In this early twentieth century historical fiction mystery, readers travel to the United Kingdom in the years before World War II. Following MI6 agent Elena Standish and her partner James Allenby, readers infiltrate a house party in the English countryside to investigate the murder of another agent nearby on the orders of Elena’s grandfather, a high-ranking MI6 agent. However, Elena’s sister Margot is attending this house party with her fiance, Lady Wyndham’s brother, and the hosts and Margot’s fiance are suspects in this murder. Dealing with the rise of British fascism in the 1930s and the threats they posed to national security and the war effort (especially with their ties to the Prince of Wales and Wallis Simpson), Anne Perry creates a fascinating and complex mystery where not everyone is who they seem, but everyone is definitely a threat. Perry’s characters are dynamic and complex, and everyone (even the minor characters and the unlikeable ones) are interesting to read about and have their own backstories. Elena and Margot’s relationship is particularly interesting to follow since they have such a tense relationship and are so different, while the other character dynamics are both complex and surface-level throughout the novel in a fascinating juxtaposition.

The “Traitor Among Us” was a well told story even with the detractor being fairly obvious. But then Anne Perry had that wonderful way of feeding you crumbs while she was weaving her mysteries, sucking you in and helping you to understand why she was taking that particular path. In this book the forced interaction of siblings, relatives and workmates, added to the tension and interesting exploration of emotions regarding Hitler and a possible war. The idea of knowing your enemy is intricately threaded throughout the book.

This is so not fair. Elena Standish was just coming into her own. She was becoming more confident, resilient, quicker to catch on and read the intrigue. She was shaking off previous mistakes. With the death of Ms. Perry I am afraid that the rest of Elena’s story will be left untold. She had so many more escapades and missions to accomplish and I only hope that Ms. Perry’s estate might find an extraordinary author to continue this series.

Many thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy of this engaging installment in the Elena Standish series.

I have always loved Anne Perry books, and this series has been one of my favorites.

I was introduced to this author through a grandmother figure who loves Perry's earlier work and told me "this is more modernized in it's writing style". She was on point. This more recent historical fiction about Elena is written in a much different style than her very early work/series. (I must admit I like both the old and new).

Elena is young girl growing into womanhood between WWI and WWII. Perry does a wonderful job with the interplay between characters, authenticity with the time period and, as is always her style, - shares tidbits of wisdom through her characters. I have loved watching Elena grow as a spy - this is one of my favorites. I love that we have Allenby returning to assist with Elena investigating her sisters beau. This books was such a good combination of politics, mystery, murder, truth and some small romantic tidbits.

Historical fiction fans, this is a must read.

This was also a really good ending to Elena's story. The whole way through I was scared I would be disappointed or left on a cliff hanger. What with Anne Perry passing last year. It wraps things up fairly nicely....but I still wish I could get more books.

This book was released so far after after Ms Perry's passing ....I have some secret hopes that there may have been some ghost writing and maybe...by some hope...some continuation to this series.

If that is not the case, I am content and happy. Which makes me immensely pleased.

PS I greatly argued with myself between 4 and 5 stars. And I will reassess at the end of the month - but it was my first book of the new year.

Thank you to Random House / Ballentine Books, and NetGalley!

A very good historical mystery with twists and turns. It is a slow burn but worth it. The detail gives the novel some verisimilitude.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It makes it hard when family is involved.
This is the fifth book in the series and might be the last one because Anne Perry passed away this spring. This leaves me with a very sad feeling. I always enjoyed all her books. In this 5th book we see Elena put in a troublesome situation. In the pre-war years of World War II there were a lot of Hitler sympathizers in England. Some of them believed in his ideology, others thought it was more important to avoid war at all costs leaving the continent to solve its own problems. Elena has been invited to meet Margot romantic interest and his family for the weekend on their estate. Because one of the agents’ bodies been found on the estate Allenby is joining her as her guest. Worried that her sisters’ new family too might be involved in murder and treason put a heavy burden on Elena and makes the sometimes-strained relationship between the two sisters even more so. As with every book in this series you get a solid feeling about the attitudes of the pre-war years.

Elena & James Allenby are sent to Wyndham Hall to discover who murdered an M16 agent. Unfortunately, Margot, Elena's sister, is involved with the younger brother of the Wyndham heir.
The story was hard to get into for some reason. I had tried first reading it when I received the copy, but decided that perhaps reading in order would make more sense (it did).
Twists and turns, the murder is solved. As Elena & James seem to be becoming a couple, it appears the storyline will unfortunately end due to Ms Perry's passing.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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.

Fantastic but bittersweet read, couldn't help wondering the whole time if it was my last new Anne Perry read. Excellently plotted, with storytelling that keeps me involved in a historical time period I easily grow tired of in fiction.

The Elena Standish series is one of my favorite historical mystery series, set during the time between both world wars. A man is found dead near Wyndham hall, and Elena and her partner Allenby are sent to investigate. Complicating the situation is her sister Margot’s engagement to one of the family members. Attempts to discredit public figures in England to make way for Mosley and his Blackshirts Nazi supporters seems to be at the bottom of this, but proof is needed. Well written, with a great anti-fascist message, I recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the book.

3.5 rounded up.

Elena Standish has another assignment for MI6, but this one hits a little close to home as she'll be investigating the family of a man her sister is about to become engaged to. Elena gets herself invited to the Wyndham family house party at the sprawling Wyndham Hall. Fellow agent James Allenby accompanies her as "her beau". They're to find out who killed undercover agent John Repton, why he was killed, and if it's tied to the fascists that support Hitler.

This wasn't my favorite of the Elena Standish novels. Elena and James didn't try to sell the "we're dating" thing very well because no one at the house party bought that storyline. I didn't care for Elena's sister Margot at all in this one. I didn't understand why she would accuse Elena of being jealous of her as it didn't make sense to me, although she did start to redeem herself towards the end. I liked how confident Elena is now compared to just a couple of books ago. There are enough twists in this one to keep the reader interested.

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

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This spy novel is an excellent addition to the Elena Standish series by Anne Perry.

The action takes place between WWI and WWII as Hitler is consolidating his power in Germany. There are many supporters in England for "no more war at any cost" which is a code phrase for backing the Nazi regime. MI6 agents Elena Standish and James Allenby are tasked with finding the killer of John Repton, a fellow MI6 agent. His body was found on the magnificent grounds of the Wyndham estate.

Conveniently, Elena and James are invited to spend a week at the estate because Elena's sister Margot is dating Geoffrey, a member of the Wyndham family. Can they maintain their secret identities while searching for clues?

Could the Wyndhams be involved in the murder? Could they be traitors to Great Britain?

I loved the way the author weaves historical fact with spy fiction to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

I love this series! This was another great mystery that kept you guessing throughout the book. The characters are interesting and nuanced. The setting was brought to life, I felt like I was really there. A great read for historical fiction fans!

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!!

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.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher, but all opinions expressed are my own. The Traitor Among Us is a fantastic (and likely final title following the author's recent death) in the Elena Standish series. Set in the period leading up to WWII, this title finds Elena facing English fascists who ate supporters of Mosley. Claiming to never want another war again, this group finds much to admire about Adolph Hitler, and many everyday citizens don't see the danger. Complicating matters is the potential involvement of Elena's sister's fiance in events. The mystery aspect is well done but what I find haunting about this book, and the entire series, is how it feels very relevant to the current environment and how people are starting to forget the lessons of the interwar period.

Anne Perry's books range in period from Victorian England (the Monk and Pitt novels) to the Elena Standish novels, set in the lead-up to World War II. The Traitor Among Us sends Standish to a house party to uncover illegal ties between an aristocratic family and Oswald Moseley's British Nazi Party. Standish is a young woman coming in to her own professionally with the support of her grandfather, her boss, and her colleagues.

How sad that we will not be getting any more books from this iconic historical fictory writer. RIP Anne Perry.

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

It feels so sad right now to know that the prolific Anne Perry will not give me more, more, more of her incredible historical fiction mysteries and spy novels. I'd grown quite fond of Elena Standish. The Traitor Among Us is a classically drawn English Country Weekend novel, complete with formal dress and lots of suspects at that point before England is drawn into WWII and Parliament is rife with appeasers who either want to avoid war at all costs or who actively support Hitler's vision. Elena's sister is getting serious about a gentleman whose sister is married to a wealthy man and she joins with Allenby to attend a weekend party at their estate. Because one of theirs was murdered near there and they need to find out what he learned and do him justice.

This was an enjoyable, easy to solve entry into the Elena Standish series. Not my favorite but certainly well worth a read.

The Traitor Among Us is the next installment of the Elena Standish Series by Anne Perry. At the rise of Hitler’s power there could be English supporters. Are they the murderers of a long time M16 agent? Elena Standish and James Allenby are sent to investigate. Her family may have ties so it could be a delicate situation for Elena but she remains true to the mission. Not always an easy thing to do.

A slow even pace story that has several twisty turns before the culprit is found and stopped. As always a beautifully written English historical tale by this author. If you have been following Elena since the beginning this is a must read. If not, it still stands on its own.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a complimentary digital copy. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

My only regret about this well conceived, plotted, and written is that it is the last we will see of Elena (not a spoiler but a fact because of Perry's 2023 death). Those who have followed along know that MI6 officer Elena, is the daughter and granddaughter of MI6 officer. Here, she is sent to a grand estate house party by her grandfather to keep an eye on her sister Margot and to find out who killed MI6 officer John Renby and left him in a ditch. Perry makes good use of the little explored issue of British support for Germany and it's key to this tale of betrayal. Allenby, sent to accompany Elena, was introduced in earlier books; he's protective of Elena and Margot but never underestimates either of them. Know that there are multiple allusions to a disastrous relationship of Elena's- these could have pared or the backstory explained further (I know I'd forgotten the details). There are gorgeous clothes, a lot of toast, and a wallop of a croquet match. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I've been a fan of this family and I'm going to miss them.

I LOVE Anne Perry and all of her books! I am so happy that I got his ARC to read b/c I didn't even know about this series! I read books 1-4 in prep for this one and I am so glad I did! Elena is so undervalued and underappreciated! And yet she still gets shit done and lives to tell the tale! I can't wait for more in this series. It is super interesting to hear about the atmosphere and thinking of people in Europe in America as Hitler came to power and before WWII actually started. It's enraging and eye-opening for sure!

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