A Darker Reality (Elena Standish Book 3)

Description

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?

Anne Perry is a New York Times bestselling author noted for her memorable characters, historical accuracy and exploration of social and ethical issues. Her two series, one featuring Thomas Pitt and one featuring William Monk, have been published in multiple languages. Anne Perry has also published a successful series based around World War One and the Reavley family, and the recent standalone novel The Sheen on the Silk. Anne Perry was selected by The Times as one of the twentieth century's '100 Masters of Crime'.

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 ... And I guarantee you'll love Elena Standish! Brava! Readers will root for the forceful, independent Elena, who will appeal to Maisie Dobbs fans. Perry knows how to ratchet up the international intrigue * Publishers Weekly * The perfect time period to showcase a family's impassioned defence of democracy and social justice in the face of rising totalitarianism. . . At turns heartbreaking and action-packed, this gripping and superbly written story proves Perry still has what it takes * Library Journal * Elena's many narrow escapes and Perry's immersive re-creation of Nazi-era Europe will keep readers enthralled...but it is the smart, gritty heroine herself who will ensure that readers eagerly anticipate the next in the series * Booklist * Reminiscent of works by Eric Ambler and Graham Greene. Perry conjures the mixed emotions and misplaced optimism of a period when many Establishment figures were desperate to avoid another world war * Wall Street Journal *