Readers of Anne Perry’s series featuring Elena Standish have seen her transform from a young photographer to one of the most valuable recruits of Britain’s MI6. Her latest adventure, A TRUTH TO LIE FOR, is set just prior to the onset of WWII as Hitler’s Germany is on the verge of becoming the evil powerhouse that will threaten Europe and the rest of the world.

Peter Howard, who personally brought Elena under the wing of MI6, calls her into his office to discuss a mission that will be the most dangerous of her career thus far. He needs her to go to Germany and help extract someone from Berlin. Hartwig is one of two scientists who have made breakthroughs in the area of germ warfare, which could allow Germany to dominate in any skirmish and pose an enormous threat to its citizens. Another agent, Alex Cooper, will try to take down the other scientist, Fassler.

"Kudos to Anne Perry, who never disappoints and continues to surprise readers with a number of tricks up her sleeve in a story that pushes the envelope and succeeds on nearly every level."

Traveling under the name Ellen Stewart, Elena is more than happy to do whatever she can for her country and for MI6. Peter actually discusses the mission with Elena’s grandfather (and the former head of MI6), Lucas, and they recognize that it might be more difficult to catch Fassler because he’s a Jew. Peter wisely states, “So many German Jews think of themselves as being completely assimilated in the German culture. German first and Jewish second.” He also notes that this could be a fatal mistake.

The second plot line running through A TRUTH TO LIE FOR involves Hans Beckendorff, a young German soldier who works directly for one of Hitler’s most trusted colleagues, General Paulus. Hans has dynamic ideas about how to ferret out those who are disloyal to the Führer, and his tactics are not only followed but also welcomed by Hitler himself. Hans, however, is savvy enough to figure out that he was selected for this mission not because of his abilities or his loyalty to Hitler and Germany, but mainly because his father-in-law is the British Ambassador stationed in Germany. The writing on the wall for Hans’ future is apparent to him, and he must figure out just how far he is willing to stay in his current role while having second thoughts about Hitler and the direction that his country may be taking.

Elena lands in Germany and is set to meet up with various assets who are prepared to assist her --- Dieter, who is working at the hotel where she is staying, and a German Jew named Jacob, who will help her track down Hartwig. They are successful in finding their target, and he is open to going with them if it means he can get out of Germany. However, it will not be easy for them to move around, especially when they get caught directly in the crosshairs of the uprising that comes to be known as the Night of the Long Knives, in which allegedly traitorous members of the German Brownshirts are brought down by Hitler and his men.

The blending of these two storylines works unbelievably well. This time, Elena Standish takes a backseat (which is not necessarily a bad thing) to Hans Beckendorff, who firmly picks up the mantle as the tale’s moral center. The result is a novel that is at times unbearably suspenseful, especially when Hans makes a stand in a big way, and the political intrigue and spy games feel as if Brad Thor was writing the text. Kudos to Anne Perry, who never disappoints and continues to surprise readers with a number of tricks up her sleeve in a story that pushes the envelope and succeeds on nearly every level.