Anne Frank will forever be known as the young Dutch girl who survived being in hiding for over 700 days with her family and three other people. Her diary, given to her father upon his return from the concentration camps, allowed the world to see a small part of her everyday life from the most mundane to the most terrifying. Her diary stops two days before the raid that would change everything. 

 

A group of investigators and a retired FBI agent are hoping to answer the eternal question of who betrayed the Franks. Using archived documents, photos, videos, maps, and good old-fashioned research they hope to find the answer. They begin with several theories including a new warehouse worker who they believe was aware that people were being hidden in the building and were a known thief, a woman known to turn in hiding Jews in return for money or favors, a family member of one of the helpers who have a known history with the Nazis, and a member of the Jewish Council whose job it was to make decisions on behalf of the Jews in the Netherlands. 

 

The team breaks down each scenario, looks for evidence to back up the scenario, and attempts to come up with a motive for the possible betrayal. Each theory is explained, the evidence is broken down for the reader, and then when a theory is eliminated the author goes into detail as to why. The effort and reverence that is given to the investigation is inspiring and shows just how serious these investigators took this case. 

 

As someone who has read multiple books on Anne Frank, her history, and her helpers I was very interested in this new book. I found myself drawn into the investigation and following along with the investigators' train of thought. I will keep the final theory a secret, but I can agree with why they believe this person is the best option although we will never be 100% sure of who betrayed those who hid in the Annex and what their motive was. This is a book I would suggest reading and coming to your own conclusion.