The Traitor Among Us

July 10, 2023
Elena Standish returns (after 2022’s A Truth to Lie For) for a delectable mystery that sees the photographer turned MI6 agent infiltrating a family of aristocrats in 1930s England. When MI6 agent John Repton is found shot to death near the Wyndham family estate, two questions emerge: who killed him, and why was he there in the first place? Elena, whose older sister, Margo, is being courted by Lady Wyndham’s brother, is tapped to investigate Repton’s death alongside fellow agent James Allenby. The pair discovers that Repton had been surveilling the Wyndhams to learn more about the family’s rumored fascist sympathies, and land an invitation to Wyndham Hall to see what they can dig up for themselves. As the revelations turn more and more sinister, and Hitler’s influence spreads across Europe, Elena faces a choice: does she risk her widowed sister’s happiness to take down the Wyndhams, or turn a blind eye to matters with international implications? Perry’s period details are exquisite, and she ably blends family conflicts with political intrigue, making the stakes of Elena’s inquiry feel both enormous and intimate. Historical mystery fans will eat this up. Agent: Meg Davis, Ki Agency.