hints so that there is moderate closure. Unlike Perry’s other series, this is espionage-focused rather than police investigation so falls into historical thriller more than historical mystery so I’d recommend it along those lines to potential readers.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer Oct 11th.
The Traitor Among Us is the fifth of the Elena Standish historical suspenses that read best tied together as Elena learns the secret heritage of service within her own family and follows in her grandfather’s MI-6 footsteps working in Britain’s best interest as Nazi Germany is on the rise during the 1930’s.
Elena poses as a gifted professional photographer, and she is that, with a history of flubbing her chance to follow her Ambassador father into the Foreign Service by trusting the wrong man. Now, she has been recruited by the secret service and must hide her work like her grandparents have all these years. This time, her pose is as sister to the woman set to join the powerful Wyndham family while investigating the death of a nearly retired British operative outside Wyndham Hall. This is complicated as a truth because her widowed older sister Margot is on the verge of becoming engaged to Lady Wyndham’s powerful banker brother. The Wyndham’s are part of a powerful social set that include the Prince of Wales and his intriguing American mistress, Wallace Simpson, and plenty of other political pacifists. Are their political leanings behind the death of the agent? Do they in fact do more than admire Hitler and his Nazi Party? Elena and her partner James Allenby must find out quickly.
Wow, a suspenseful and emotionally-taunt story. There is the mission that has Elena and a familiar Allenby, who was her partner in book three, A Darker Reality, keeping up a pretense to the rest of the country house party and Margot that they are the carefree younger sister and her new boyfriend down to meet Margot’s love interest and his family while listening carefully, sneaking about the estate, and gathering evidence without getting suspected. But, there is the personal struggle that happens between Elena and Margot who rub one another wrong. Margot is convinced Elena is jealous and attention-seeking and will embarrass Margot with the Wyndhams and their friends. She is convinced Elena can’t have happiness because she’s different and has no patience for the sister who was always trying to catch up with her pretty, graceful and fashionable older sister. Elena can’t tell her the truth about James or her own life and Margot senses the reserve, but not the reason so the chances of Elena saving her sister from the net she is caught up in, at least it is starting to look that way, is grave.
So yes, this was exciting and had me feverishly flipping pages so I finished the book in a day. Impressive to the end. For those who wonder since this will be the last released in the series, the series is worth reading because this one wraps up the mission and leaves Elena’s story in a good place with broad enough hints so that there is moderate closure. Unlike Perry’s other series, this is espionage-focused rather than police investigation so falls into historical thriller more than historical mystery so I’d recommend it along those lines to potential readers.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer Oct 11th.
October 3, 2023
A lot of discussions, not much action. Was perplexed by the relationship between the two sisters, a lot of weird flare ups. Also Elena and Allenby were pretty inept investigators, bumbling around in the dark waiting to get injured! Did enjoy the dress descriptions - unusual for me! And the made to order breakfasts sounded pretty good too!
September 13, 2023
The Traitor Among Us is the fifth and presumably last book in Anne Perry's historical mystery series Elena Standish. Sadly, Ms. Perry died earlier this year, leaving a gaping hole in the literary world that will be impossible to fill. This series, along with her Daniel Pitt series, are two of my favorites ever. There are still so many stories left to tell for these characters; I'm going to miss them like dear friends. The Traitor Among Us, fortunately, ended this series on a high note. I breezed through it in two days needing to know who the culprits might be, but was deeply sad to see it end. I know it sounds melodramatic, but those who have favorite series will totally understand what I mean.
John Repton, a well-liked man who was an MI6 agent, is found dead from a rifle shot to the heart. His body is found close to Wyndham Hall, a large estate in the Cotswolds. Repton was killed while surveilling the members of the household with possible ties to fascists, during the time when Hitler's influence was spreading across Europe and threatening England. Elena Standish, granddaughter of Lucas Standish who was the former head of MI6, is assigned to investigate the murder. After all, Elena has a connection to the Wyndham family: Elena's older sister Margot is being courted by Lady Wyndham's brother. Elena finagles invitations to the estate for herself and a date, who is actually her colleague, James Allenby. To investigate Repton's murder, Elena and Allenby covertly try to determine the loyalties of the residents while discretely trying to protect Margot from the potentially dangerous family of her beau. Elena knows that if they must take down the Wyndhams, Margot will lose the man she loves after finding happiness after years of heartbreak. Will Elena be able to do her job without losing the love of her sister? And will Allenby and Elena be able to figure out who murdered Repton, without winding up dead themselves?
This was a captivating story! Though there wasn't a lot of action in the beginning, the suspense increased steadily throughout the entire book, reaching an exciting crescendo. Elena has really come into her own as an MI6 agent; she has come far from the ruined civil servant who inadvertently gave secrets to a man she loved and by whom she was betrayed. She has been able to blend her gift of photography with the undercover work required by MI6; her artistic eye often gives her special insight. I have enjoyed watching her grow from a novice to a full-fledged member of MI6. We met James Allenby in a previous book, and I was happy to see him return, as I loved his character and the chemistry he had with Elena. He knew and really liked Repton, and he was determined to bring the guilty to light. He was protective of Elena, but also trusted her to be able to handle her assignment. There was an attraction between them; I'm sad we will not be able to watch the progression of that relationship. I was never a big fan of older sister Margot, nor did I like her much better here, though I sympathized with her heartbreak in losing her young husband in the Great War. She had "big sister syndrome" going on here! She believed that Elena was jealous of her and her happiness. I admit I did like her more when she discovered little sister wasn't so little any more. Favorite characters Lucas and Josephine Standish (Elena and Margot's grandparents), Toby (beloved dog of Lucas) and Peter Howard (now head of MI6) all made appearances. The Wyndhams were fascinating; my conclusion as to the identity of the guilty party constantly changed! Two characters who appeared were actual historical figures: Edward, Prince of Wales and his American mistress, Wallis Simpson. This, of course, was before Edward was crowned King but abdicated the throne to marry Wallis. They were suspected of being Nazi sympathizers; in fact, they visited Germany to meet Adolf Hitler. I learned some fascinating history by reading this series! The suspense in this particular tale was riveting, and I truly hated to see it end.
Ms. Perry, thank you for your wonderful body of work and sharing your gift with us. Rest in peace.
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 were entirely my own.
John Repton, a well-liked man who was an MI6 agent, is found dead from a rifle shot to the heart. His body is found close to Wyndham Hall, a large estate in the Cotswolds. Repton was killed while surveilling the members of the household with possible ties to fascists, during the time when Hitler's influence was spreading across Europe and threatening England. Elena Standish, granddaughter of Lucas Standish who was the former head of MI6, is assigned to investigate the murder. After all, Elena has a connection to the Wyndham family: Elena's older sister Margot is being courted by Lady Wyndham's brother. Elena finagles invitations to the estate for herself and a date, who is actually her colleague, James Allenby. To investigate Repton's murder, Elena and Allenby covertly try to determine the loyalties of the residents while discretely trying to protect Margot from the potentially dangerous family of her beau. Elena knows that if they must take down the Wyndhams, Margot will lose the man she loves after finding happiness after years of heartbreak. Will Elena be able to do her job without losing the love of her sister? And will Allenby and Elena be able to figure out who murdered Repton, without winding up dead themselves?
This was a captivating story! Though there wasn't a lot of action in the beginning, the suspense increased steadily throughout the entire book, reaching an exciting crescendo. Elena has really come into her own as an MI6 agent; she has come far from the ruined civil servant who inadvertently gave secrets to a man she loved and by whom she was betrayed. She has been able to blend her gift of photography with the undercover work required by MI6; her artistic eye often gives her special insight. I have enjoyed watching her grow from a novice to a full-fledged member of MI6. We met James Allenby in a previous book, and I was happy to see him return, as I loved his character and the chemistry he had with Elena. He knew and really liked Repton, and he was determined to bring the guilty to light. He was protective of Elena, but also trusted her to be able to handle her assignment. There was an attraction between them; I'm sad we will not be able to watch the progression of that relationship. I was never a big fan of older sister Margot, nor did I like her much better here, though I sympathized with her heartbreak in losing her young husband in the Great War. She had "big sister syndrome" going on here! She believed that Elena was jealous of her and her happiness. I admit I did like her more when she discovered little sister wasn't so little any more. Favorite characters Lucas and Josephine Standish (Elena and Margot's grandparents), Toby (beloved dog of Lucas) and Peter Howard (now head of MI6) all made appearances. The Wyndhams were fascinating; my conclusion as to the identity of the guilty party constantly changed! Two characters who appeared were actual historical figures: Edward, Prince of Wales and his American mistress, Wallis Simpson. This, of course, was before Edward was crowned King but abdicated the throne to marry Wallis. They were suspected of being Nazi sympathizers; in fact, they visited Germany to meet Adolf Hitler. I learned some fascinating history by reading this series! The suspense in this particular tale was riveting, and I truly hated to see it end.
Ms. Perry, thank you for your wonderful body of work and sharing your gift with us. Rest in peace.
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 were entirely my own.
January 1, 2024
This was a jumping in at number five in a series to check out this character Elena Standish. Country house gatherings, subterfuge, murder, clandestine outings with a sprinkling of romance. There were a lot of sidesteps in this dance including Wallace Simpson and the king. Anything that pointed toward support of Hitler and his agenda by way of British citizens. Yes, shots were fired but Standish survived all the set ups of accidents. Fair to middling. It was too slow for me to pick up any other books in the series.
Must say in tribute to author she wrote a load of books I read over the years for certain, some of which I really did enjoy.
Chicago Public Library Loan
Must say in tribute to author she wrote a load of books I read over the years for certain, some of which I really did enjoy.
Chicago Public Library Loan
November 1, 2023
I’ve enjoyed this series. With the author’s death, likely the last one. Sad.
November 7, 2023
This may be my first 5 star review for a Perry book, the last in her many series, except for one more Christmas book, as she died this year. I was so lucky to meet her last year and chat for more than 20 minutes before she was called upon to speak. I have read almost all of her books, my favorite being her Reavely series, the best depiction of trench warfare I have ever read.
The great thing about this book is the constant anti Nazi theme, something that would behoove all readers to acknowledge, especially in today's world where the horrors of Nazism seem to be forgotten. She also was a firm believer in the horrors of anti semitism, and this series really evokes the problems. I have read other books that illustrate what was happening in Britain at this time, especially the Mitford sisters, where I was educated about Mosely and his views.
In addition, this is a thrilling story as Elena Standish and James Allenby are sent to a house party where Elena's sister is about to become engaged.
They are sent on this mission because an M16 agent has been killed at this estate, and Elena and James must not only find who killed him but why.
There are many revelations that occur, especially when Margot realizes what a great photographer Elena is, and finally what Elena's real job is.
In the epilogue, Elena also realizes she is in love with James, so we can imagine them becoming a spy team in the future that is about to befall England.
I appreciated the history that comes through so clearly in this series, and to see the progress from Thomas and Charlotte Pitt in the Victorian Era, Daniel Pitt in the Edwardian Era, The Reavely's in WWI and now Elena in pre WWII. It has been a pleasure for me to read all of these Perry books (plus Monk and the Christmas books) and learn so much history while reading a well written mystery. Thank you Anne Perry, you will be missed.
The great thing about this book is the constant anti Nazi theme, something that would behoove all readers to acknowledge, especially in today's world where the horrors of Nazism seem to be forgotten. She also was a firm believer in the horrors of anti semitism, and this series really evokes the problems. I have read other books that illustrate what was happening in Britain at this time, especially the Mitford sisters, where I was educated about Mosely and his views.
In addition, this is a thrilling story as Elena Standish and James Allenby are sent to a house party where Elena's sister is about to become engaged.
They are sent on this mission because an M16 agent has been killed at this estate, and Elena and James must not only find who killed him but why.
There are many revelations that occur, especially when Margot realizes what a great photographer Elena is, and finally what Elena's real job is.
In the epilogue, Elena also realizes she is in love with James, so we can imagine them becoming a spy team in the future that is about to befall England.
I appreciated the history that comes through so clearly in this series, and to see the progress from Thomas and Charlotte Pitt in the Victorian Era, Daniel Pitt in the Edwardian Era, The Reavely's in WWI and now Elena in pre WWII. It has been a pleasure for me to read all of these Perry books (plus Monk and the Christmas books) and learn so much history while reading a well written mystery. Thank you Anne Perry, you will be missed.
January 12, 2024
I have really enjoyed this series and am so sad that this is the last of the series. (unless Anne Perry's estate can find a great author to continue this and the Daniel Pitt series) Wouldn't that be great.
Elena Standish and her colleague James Allenby are sent to the impressive Wyndham estate to investigate the killing of a retired MI6 agent John Repton. Elena is assigned the case because her older sister Margot is being courted by Lady Wyndham's brother Geoffrey Baden and that makes it easy and less suspicious for her to obtain an invitation. David and Griselda Wyndham are friends with the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Simpson and seem to be sympathetic to the Nazi cause. The more Elena and James investigate the loyalties of Margot's potential relatives, the more the danger rachets up and soon there is a series of dangerous accidents. Elena needs to unmask a traitor and protect her sister. The plot is very interesting and could be happening today. As always Perry's attention to detail and moral philosophizing are second to none.
Elena Standish and her colleague James Allenby are sent to the impressive Wyndham estate to investigate the killing of a retired MI6 agent John Repton. Elena is assigned the case because her older sister Margot is being courted by Lady Wyndham's brother Geoffrey Baden and that makes it easy and less suspicious for her to obtain an invitation. David and Griselda Wyndham are friends with the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Simpson and seem to be sympathetic to the Nazi cause. The more Elena and James investigate the loyalties of Margot's potential relatives, the more the danger rachets up and soon there is a series of dangerous accidents. Elena needs to unmask a traitor and protect her sister. The plot is very interesting and could be happening today. As always Perry's attention to detail and moral philosophizing are second to none.
November 20, 2023
Slow steady British historical espionage novel. Lots of dialogue and minimal but sufficient action. Time period is 1934 and the rise of appeasement factions in England who are willing to do anything to avoid another war, even if it means slandering or murdering those whose political views are in opposition to their own. A possible replacement for Winston Churchill is found in the man Robert Hastings, but the opposition has other plans.
“ Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” Winston Churchill.
“ Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” Winston Churchill.
November 30, 2023
Ugh. This is from a WIDELY published and hugely successful author, but suffice it to say I am not a fan. B.o.r.i.n.g. I about threw in the towel multiple times, but I noticed she had just passed away this year and I honestly felt I needed to put forth the effort to read what was probably her last published novel. It wasn't worth it. It was so repetitive that I felt like I could skip 30 pages at a time and the same discussions (or inner dialogue) would still be going on ad nauseam. Do not waste your time.
October 7, 2023
I’m enjoying the Elenor Standish series. An MI5 agent whose cover is as a professional photographer she wrangles an invitation to a house party at the elegant Windom Hall where her sister Margo expects to become engaged to Jeffrey. Eleanor and James Allenby, her fellow agent posing as her beau are investigating the murder of a respected agent who was killed at estate.
As they close in on the killer accidents happen to Eleanor. Will she and Allenby expose the baddies before they end up dead?
Nazi sympathizers, the Prince of Wales and Wally’s Simpson, and elegant parties as well as threats of violence make for a fun mystery.
Oh and the lovely clothes of course. 😃
As they close in on the killer accidents happen to Eleanor. Will she and Allenby expose the baddies before they end up dead?
Nazi sympathizers, the Prince of Wales and Wally’s Simpson, and elegant parties as well as threats of violence make for a fun mystery.
Oh and the lovely clothes of course. 😃
February 28, 2025
Always a fav..
September 16, 2023
When international best-selling author Anne Perry passed away earlier this year I was devastated. I had been reading her novels since the very beginning of her career and have reviewed her titles for the better part of the last two decades. I simply cannot imagine a holiday season without her annual Christmas novel.
Imagine my surprise to learn that there was still another Anne Perry novel in the hopper --- a new Elena Standish story! This is a relatively new series by Perry’s standards but a very enjoyable one featuring a young MI6 agent engaged in various adventures. THE TRAITOR AMONG US is a fine addition to this series and is filled with the classic Anne Perry style that features impeccably researched historical fiction combined with a great mystery which is usually set amidst some serious moral dilemma.
That is exactly what we have here. Elena’s grandfather Lucas, the man responsible for giving her the start within MI6, receives words that one his oldest and most loyal colleagues has been struck down dead. John Repton was on a mission that had ties to a wealthy British family and the possibility of their supporting the crazed leader of the fast-growing Nazi empire in 1934 Germany --- Adolf Hitler. Alas, no one will know what Repton might have learned as his life was cut short by a rifle shot and his body roughly buried on the outskirts of the estate owned by the Wyndham family.
Lucas has no choice but to put Elena on the case for a few reasons. The first one being that the person who reported the Repton tragedy to him, James Allenby, spoke highly of her abilities. The second and far more personal reason was the fact that Elena’s older sister, Margot, was currently residing at Wyndham Manor as she had recently become engaged to Lady Wyndham’s brother, Geoffrey Baden. Margot herself spent a lot of time in Berlin during her youth so, if there was any truth the Wyndham’s alleged support of what was happening in Germany it might make sense that she would be at the center of it.
Elena contacts Margot and gets herself and her ‘boyfriend’ James Allenby and invitation to come and spend some time with she and the Wyndham’s and meet her soon to be new brother-in-law. It’s an especially dangerous and tricky mission because of the family connection, but Elena is a professional who is comfortable at any international location and will give this mission the expected first-rate treatment she is known for.
She finds Margot to be her old self, often jealous of her younger sister and extremely strong-willed and driven when it comes to her own self-interests. Elena also gets to rub shoulders with Lady Wyndham herself, Griselda, and immediately identifies her as a force to be reckoned with and not at all trusted. While she begins to butt heads with Margot, Elena and James also find time to get away and find the last location Repton had resided at. It is there where they locate his diary and the information contained within it are extremely telling.
Elena is placed in a really bad position. Her sister Margot has been a long-suffering widow that has finally found happiness again. Yet, the nefarious dealings of the Wyndham family which Elena and Allenby are uncovering will definitely threaten to tear everything down. However, Elena knows better than anyone that her oath is to serve her country first and the opportunity to snuff out a homeland connection to the deadly Adolf Hitler is not something she can let slip by. Anne Perry dedicates THE TRAITOR AMONG US to ‘my readers, with thanks’. That is definitely enough to choke up her loyal legion of fans as they dive into another well-crafted mystery from the master!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
Imagine my surprise to learn that there was still another Anne Perry novel in the hopper --- a new Elena Standish story! This is a relatively new series by Perry’s standards but a very enjoyable one featuring a young MI6 agent engaged in various adventures. THE TRAITOR AMONG US is a fine addition to this series and is filled with the classic Anne Perry style that features impeccably researched historical fiction combined with a great mystery which is usually set amidst some serious moral dilemma.
That is exactly what we have here. Elena’s grandfather Lucas, the man responsible for giving her the start within MI6, receives words that one his oldest and most loyal colleagues has been struck down dead. John Repton was on a mission that had ties to a wealthy British family and the possibility of their supporting the crazed leader of the fast-growing Nazi empire in 1934 Germany --- Adolf Hitler. Alas, no one will know what Repton might have learned as his life was cut short by a rifle shot and his body roughly buried on the outskirts of the estate owned by the Wyndham family.
Lucas has no choice but to put Elena on the case for a few reasons. The first one being that the person who reported the Repton tragedy to him, James Allenby, spoke highly of her abilities. The second and far more personal reason was the fact that Elena’s older sister, Margot, was currently residing at Wyndham Manor as she had recently become engaged to Lady Wyndham’s brother, Geoffrey Baden. Margot herself spent a lot of time in Berlin during her youth so, if there was any truth the Wyndham’s alleged support of what was happening in Germany it might make sense that she would be at the center of it.
Elena contacts Margot and gets herself and her ‘boyfriend’ James Allenby and invitation to come and spend some time with she and the Wyndham’s and meet her soon to be new brother-in-law. It’s an especially dangerous and tricky mission because of the family connection, but Elena is a professional who is comfortable at any international location and will give this mission the expected first-rate treatment she is known for.
She finds Margot to be her old self, often jealous of her younger sister and extremely strong-willed and driven when it comes to her own self-interests. Elena also gets to rub shoulders with Lady Wyndham herself, Griselda, and immediately identifies her as a force to be reckoned with and not at all trusted. While she begins to butt heads with Margot, Elena and James also find time to get away and find the last location Repton had resided at. It is there where they locate his diary and the information contained within it are extremely telling.
Elena is placed in a really bad position. Her sister Margot has been a long-suffering widow that has finally found happiness again. Yet, the nefarious dealings of the Wyndham family which Elena and Allenby are uncovering will definitely threaten to tear everything down. However, Elena knows better than anyone that her oath is to serve her country first and the opportunity to snuff out a homeland connection to the deadly Adolf Hitler is not something she can let slip by. Anne Perry dedicates THE TRAITOR AMONG US to ‘my readers, with thanks’. That is definitely enough to choke up her loyal legion of fans as they dive into another well-crafted mystery from the master!
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
August 27, 2023
In the fifth, and probably last installment of the Elena Standish series (Anne Perry died early in 2023), Elena gets caught up in an investigation involving the wealthy Wyndham family, who is rumored to be involved with fascist, after a member of MI6 is found shot outside the Wyndams' estate. Complicating manners is Elena's older sister, Margot, who has fallen in love with one of the members of the Wyndam family. Elena and Margot are odds throughout the book. Margot lost her husband in World War I, and after years of being alone, she thinks she has finally found happiness--so she can't understand why her sister can't be happy, too. Of course, Margot has no idea that Elena is really working MI6 and investigating her new beau's family. James Allenby, Elena's colleague from previous books, also plays a role in the story, and the romantic tension between him and Elena continues to build throughout the novel. There are also cameos by the Prince of Wales, David Windsor, and his mistress Wallis Simpson--both of whom are supposedly Nazi-sympathizers.
While the story is interesting, there's a lot of melodramatic dialogue in this book that stifled my enjoyment. The plot was interesting, but at times it seemed rushed. Still, I will miss Anne Perry's various historical mystery series, especially the Pitt series, which I followed for close to 30 years. I preferred her Victorian social mysteries over her political espionage novels, but even a lesser Perry novel makes for a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my opinions.
While the story is interesting, there's a lot of melodramatic dialogue in this book that stifled my enjoyment. The plot was interesting, but at times it seemed rushed. Still, I will miss Anne Perry's various historical mystery series, especially the Pitt series, which I followed for close to 30 years. I preferred her Victorian social mysteries over her political espionage novels, but even a lesser Perry novel makes for a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my opinions.
September 14, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.
Although I have long enjoyed the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels by Anne Perry, I had not read an Elena Standish novel before. But I am glad I found this one, and plan to go back and read the others!!
Unknown to most of her friends and family, even her own sister, Elena is an operative for Britain's MI6. In fact, her grandfather is the recently-retired head of the agency, but few know that fact, either. Now Hitler has taken control of Germany and there are many in England who support him and his success in restoring Germany after WWI. And there are a several groups of people who vividly remember the horror and the losses of that War and are determined to NEVER AGAIN go to war no matter what it takes.
So, when an MI6 officer who was investigating the possibility one of these groups is found murdered and his body dumped near the country estate of the Wyndham family, which Elena's sister, Margot, is involved with, Elena is chosen to help find the murderer and why the agent was killed. In fact, Margot is being courted by the brother-in-law of Lord Wyndham, who may or may not be involved in this plot. A fellow agent, James Allenby accompanies her to a weekend social at the estate. During the weekend, Elena is mysteriously attacked several times, leading the investigators to believe her cover has been blown, but there is nothing to do but finish the assignment.
And, of course, they do succeed in doing so, but not without a lot of difficulty and danger!!
Although I have long enjoyed the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels by Anne Perry, I had not read an Elena Standish novel before. But I am glad I found this one, and plan to go back and read the others!!
Unknown to most of her friends and family, even her own sister, Elena is an operative for Britain's MI6. In fact, her grandfather is the recently-retired head of the agency, but few know that fact, either. Now Hitler has taken control of Germany and there are many in England who support him and his success in restoring Germany after WWI. And there are a several groups of people who vividly remember the horror and the losses of that War and are determined to NEVER AGAIN go to war no matter what it takes.
So, when an MI6 officer who was investigating the possibility one of these groups is found murdered and his body dumped near the country estate of the Wyndham family, which Elena's sister, Margot, is involved with, Elena is chosen to help find the murderer and why the agent was killed. In fact, Margot is being courted by the brother-in-law of Lord Wyndham, who may or may not be involved in this plot. A fellow agent, James Allenby accompanies her to a weekend social at the estate. During the weekend, Elena is mysteriously attacked several times, leading the investigators to believe her cover has been blown, but there is nothing to do but finish the assignment.
And, of course, they do succeed in doing so, but not without a lot of difficulty and danger!!
May 21, 2023
This, sadly, is the last of the Elena Standish series, due to the recent death of Anne Perry.
It is a very good read with a lot of mystery and tension.
Set completely in England at a houseparty on a country estate, Elena and Allenby are investigating the suspicious death of one of Allenby's former colleagues. All is not as it seems. Elena's sister Margot and her grandfather Lucas play roles in the plot which add to the interest.
The pre-war theme of appeasement and avoidance of another war versus the perceived warmongering of those who are anti Nazi take up a large part of the discussions and are significant to the plot.
The author builds suspense in and through 'polite discussions' within the family at the houseparty as well as by more conventional means like being attacked by a falling treetrunk and being shot at.
The ending was very satisfactory and reminded me of an Agatha Christie denouement.
My only criticisms of the plot are - would nobody have noticed Elena and Allenby sneaking out of the house in the dead of night to follow up their 'leads' and were there really rural shops open in the Cotswolds at 1am in the 1930s for them to stop to buy chocolate and water? Sounds more like a modern motorway service area!
Maybe there were and I am just ignorant of rural retail practice at this period in English history.
I still enjoyed it and give it four stars.
It is a very good read with a lot of mystery and tension.
Set completely in England at a houseparty on a country estate, Elena and Allenby are investigating the suspicious death of one of Allenby's former colleagues. All is not as it seems. Elena's sister Margot and her grandfather Lucas play roles in the plot which add to the interest.
The pre-war theme of appeasement and avoidance of another war versus the perceived warmongering of those who are anti Nazi take up a large part of the discussions and are significant to the plot.
The author builds suspense in and through 'polite discussions' within the family at the houseparty as well as by more conventional means like being attacked by a falling treetrunk and being shot at.
The ending was very satisfactory and reminded me of an Agatha Christie denouement.
My only criticisms of the plot are - would nobody have noticed Elena and Allenby sneaking out of the house in the dead of night to follow up their 'leads' and were there really rural shops open in the Cotswolds at 1am in the 1930s for them to stop to buy chocolate and water? Sounds more like a modern motorway service area!
Maybe there were and I am just ignorant of rural retail practice at this period in English history.
I still enjoyed it and give it four stars.
August 7, 2023
The Traitor Among Us is a great cozy murder mystery. This was my first experience with an Elena Standish novel, and I suspect the characters back stories would have flowed better had I read the others, but this book did a great job standing on its own as well.
The set up reminds me of Clue a bit: a man is found murdered on the estates of a large wealthy family and the main character, Elena (undercover agent of the M16) is invited to attend a weeklong gathering with her “beau” (field partner for M16). Her cover to be there is in celebration of her sister who may be very soon ready to announce her engagement to a relative of the family. Elena’s mission is to find out what happened to the murdered gentleman. As the week progresses, the stakes are raised as more and more clues start to point the finger at a member of the family itself.
The premise of the story required a fair bit of willing suspension of disbelief- there were parts of it that simply were not realistic for the field of reconnaissance, but if you can take it all for face value and not overthink it all, this book is a fun fall weekend cozied up in the mountains kind of read, and I enjoyed every twist and turn of the plot line to the finish.
I’d like to thank both RandomHouse and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The set up reminds me of Clue a bit: a man is found murdered on the estates of a large wealthy family and the main character, Elena (undercover agent of the M16) is invited to attend a weeklong gathering with her “beau” (field partner for M16). Her cover to be there is in celebration of her sister who may be very soon ready to announce her engagement to a relative of the family. Elena’s mission is to find out what happened to the murdered gentleman. As the week progresses, the stakes are raised as more and more clues start to point the finger at a member of the family itself.
The premise of the story required a fair bit of willing suspension of disbelief- there were parts of it that simply were not realistic for the field of reconnaissance, but if you can take it all for face value and not overthink it all, this book is a fun fall weekend cozied up in the mountains kind of read, and I enjoyed every twist and turn of the plot line to the finish.
I’d like to thank both RandomHouse and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 2, 2023
A very slow burn, TheTraitor Among Us, turned out to be a beautifully written, typically detailed British who done it, the ending of which was impossible to predict. Elena Standish and her colleague James Allenby, both MI6 agents, are charged with finding the murderer of another agent, whose death appears to be tied to an unknown investigation. Set in a beautiful old mansion, owned by the very wealthy Wyndham family , at the onset of Hitler’s rise to power, Elena and James need to penetrate the family to find the likely suspect (s).
The plot thickens as Elena’s sister, Margot, becomes engaged to lady Wyndam’s brother.. How can Elena investigate her future bother in law’s family, and his potential for being a killer and Nazi sympathizer, without totally alienating her sister?
Many twists and turns later, and a story which includes Nazi supporters at the very top of British royalty, there comes an action packed somewhat surprising ending told in the slow and steady style that makes the British mystery a genre unto itself.
Four stars for an enjoyable read by Anne Perry, who knows how to keep the suspense going. Publication date is September 12,2023. Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The plot thickens as Elena’s sister, Margot, becomes engaged to lady Wyndam’s brother.. How can Elena investigate her future bother in law’s family, and his potential for being a killer and Nazi sympathizer, without totally alienating her sister?
Many twists and turns later, and a story which includes Nazi supporters at the very top of British royalty, there comes an action packed somewhat surprising ending told in the slow and steady style that makes the British mystery a genre unto itself.
Four stars for an enjoyable read by Anne Perry, who knows how to keep the suspense going. Publication date is September 12,2023. Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2023
The Traitor Among Us
This is the fifth book in the Elena Standish series. Once again Elena, an MI6 agent, must help solve a mystery.
It was the early 1930s when John Repton, an older MI6 agent was found dead in a ditch on the Wyndham estate in Cotswold. There was reason to believe that Repton, had uncovered something important and was killed to silence him.
Margot, Elena’s sister, was about to be engaged to Geoffrey, the son in law of David Wyndham, the lord. Elena wrangled an invitation to spend a weekend with Margo and her future fiancé’s family at the manor. She brought along James Allenby, another MI6 agent.
The two agents, posing as a couple, find themselves in the middle of a group of aristocratic Nazi sympathizers who feel it is better to align with Hitler and avoid another war that is sure to breakout soon in Europe.
The author fills the story with descriptions of the picturesque Cotswolds, the exquisite fashions of the 1930s and the customs of the British aristocracy.
I enjoyed the book and others in the Elena Standish series.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This is the fifth book in the Elena Standish series. Once again Elena, an MI6 agent, must help solve a mystery.
It was the early 1930s when John Repton, an older MI6 agent was found dead in a ditch on the Wyndham estate in Cotswold. There was reason to believe that Repton, had uncovered something important and was killed to silence him.
Margot, Elena’s sister, was about to be engaged to Geoffrey, the son in law of David Wyndham, the lord. Elena wrangled an invitation to spend a weekend with Margo and her future fiancé’s family at the manor. She brought along James Allenby, another MI6 agent.
The two agents, posing as a couple, find themselves in the middle of a group of aristocratic Nazi sympathizers who feel it is better to align with Hitler and avoid another war that is sure to breakout soon in Europe.
The author fills the story with descriptions of the picturesque Cotswolds, the exquisite fashions of the 1930s and the customs of the British aristocracy.
I enjoyed the book and others in the Elena Standish series.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2023
This is probably my favorite in the Elena Standish series so far. While espionage is the underlying subject, this story is plotted like an old fashioned British drawing room murder. Elena is called in to solve the murder of an agent that took place near the estate of her sister's suitor. Something nasty is going on that is, of course, tied to the Nazis,. but what? She gets herself invited to the estate manor and brings her former intelligence associate James Allenby to play her romantic interest. Between trying to protect her sister and suspecting her host, hostess and their guests, Elena and James have a very interesting time of it. They also seem to develop a glimmer of a personal relationship. A well laid out mystery with top notch suspense.
February 2, 2025
-This is the 5th and final book of the Elena Standish series, taking place in the period between the two World Wars. Elena, who had discovered in the beginning of the series that her grandfather, Lucas Standish, was formerly head of MI6, is now tasked with a mission.
-The people of England, having suffered terribly from the number of young men killed and disfigured during the Great War, are reluctant to go to war again. After the rise to power of Hitler, appeasement is the mantra that guides a large faction, while preparation to go to war, if necessary, is another faction. Those that fully understand what’s going on in Germany, with the loss of freedoms, anti-Semitism, indiscriminate jailing of opposition by the German government, know that a coming war is not an “if”, it’s a “when”.
-Among the people who are looking to avoid war, many of the wealthy and influential are also counted. The government itself is, likewise, divided, with each faction trying to take control to implement their own policies.
-John Repton, an agent working under MI6, is reaching the end of his career. He’s now in his 60’s and never married, but now has one more assignment in England itself. During a phone call by James Allenby, the agent we met in the last book, to Lucas Standish, we discover that the agent’s body has been found in a ditch on the grounds of the wealthy Wyndham family. The authorities believe he’s just a homeless man and have stalled any investigation into his death, but Allenby knows that the death of Repton is a result of his last mission. Allenby is asking Lucas to authorize Elena to investigate with Allenby.
-As it turns out, Margot, Elena’s sister, has been seeing Geoffrey Baden, whose sister Griselda, is married to David Wyndham. There is to be a grand get together beginning on the next weekend, with the Wyndhams hosting Margot and Geoffrey and it would be a perfect cover for Elena to ask to attend with a guest, in order for her to meet the man that her sister is dating.
-Margot readily agrees to her sister’s visit, and Elena asks that Allenby come, under the guise that the two are dating. With the exception of Margot, Allenby feels that the whole household are potential suspects in the killing, and Elena’s suspicions of the Wyndham family, including the man that Margot has fallen in love with, become obvious, but Margot reads this as jealousy, and the two sisters find themselves at odds. Elena, though, can’t reveal anything about the investigation to her sister, and can’t reveal anything about her real role as an agent working for MI6, which makes her task all the more difficult.
-You know that secrets of the family will, inevitably, come out, and with the one death of Repton, Allenby is fully aware that if the killer/ killers think that Allenby and Elena are getting too close, then one of them may be the next victim.
-This is another well done story with an intricate plot which shows the internal ideological battles taking place in the country which was a real issue of that time. In our own United States, there were many who fawned over the members of the Nazi regime to the point that a city in Long Island had their streets named after the high ranking members of the Nazi party. The various sub plots tie in well to the rest of the story.
-It’s unfortunate that this is the final episode in this excellent series, as, from the ending, it was left open for additional stories, but the death of the writer, Anne Perry, following this book, has made this the final story of Elena Standish penned by the author.
-The people of England, having suffered terribly from the number of young men killed and disfigured during the Great War, are reluctant to go to war again. After the rise to power of Hitler, appeasement is the mantra that guides a large faction, while preparation to go to war, if necessary, is another faction. Those that fully understand what’s going on in Germany, with the loss of freedoms, anti-Semitism, indiscriminate jailing of opposition by the German government, know that a coming war is not an “if”, it’s a “when”.
-Among the people who are looking to avoid war, many of the wealthy and influential are also counted. The government itself is, likewise, divided, with each faction trying to take control to implement their own policies.
-John Repton, an agent working under MI6, is reaching the end of his career. He’s now in his 60’s and never married, but now has one more assignment in England itself. During a phone call by James Allenby, the agent we met in the last book, to Lucas Standish, we discover that the agent’s body has been found in a ditch on the grounds of the wealthy Wyndham family. The authorities believe he’s just a homeless man and have stalled any investigation into his death, but Allenby knows that the death of Repton is a result of his last mission. Allenby is asking Lucas to authorize Elena to investigate with Allenby.
-As it turns out, Margot, Elena’s sister, has been seeing Geoffrey Baden, whose sister Griselda, is married to David Wyndham. There is to be a grand get together beginning on the next weekend, with the Wyndhams hosting Margot and Geoffrey and it would be a perfect cover for Elena to ask to attend with a guest, in order for her to meet the man that her sister is dating.
-Margot readily agrees to her sister’s visit, and Elena asks that Allenby come, under the guise that the two are dating. With the exception of Margot, Allenby feels that the whole household are potential suspects in the killing, and Elena’s suspicions of the Wyndham family, including the man that Margot has fallen in love with, become obvious, but Margot reads this as jealousy, and the two sisters find themselves at odds. Elena, though, can’t reveal anything about the investigation to her sister, and can’t reveal anything about her real role as an agent working for MI6, which makes her task all the more difficult.
-You know that secrets of the family will, inevitably, come out, and with the one death of Repton, Allenby is fully aware that if the killer/ killers think that Allenby and Elena are getting too close, then one of them may be the next victim.
-This is another well done story with an intricate plot which shows the internal ideological battles taking place in the country which was a real issue of that time. In our own United States, there were many who fawned over the members of the Nazi regime to the point that a city in Long Island had their streets named after the high ranking members of the Nazi party. The various sub plots tie in well to the rest of the story.
-It’s unfortunate that this is the final episode in this excellent series, as, from the ending, it was left open for additional stories, but the death of the writer, Anne Perry, following this book, has made this the final story of Elena Standish penned by the author.
September 17, 2023
When Anne Perry passed away earlier this year, I was devastated. I had been reading her books since the very beginning of her career and have reviewed them for the better part of the last two decades. I simply cannot imagine a holiday season without her annual Christmas novels (although we will get one more this year when A CHRISTMAS VANISHING releases in November).
So I was thrilled to learn that a new Elena Standish story was in the hopper. This is a relatively new series by Perry’s standards, but a very enjoyable one featuring a young MI6 agent engaged in various adventures. THE TRAITOR AMONG US is a fine addition; it’s an impeccably researched historical novel and an outstanding mystery, with a serious moral dilemma at its core.
Elena’s grandfather Lucas, the man responsible for her start at MI6, receives word that one of his oldest and most loyal colleagues has died. John Repton was on a mission that had ties to a wealthy British family and the possibility of their supporting Hitler. Alas, no one will know what Repton might have learned as his life was cut short by a rifle shot. His body was roughly buried on the outskirts of the estate owned by the Wyndham family.
Lucas has no choice but to put Elena on the case. James Allenby, who reported the Repton tragedy to him, speaks highly of Elena’s abilities. And it just so happens that Elena’s older sister, Margot, currently resides at Wyndham Manor as she recently became engaged to Lady Wyndham’s brother, Geoffrey Baden. Margot herself spent a lot of time in Berlin during her youth, so if there is any truth to the Wyndhams’ alleged support of what was happening in Germany, it might make sense that she would be at the center of it.
Elena gets herself and James (who will play the role of her boyfriend) an invitation to spend some time with Margot and the Wyndhams and to meet her soon-to-be brother-in-law. It’s an especially dangerous and tricky mission due to the family connection, but Elena is a professional who is comfortable at any international location and will give it the expected first-rate treatment for which she is known.
Elena finds Margot to be her old self, often jealous of her younger sister and extremely strong-willed and driven when it comes to her own interests. She also gets to rub shoulders with Lady Wyndham herself and immediately identifies her as a force to be reckoned with who is not to be trusted. While she begins to butt heads with Margot, she finds time to get away with James and discovers Repton’s last location. There they come across his diary, and the information in it is extremely telling.
Elena is placed in a really bad position. Margot has been a long-suffering widow who finally has found happiness again. Yet the nefarious dealings of the Wyndham family will threaten to tear down everything. However, Elena knows better than anyone that her oath is to serve her country first, and the opportunity to snuff out a homeland connection to Hitler is not something she can let slip by.
Anne Perry dedicates THE TRAITOR AMONG US to “my readers, with thanks.” That is enough to choke up her loyal fans as they dive into another well-crafted mystery from the master.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
So I was thrilled to learn that a new Elena Standish story was in the hopper. This is a relatively new series by Perry’s standards, but a very enjoyable one featuring a young MI6 agent engaged in various adventures. THE TRAITOR AMONG US is a fine addition; it’s an impeccably researched historical novel and an outstanding mystery, with a serious moral dilemma at its core.
Elena’s grandfather Lucas, the man responsible for her start at MI6, receives word that one of his oldest and most loyal colleagues has died. John Repton was on a mission that had ties to a wealthy British family and the possibility of their supporting Hitler. Alas, no one will know what Repton might have learned as his life was cut short by a rifle shot. His body was roughly buried on the outskirts of the estate owned by the Wyndham family.
Lucas has no choice but to put Elena on the case. James Allenby, who reported the Repton tragedy to him, speaks highly of Elena’s abilities. And it just so happens that Elena’s older sister, Margot, currently resides at Wyndham Manor as she recently became engaged to Lady Wyndham’s brother, Geoffrey Baden. Margot herself spent a lot of time in Berlin during her youth, so if there is any truth to the Wyndhams’ alleged support of what was happening in Germany, it might make sense that she would be at the center of it.
Elena gets herself and James (who will play the role of her boyfriend) an invitation to spend some time with Margot and the Wyndhams and to meet her soon-to-be brother-in-law. It’s an especially dangerous and tricky mission due to the family connection, but Elena is a professional who is comfortable at any international location and will give it the expected first-rate treatment for which she is known.
Elena finds Margot to be her old self, often jealous of her younger sister and extremely strong-willed and driven when it comes to her own interests. She also gets to rub shoulders with Lady Wyndham herself and immediately identifies her as a force to be reckoned with who is not to be trusted. While she begins to butt heads with Margot, she finds time to get away with James and discovers Repton’s last location. There they come across his diary, and the information in it is extremely telling.
Elena is placed in a really bad position. Margot has been a long-suffering widow who finally has found happiness again. Yet the nefarious dealings of the Wyndham family will threaten to tear down everything. However, Elena knows better than anyone that her oath is to serve her country first, and the opportunity to snuff out a homeland connection to Hitler is not something she can let slip by.
Anne Perry dedicates THE TRAITOR AMONG US to “my readers, with thanks.” That is enough to choke up her loyal fans as they dive into another well-crafted mystery from the master.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
September 17, 2023
When Anne Perry passed away earlier this year, I was devastated. I had been reading her books since the very beginning of her career and have reviewed them for the better part of the last two decades. I simply cannot imagine a holiday season without her annual Christmas novels (although we will get one more this year when A CHRISTMAS VANISHING releases in November).
So I was thrilled to learn that a new Elena Standish story was in the hopper. This is a relatively new series by Perry’s standards, but a very enjoyable one featuring a young MI6 agent engaged in various adventures. THE TRAITOR AMONG US is a fine addition; it’s an impeccably researched historical novel and an outstanding mystery, with a serious moral dilemma at its core.
Elena’s grandfather Lucas, the man responsible for her start at MI6, receives word that one of his oldest and most loyal colleagues has died. John Repton was on a mission that had ties to a wealthy British family and the possibility of their supporting Hitler. Alas, no one will know what Repton might have learned as his life was cut short by a rifle shot. His body was roughly buried on the outskirts of the estate owned by the Wyndham family.
Lucas has no choice but to put Elena on the case. James Allenby, who reported the Repton tragedy to him, speaks highly of Elena’s abilities. And it just so happens that Elena’s older sister, Margot, currently resides at Wyndham Manor as she recently became engaged to Lady Wyndham’s brother, Geoffrey Baden. Margot herself spent a lot of time in Berlin during her youth, so if there is any truth to the Wyndhams’ alleged support of what was happening in Germany, it might make sense that she would be at the center of it.
Elena gets herself and James (who will play the role of her boyfriend) an invitation to spend some time with Margot and the Wyndhams and to meet her soon-to-be brother-in-law. It’s an especially dangerous and tricky mission due to the family connection, but Elena is a professional who is comfortable at any international location and will give it the expected first-rate treatment for which she is known.
Elena finds Margot to be her old self, often jealous of her younger sister and extremely strong-willed and driven when it comes to her own interests. She also gets to rub shoulders with Lady Wyndham herself and immediately identifies her as a force to be reckoned with who is not to be trusted. While she begins to butt heads with Margot, she finds time to get away with James and discovers Repton’s last location. There they come across his diary, and the information in it is extremely telling.
Elena is placed in a really bad position. Margot has been a long-suffering widow who finally has found happiness again. Yet the nefarious dealings of the Wyndham family will threaten to tear down everything. However, Elena knows better than anyone that her oath is to serve her country first, and the opportunity to snuff out a homeland connection to Hitler is not something she can let slip by.
Anne Perry dedicates THE TRAITOR AMONG US to “my readers, with thanks.” That is enough to choke up her loyal fans as they dive into another well-crafted mystery from the master.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
So I was thrilled to learn that a new Elena Standish story was in the hopper. This is a relatively new series by Perry’s standards, but a very enjoyable one featuring a young MI6 agent engaged in various adventures. THE TRAITOR AMONG US is a fine addition; it’s an impeccably researched historical novel and an outstanding mystery, with a serious moral dilemma at its core.
Elena’s grandfather Lucas, the man responsible for her start at MI6, receives word that one of his oldest and most loyal colleagues has died. John Repton was on a mission that had ties to a wealthy British family and the possibility of their supporting Hitler. Alas, no one will know what Repton might have learned as his life was cut short by a rifle shot. His body was roughly buried on the outskirts of the estate owned by the Wyndham family.
Lucas has no choice but to put Elena on the case. James Allenby, who reported the Repton tragedy to him, speaks highly of Elena’s abilities. And it just so happens that Elena’s older sister, Margot, currently resides at Wyndham Manor as she recently became engaged to Lady Wyndham’s brother, Geoffrey Baden. Margot herself spent a lot of time in Berlin during her youth, so if there is any truth to the Wyndhams’ alleged support of what was happening in Germany, it might make sense that she would be at the center of it.
Elena gets herself and James (who will play the role of her boyfriend) an invitation to spend some time with Margot and the Wyndhams and to meet her soon-to-be brother-in-law. It’s an especially dangerous and tricky mission due to the family connection, but Elena is a professional who is comfortable at any international location and will give it the expected first-rate treatment for which she is known.
Elena finds Margot to be her old self, often jealous of her younger sister and extremely strong-willed and driven when it comes to her own interests. She also gets to rub shoulders with Lady Wyndham herself and immediately identifies her as a force to be reckoned with who is not to be trusted. While she begins to butt heads with Margot, she finds time to get away with James and discovers Repton’s last location. There they come across his diary, and the information in it is extremely telling.
Elena is placed in a really bad position. Margot has been a long-suffering widow who finally has found happiness again. Yet the nefarious dealings of the Wyndham family will threaten to tear down everything. However, Elena knows better than anyone that her oath is to serve her country first, and the opportunity to snuff out a homeland connection to Hitler is not something she can let slip by.
Anne Perry dedicates THE TRAITOR AMONG US to “my readers, with thanks.” That is enough to choke up her loyal fans as they dive into another well-crafted mystery from the master.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
November 14, 2023
Elena Standish has proven herself as a photographer and as a secret agent with the M16 in the years just prior to WWII. Her grandparents know what she does as her grandfather was once the head of M16.
When one of the M16 agents, John Repton is found in a ditch near Wyndham Hall with a bullet hole to his heart, his co-workers are shocked. It was his very last assignment before he was to retire and no one is quite sure what he was working on but they believe it had something to do with the rising Fascist cell in the country. Elena is paired with another agent, James Allenby whom she has worked with before.
Elena's sister, Margot is being courted by Geoffrey Baden, Lady Wyndham's brother and invites Elena to spend a few days at the Wyndham Hall where she will meet her soon-to-be fiancee and his family. As Elena and James investigate Repton's murder, they begin to unravel a plot for a false accusation of a prominent politician with the result their reputation and careers are even though they are innocent. While they are still visiting, a prominent politician is accused by his young assistant of making untoward advances toward him. Hastings, the politician believed Germany was not to be trusted and was working toward promoting the government to spend more funds on the military and the navy in case a war did break out. With the accusations, Hastings has no choice but to resign his position resulting in a imminent by-election.
Margot is infatuated with her new fiancee and accuses Elena of being jealous. It's been years since she lost her first husband during the final week of WWI and she longs to be married and in love again. She has no idea Elena is a secret agent.
It doesn't take long before Elena is the victim of several 'accidents', one of which could have been fatal. Elena and James realize time is running out and if they don't find Repton's killer, Elena may be next.
I quite enjoyed the book but found the ending puzzling but when I discovered the author passed away this year, I'm wondering if someone else finished the last few chapters for her.
When one of the M16 agents, John Repton is found in a ditch near Wyndham Hall with a bullet hole to his heart, his co-workers are shocked. It was his very last assignment before he was to retire and no one is quite sure what he was working on but they believe it had something to do with the rising Fascist cell in the country. Elena is paired with another agent, James Allenby whom she has worked with before.
Elena's sister, Margot is being courted by Geoffrey Baden, Lady Wyndham's brother and invites Elena to spend a few days at the Wyndham Hall where she will meet her soon-to-be fiancee and his family. As Elena and James investigate Repton's murder, they begin to unravel a plot for a false accusation of a prominent politician with the result their reputation and careers are even though they are innocent. While they are still visiting, a prominent politician is accused by his young assistant of making untoward advances toward him. Hastings, the politician believed Germany was not to be trusted and was working toward promoting the government to spend more funds on the military and the navy in case a war did break out. With the accusations, Hastings has no choice but to resign his position resulting in a imminent by-election.
Margot is infatuated with her new fiancee and accuses Elena of being jealous. It's been years since she lost her first husband during the final week of WWI and she longs to be married and in love again. She has no idea Elena is a secret agent.
It doesn't take long before Elena is the victim of several 'accidents', one of which could have been fatal. Elena and James realize time is running out and if they don't find Repton's killer, Elena may be next.
I quite enjoyed the book but found the ending puzzling but when I discovered the author passed away this year, I'm wondering if someone else finished the last few chapters for her.
September 24, 2023
This was bittersweet since Anne Perry recently passed away. It would've been nice to see how both her Daniel Pitt and Elena Standish series developed over time but unfortunately this seems to be it. Elena has grown a lot from the stupid girl in book one who had me yelling in frustration on every page at yet another dumb choice she made. She still has a ways to go, but we won't get to see it. This book combines the old fashioned cozy country house murder mystery with a dash of spy thriller. John Repton an MI-6 agent and colleague of Elena's grandfather is found dead outside Wyndam Hall. Elena is sent along with James Allenby from the previous book to investigate undercover. The cover story is Elena is going to meet her sister Margot who is getting serious with the brother of David Wyndham's wife and man named Geoffrey. While there they uncover a group of Nazi sympathizers, Margot is horrid to her sister telling her some almost unforgivable things, Elena is shot at twice, once with Allenby and the two uncover a plot that threatens to throw Britain into chaos and lead them into Nazi hands all in the name of lasting peace. I enjoyed the country house mystery aspect of the story. I often wavered between who was good or bad, I thought Griselda had to be a red herring since she seemed fake and evil. Perhaps she's just cautious around new people? Then there's her husband David, how much is he involved? And poor Margot might be marrying a Nazi and into a whole family of them. I admit after the way she talked to Elena I was rooting for Geoffrey to be a bad guy. As I said a very bittersweet end that held the promise of romance and happiness for both sisters in a rare epilogue. I didn't start out as a fan of Elena Standish but this book changed my opinion of her a bit and I'm sad to see it end. Rest in peace Ms Perry and thanks for hours of enjoyment and introducing some of the most unforgettable characters and stories out there.
August 3, 2023
Fans of the Elena Standish series by Anne Perry will want to immediately pick up The Traitor among us, the fifth (and most likely the last) installment of the series. Tragically, Anne Perry, one of the most celebrated and bestselling historical fiction authors, died in April. Those of us who love Perry’s books will want to savor every minute of this excellent novel where Elena Standish is paired with James Allenby, another M16 operative, to solve the murder of John Repton, who was found on the grounds of Wyndam Hall, the estate of a very prominent and wealthy family. Elena’s sister, Margot, is engaged to one of the family members and is staying at the estate. Elena and Allenby use this as an excuse to be invited to visit and stay while investigating and solving the murder.
Even to the end, Perry uses her research and expertise in the historical period as a backdrop for an excellent novel. She has a way of making readers feel they are living in the time. She also does an excellent job of developing her characters. The protagonist, Elena Standish, is believable as a real person, and the supporting characters seem real as well. Perry has a way of making them real.
There are twists and turns in the novel, and the scenarios keep readers on the edge of their seats. Elena risks ruining her sister’s happiness if she exposes the family corruption, and while she hopes her sister’s fiancé isn’t involved, it gets very touchy as she and Allenby get closer to solving the case.
Most Ann Perry fans will enjoy this novel, and will be upset that there are no more to come.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
Even to the end, Perry uses her research and expertise in the historical period as a backdrop for an excellent novel. She has a way of making readers feel they are living in the time. She also does an excellent job of developing her characters. The protagonist, Elena Standish, is believable as a real person, and the supporting characters seem real as well. Perry has a way of making them real.
There are twists and turns in the novel, and the scenarios keep readers on the edge of their seats. Elena risks ruining her sister’s happiness if she exposes the family corruption, and while she hopes her sister’s fiancé isn’t involved, it gets very touchy as she and Allenby get closer to solving the case.
Most Ann Perry fans will enjoy this novel, and will be upset that there are no more to come.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.
October 5, 2023
Good book. Still like the series.
Not far from the sprawling grounds of Wyndham Hall, longtime MI6 agent John Repton's body is found with a bullet hole through the heart. The corpse's proximity to the estate sends ripples of concern through the intelligence community: Repton was killed while surveilling the members of a household with alleged ties to fascists--who threaten the security of the country as Hitler's control spreads across Europe. Elena Standish is assigned the case since she has a connection to the Wyndham family; Lady Wyndham's brother is courting Elena's older sister Margot.
Elena secures an invitation to Wyndham Hall for herself and a "date,"--her colleague James Allenby. To covertly investigate Repton's murder, the pair must uncover the true loyalties of the people in the house while protecting Margot from her beau's potentially dangerous relatives. But Elena is torn, for her sister has finally found happiness after years of heartbreak and sorrow, and having to take down the Wyndhams would destroy her new relationship.
As Elena and Allenby dig deeper into the Wyndham family's nefarious connections, Margot grows suspicious. Can Elena reconcile her political and professional obligations with her loyalty and love for her sister? Will Elena and Allenby get to the bottom of their colleague's murder? In The Traitor Among Us, Anne Perry raises the stakes--for Elena, MI6, and for Britain's future
Not far from the sprawling grounds of Wyndham Hall, longtime MI6 agent John Repton's body is found with a bullet hole through the heart. The corpse's proximity to the estate sends ripples of concern through the intelligence community: Repton was killed while surveilling the members of a household with alleged ties to fascists--who threaten the security of the country as Hitler's control spreads across Europe. Elena Standish is assigned the case since she has a connection to the Wyndham family; Lady Wyndham's brother is courting Elena's older sister Margot.
Elena secures an invitation to Wyndham Hall for herself and a "date,"--her colleague James Allenby. To covertly investigate Repton's murder, the pair must uncover the true loyalties of the people in the house while protecting Margot from her beau's potentially dangerous relatives. But Elena is torn, for her sister has finally found happiness after years of heartbreak and sorrow, and having to take down the Wyndhams would destroy her new relationship.
As Elena and Allenby dig deeper into the Wyndham family's nefarious connections, Margot grows suspicious. Can Elena reconcile her political and professional obligations with her loyalty and love for her sister? Will Elena and Allenby get to the bottom of their colleague's murder? In The Traitor Among Us, Anne Perry raises the stakes--for Elena, MI6, and for Britain's future
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October 25, 20254 stars. Well-written characters and place, historically accurate and a good indictment of English pro-Naziism in the 1930's (something today's UK seems to have forgotten, as it is chock full of anti-semitism). But there was a real threat in prewar Britain of succumbing to the Nazi propaganda and the fervent desire to avoid another war. WW I seems to have touched almost every family in the country with loss.
Elena is an interesting character; a little timid and a lot brave. Her relationship with her grandparents is believably close, and her service as an MI6 agent is totally hard for those who see her to imagine. The relationship with her sister, Margot, is well done. Though they are very different, they still love each other, even if their love is disrupted by sibling rivalry and misunderstanding. I wish I had read earlier novels in this series, as the book keeps referring to Elena's earlier adventures. It would have helped to see what she had gone through.
What a vanished world, somewhat Downton Abbey-ish, where people dress for dinner and wear day dresses (what exactly is a day dress?) and there are lots of servants. Snobbery is part of the general picture. The mystery is not much of one, as it was obvious what was going on and who was doing it. There is a lot of suspense; you keep fearing she will get caught out.
Overall, it was a good book, an accurate picture of a bygone era but not mysterious at all. Entertaining, but not great.
Elena is an interesting character; a little timid and a lot brave. Her relationship with her grandparents is believably close, and her service as an MI6 agent is totally hard for those who see her to imagine. The relationship with her sister, Margot, is well done. Though they are very different, they still love each other, even if their love is disrupted by sibling rivalry and misunderstanding. I wish I had read earlier novels in this series, as the book keeps referring to Elena's earlier adventures. It would have helped to see what she had gone through.
What a vanished world, somewhat Downton Abbey-ish, where people dress for dinner and wear day dresses (what exactly is a day dress?) and there are lots of servants. Snobbery is part of the general picture. The mystery is not much of one, as it was obvious what was going on and who was doing it. There is a lot of suspense; you keep fearing she will get caught out.
Overall, it was a good book, an accurate picture of a bygone era but not mysterious at all. Entertaining, but not great.
August 2, 2023
A very slow burn, TheTraitor Among Us, turned out to be a beautifully written, typically detailed British who done it, the ending of which was impossible to predict. Elena Standish and her colleague James Allenby, both MI6 agents, are charged with finding the murderer of another agent, whose death appears to be tied to an unknown investigation. Set in a beautiful old mansion, owned by the very wealthy Wyndham family , at the onset of Hitler’s rise to power, Elena and James need to penetrate the family to find the likely suspect (s).
The plot thickens as Elena’s sister, Margot, becomes engaged to lady Wyndam’s brother.. How can Elena investigate her future bother in law’s family, and his potential for being a killer and Nazi sympathizer, without totally alienating her sister?
Many twists and turns later, and a story which includes Nazi supporters at the very top of British royalty, there comes an action packed somewhat surprising ending told in the slow and steady style that makes the British mystery a genre unto itself.
Four stars for an enjoyable read by Anne Perry, who knows how to keep the suspense going. Publication date is September 12,2023. Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The plot thickens as Elena’s sister, Margot, becomes engaged to lady Wyndam’s brother.. How can Elena investigate her future bother in law’s family, and his potential for being a killer and Nazi sympathizer, without totally alienating her sister?
Many twists and turns later, and a story which includes Nazi supporters at the very top of British royalty, there comes an action packed somewhat surprising ending told in the slow and steady style that makes the British mystery a genre unto itself.
Four stars for an enjoyable read by Anne Perry, who knows how to keep the suspense going. Publication date is September 12,2023. Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2023
"'Disillusion is one of the sharpest pains I can think of. It tears down the foundation of so many other things as well, staring with your belief in your own judgment. If you can be wrong in this, what else are you mistaken in?'"
I was late to the Anne Perry party, and I was truly saddened by her passing earlier this year. This sadness is tempered by the knowledge I have a huge backlist to enjoy. #ATraitorAmongUs is the first book I've read in the Elena Standish series, and I enjoyed it immensely (despite the fact spy novels are not really my thing.) It took me several chapters to get into the story, and I found that besides the mystery to solve, Ms. Perry serves up many bon mots and life lessons. I love her characters, who are shaded all kinds of greys, and at some point, the novel became incredibly tense as Elena and Allenby attempt to ferret out the murderer. Adding to this is the tension between Elena and her sister Margot (snob!) and the knowledge that someone knows why Elena and Allenby have come to Wyndham Hall.
I missed these characters when I finished and found myself thinking about them, and longing to read more. And so, I will. Highly recommend.
P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.
I was late to the Anne Perry party, and I was truly saddened by her passing earlier this year. This sadness is tempered by the knowledge I have a huge backlist to enjoy. #ATraitorAmongUs is the first book I've read in the Elena Standish series, and I enjoyed it immensely (despite the fact spy novels are not really my thing.) It took me several chapters to get into the story, and I found that besides the mystery to solve, Ms. Perry serves up many bon mots and life lessons. I love her characters, who are shaded all kinds of greys, and at some point, the novel became incredibly tense as Elena and Allenby attempt to ferret out the murderer. Adding to this is the tension between Elena and her sister Margot (snob!) and the knowledge that someone knows why Elena and Allenby have come to Wyndham Hall.
I missed these characters when I finished and found myself thinking about them, and longing to read more. And so, I will. Highly recommend.
P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.
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