I don’t usually finish a novel in the middle of the work week unless it’s a good read. Yesterday I picked up Anne Perry’s Death in Focus (Elena Standish #1) with the intent of finishing, although the book had been languishing on my library books bookshelf for about two months. I had been experiencing some difficulty in getting excited about this book. Flash forward a day, and I’m giving this book high ratings. I’m now preparing to get the next one in the series as soon as I can.

Here’s a quote from the book that I found particularly poignant:

“You do not need to believe evil, only to use its methods. You will get accustomed to them, until eventually they are not your last choice, but your first. For awhile, you can justify it to yourself, and then eventually you will not bother. You have forgotten what you are fighting for; now winning is the only objective! And the more you win, the more you justify it, until the whole idea of right and wrong disappears and only winning matters.”

– Death in Focus, by Anne Perry

Here’s my Goodreads review:

This was a sleeper hit. It started out slow for me, and I had other books I was reading that took precedence. I put it aside a few times. Once I paid attention, by the middle to end, I was fully engaged. I wanted to see how it would end. Great development of character. Also of interest was Berlin before WWII, in the 1930s. I look forward to reading the next book in the series and discovering more about Elena Standish and her family.

I gave the book a 5 star review. Mainly because it got really really good, the last quarter of the book. A recommended read.

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