The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation

Better a well-kept secret than an unresolved mystery...

The enigma that has baffled generations since World War II has now been solved by an international team headed by an obsessive former FBI agent, using cutting-edge technology, newly unearthed papers, and advanced investigation techniques: Anne Frank and her family were betrayed by whom? Why, too?

The Diary of a Young Girl, the teenage diary maintained by Anne Frank in Amsterdam during World War II while hiding in an attic with her family and four other people until the Nazis captured them and took them to a concentration camp, has been read by over thirty million times. However, none of the many works—novels, plays, books, and journalism—that have been dedicated to Anne's narrative have ever provided a satisfactory explanation for how these eight individuals were able to remain in hiding for more than two years, or for what or who ultimately led the Nazis to their door.

Retired FBI agent Vincent Pankoke and a group of tireless investigators meticulously went through tens of thousands of pages of records, some of which had never been seen before, and spoke with several Frank family members. The FBI's Cold Case Team methodically put together the months preceding up to the historic arrest using techniques they had developed, and they arrived at a startling conclusion.

The compelling account of their endeavour may be found in The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation. Rosemary Sullivan gives us an overview of the investigators, describes the actions of the prisoners and their captors, and provides a picture of a group of potential suspects. She also brilliantly captures the atmosphere of wartime Amsterdam, where you could never be sure who to trust, whatever of your money, education, or level of caution.