Margins
Elena Standish book cover 1
Elena Standish book cover 2
Elena Standish book cover 3
Elena Standish
Series · 5 books · 2019-2023

Books in series

Death in Focus book cover
#1

Death in Focus

2019

In the start of an all-new mystery series set in pre–World War II Europe, an intrepid young photographer carries her dead lover’s final, world-shattering message into the heart of Berlin as Hitler ascends to power. “Thrilling . . . reminiscent of works by Eric Ambler and Graham Greene.”— The Wall Street Journal On vacation from London on the beautiful Italian coast, twenty-eight-year-old Elena Standish and her older sister, Margot, have finally been able to move on from the lasting trauma of the Great War, in which the newly married Margot lost her husband and the sisters their beloved brother. Touring with her camera in hand, Elena has found new inspiration in the striking Italian landscape, and she’s met an equally striking man named Ian. When Ian has to leave unexpectedly, Elena—usually the more practical of the sisters—finds she’s not ready to part from him, and the two share a spontaneous train trip home to England. But a shocking sequence of events disrupts their itinerary, forcing Elena to personally deliver a message to Berlin on Ian’s behalf, one that could change the fate of Europe. Back home, Elena’s diplomat father and her secretive grandfather—once head of MI6, unbeknownst to his family—are involved in their own international machinations. Worried when Elena still hasn’t returned from Italy, her grandfather starts to connect the dots between her change in plans and an incident in Berlin, where Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich are on the rise. It seems the message Elena delivered has forced her into a dangerous predicament, and her grandfather’s old contacts from MI6 may be the only people who can get her out alive—if Elena can tell the difference between her allies and her enemies. New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry merges family secrets with suspense on the world stage, as darkness bubbles under the surface of a Europe on the brink of change. In these complicated times, Elena emerges as a strong new heroine who learns quickly that when nothing is certain, she can rely only on herself. Praise for Death in Focus “Masterful! It’s exceedingly rare for an author to have the talent to blend classic elements of a thriller with compelling family dynamics and geopolitical intrigue, but Anne Perry pulls it off like the consummate pro that she is. And, on top of all that, Death in Focus is written in her unique literary voice. I guarantee you’ll love Elena Standish. Brava!” — Jeffery Deaver, author of The Never Game
A Question of Betrayal book cover
#2

A Question of Betrayal

2020

On her first mission for MI6, the daring young photographer at the heart of this thrilling new mystery series by bestselling author Anne Perry travels to Mussolini's Italy to rescue the lover who betrayed her. Britain's secret intelligence service, MI6, has lost contact with its informant in northern Italy, just as important information about the future plans of Austria and Nazi Germany is coming to light. And young Elena Standish, to her surprise, is the only person who can recognize MI6's man—because he is her former lover. Aiden Strother betrayed her six years before, throwing shame on her entire family. Now, with so much to prove, Elena heads to Trieste to track down Aiden and find out what happened to his handler, who has mysteriously cut off contact with Britain. As Elena gets word of a secret group working to put Austria in the hands of Germany, her older sister, Margot, is in Berlin to watch a childhood friend get married—to a member of the Gestapo. Margot and Elena's grandfather, the former head of MI6, is none too happy about the sisters' travels at this tumultuous time, especially when a violent event at home reminds him that even Britain is growing dangerous. As his own investigation collides with his granddaughter's, what's at stake on the continent becomes increasingly frightening—and personal. Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing Europe, New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry crafts a novel full of suspense, political intrigue, and the struggle between love and loyalty to country.
A Darker Reality book cover
#3

A Darker Reality

2021

The third novel in Anne Perry's breathtakingly tense and exciting spy thriller series, featuring young British photographer and secret agent Elena Standish, set in the 1930s when the world was a place of increasing fear and uncertainty... Spring, 1934. With the threat of war looming, political tensions begin to rise... Elena Standish, a young English photographer who works for British Intelligence, is visiting her grandparents' home in Washington DC when tragedy strikes. A lavish party is held to mark her grandparent's sixtieth wedding anniversary and Elena takes pride in capturing the event on camera, but when the beautiful wife of a renowned scientist is found murdered in the driveway, allegedly run over by Elena's grandfather's car, Elena's world is turned upside down. Arrested on suspicion of murder, Wyatt Baylor protests his innocence, claiming he has enemies who are trying to frame him. But who are these enemies and how can Elena defend a man she barely knows? Turning to secret agent James Allenby for help, Elena must uncover the truth behind the events of that fateful night. But can she trust Allenby or her family and is she willing to risk everything in her pursuit of the truth?
A Truth to Lie For book cover
#4

A Truth to Lie For

2022

A lethal new weapon endangers all of Europe—unless Elena Standish can rescue an ingenious scientist from Hitler's clutches—in this action-packed mystery by bestselling author Anne Perry. It is summer 1934, and Hitler is teetering on the edge of supreme power. Any small step forward could vault him toward European domination. When Britain's MI6 gets word that a German scientist has made a breakthrough in germ warfare, they send Elena Standish on a dangerous mission to get him out of Germany before he's forced to share his knowledge and its devastating power with Hitler's elite. But the British soon learn that it's more than just time that Elena is working against. The new head of Germany's germ warfare division is an old enemy of Elena's grandfather Lucas, the former head of MI6. And he's bent on using any means to avenge his defeat at Lucas' hands twenty years before. What starts as an effort to save Europe from the devastation of disease soon becomes an intensely personal fight. With Elena's every decision challenged, this compelling mystery takes a searing look at what it means to do what's right in a world rife with so much evil.
A Traitor Among Us book cover
#5

A Traitor Among Us

2023

Elena Standish investigates the murder of a fellow MI6 agent near the country estate of one of England’s most influential families in this gripping mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry. 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.

Author

Anne Perry
Anne Perry
Author · 127 books

Anne Perry (born Juliet Hulme) was an English author of historical detective fiction, best known for her Thomas Pitt and William Monk series. In 1954, at the age of fifteen, she was convicted of participating in the murder of her friend's mother. She changed her name to "Anne Perry" after serving a five-year sentence. Her first novel, The Cater Street Hangman, was published under this name in 1979. Her works generally fall into one of several categories of genre fiction, including historical murder mysteries and detective fiction. Many of them feature a number of recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt, who appeared in her first novel, and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in her 1990 novel The Face of a Stranger. As of 2003, she had published 47 novels, and several collections of short stories. Her story "Heroes," which first appeared the 1999 anthology Murder and Obsession, edited by Otto Penzler, 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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