A Truth to Lie for: An Elena Standish Novel

Set in 1934, bestseller Perry’s underwhelming fourth novel featuring photographer turned spy Elena Standish (after 2021’s A Darker Reality) finds Elena tapped by Peter Howard, her boss at MI6, for a vital mission. Howard plans to smuggle two German biochemists involved in creating a deadly bioweapon and its antidote out of Germany and bring them to England. Elena is to travel to Berlin to exfiltrate one of them. Though the Germans are aware that the biochemists’ research is known to MI6, illogically they don’t expect an effort by the Brits to either extract or kill them. Sections focused on the vicissitudes of Elena’s assignment alternate with the actions of a morally conflicted Nazi, a clichéd secondary character with whom the reader spends too much time. Having the potential use of an atomic bomb briefly discussed in 1934 by Elena and Howard is also a jarring anachronism, given that nuclear fission had not yet been discovered. The combination of thin characters, plot contrivances, and not sweating the details makes for a forgettable outing. Perry is capable of better. Agent: Donald Maass, Donald Maass Literary. (Sept.)