The Helsinki Affair follows the story of Anna, a new Station chief in Rome, and her father Charlie, an ex spy handling a desk job. It was intriguing to read about the day to day workings of spy operations. Makes you wonder if you are really seeing what is going on in front of you. But what should Anna do when her father’s name appears in an investigation? We learn more about Charlie’s past with flashbacks (that could have been referred to a little better- some times I was lost) and Anna does her due diligence. I can only say i now know I could not be a spy.

3.5 stars rounded up

I've read other books by this author and loved them, but this just didn't do it for me. I didn't like the constant time jumping and character jumping within the chapters, and I didn't really like any of the characters either. I wish she had stayed with historical fiction, as this left me very disappointed.
I would not recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

An enjoyable spy novel with strong female characters. The main character, Amanda, the daughter of a CIA officer, unexpectedly finds herself promoted to the CIA's Rome office after a stranger shows up while she's the only person holding down the fort over the lunch hour. She uncovers plots within plots, including one involving her father.

The novel has a strong backstory involving the protagonist's father during the Cold War. Both stories dovetail beautifully near the end of the novel off the coast of Helsinki. The main character develops a character flaw that comes out of nowhere on the back end of the book, but otherwise, the characters were well done. As with all spy novels, the plot gets a bit tricky to follow, but a strong story made up for that.

I really enjoy books with spies in them. The fact that this book had to do with a father and daughter who both work for the CIA is what initially got my attention.

There are so many layers to the story that slowly come to light through Amanda’s current case. As she learns the connection to her father’s career, she also learns things she never knew about him.

There were parts of this story that were full of suspense and when the whole story came together, I found myself surprised at how it all played out.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.

Definitely more of a spy novel than a “thriller,” but it was good. I like that it felt more accessible than a lot of spy books and didn’t let the reader suffer in the weeds too much. Recommended.

Couldn’t put this one down! An old-school spy novel that feels very fresh. The plotting kept me guessing until the very end.

I really enjoy spy/espionage fiction, but it really is a genre dominated by male authors and male main characters. So, I’m always excited to see female leads and authors within the genre!

I feel like the author really delivered on an intriguing story of subterfuge that managed to be complicated while remaining digestible. It is a bit slow at times, but not so slow that it makes you want to shop reading.

I really loved the two female characters most present in this story: Amanda, our MC and mostly narrator, and Kath, an older agent with a sharp wit. I think it was cool that Amanda was more of a methodical, intelligent character; bold and brash can of course be a lot of fun, but not every female character needs to be that way to be strong or capable!

I did hate Amanda’s dad in this. He’s another agent whose past we see in a dual timelines set-up. I know he’s supposed to redeem himself somewhat, but I think the author did too good of a job of making him unlikable haha.

Overall, this was a super solid contribution to the spy fiction genre! Pick this one up if you like stories with political and international intrigue, strong female characters, and more understated action.

What fun to get back into the spy mystery genre! It’s been quite a while for me and I’ve missed it! Kudos to the author, Anna Pitoniak, for a nicely convoluted plot with believable characters and a credible story line!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Simon and Schuster, for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. I’ll look for additional thrillers from this author.

The CIA, spies and Russia – what’s not to love? The story was easy to follow, a tad slow to build as the characters are slotted into place. The history and backgrounds of the distinctive characters took time to set up. It was anything but boring and built to an unexpected climax. Amanda is beyond weary of her administrative drudgery at the Rome station. A visiting Russian man has a pang of conscious over some bragging chatter he’d overheard. Amanda will be faced with difficult choices as she tries to unravel decades of history leading up to this. Few will believe her instincts as she tries to use a slippery asset for critical intelligence. Another highly intelligent and methodical agent, Kath, will be invaluable to the case and to Amanda personally. Always on her mind and In the background is Charlie, who is Amanda’s father and was also a spy. His complicated life hovers over everything. There are conspiracies, double and triple agents, recruits and handler’s, Oligarchs and moles. All of the characters were well fleshed out, interesting and believable. The locations and setting cross the globe in intriguing scenes. I could barely read fast enough to see how it would end. Who will betray their country and who will hold fast to loyalty and honor? It comes down to the lies we tell ourselves for justification of our sins.
This was the first time I had read this author and would definitely read more of her novels. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “The Helsinki Affair” by Anna Pitoniak, published by Simon & Schuster. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without any compensation.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak from Simon & Schuster/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Engaging addition to the spy genre. Particularly enjoyed how the author took us back and forth between multiple timelines, and how she had a two-generation family of “spooks.” Absolutely hope this is the first in a series.

Also, had some fun with this after finishing The Helsinki Affair by asking my husband who all he thought of people we know/knew might be CIA [friends, family, co-workers, former classmates…..]

In the end, we were convinced everybody BUT us…….and then we weren’t quite convinced that we weren’t lying to each other.

PS
God, how much do I hate Norman Mailer for dying before finishing the sequel to Harlot’s Ghost???

DESCRIPTION
IT’S THE CASE OF AMANDA’S LIFETIME, BUT SOLVING IT WILL REQUIRE HER TO BETRAY ANOTHER SPY—WHO JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE HER FATHER.

SPYING IS THE FAMILY BUSINESS. Amanda Cole is a brilliant young CIA officer following in the footsteps of her father, who was a spy during the Cold War. It takes grit to succeed in this male-dominated world—but one hot summer day, when a Russian defector walks into her post, Amanda is given the ultimate chance to prove herself.

The defector warns of the imminent assassination of a US senator. Though Amanda takes the warning seriously, her superiors don’t. Twenty-four hours later, the senator is dead. And the assassination is just the beginning.

Corporate blackmail, covert manipulation, corrupt oligarchs: the Kremlin has found a dangerous new way to wage war. Teaming up with Kath Frost, a fearless older woman and legendary spy, Amanda races from Rome to London, from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, unraveling the international conspiracy. But as she gets closer and closer to the truth, a central question haunts her: Why was her father’s name written down in the senator’s notes? What does Charlie Cole really know about the Kremlin plot?

The Helsinki Affairis a riveting, globe-trotting spy thriller—but this time, with a refreshing female-centric twist. Perfect for fans of John le Carré and Daniel Silva, this book introduces Pitoniak as a singular new talent in the world of spy fiction.

Advance Praise
“I’m a sucker for propulsive spy thrillers, whether they’re books or movies. But so many of them feature almost all-male casts, with any female characters relegated to love interests or sexy distractions. That’s not the case with The Helsinki Affair! The spies at the center of the novel are women—ambitious, complicated, sometimes messy women. Our protagonist is CIA agent Amanda Cole. She’s stubborn and determined and impulsive—all characteristics that make her a good spy, but also a frustrating colleague! Amanda teams up with a legendary spy named Kath who is brash and funny and totally independent. They’re a fierce, often very funny dynamic duo who are impossible not to root for every step of the way in this propulsive, twisty novel.”
—Carina G., Senior Editor, on The Helsinki Affair

This is the story of two agents father and daughter and what part they each played in the spy business.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for my advance electronic copy. All opinions are my own.

Intelligent, ambitious Amanda Cole followed her father Charlie in the family business: she's a brilliant young CIA officer stationed overseas. But she is bored out of her mind. The Rome desk is not exactly pulsing with intrigue, and she is itching for the chance to hone her craft. Her chance quite literally walks into her office one day in the form of a Russian informer who claims that a US senator will shortly be assassinated. When no one but Amanda believes him--and he's proven right--the clock starts ticking on an international web of deception, triple-cross, and maneuvering that threatens the global economy and balance of power. As Amanda races across the globe, in the back of her mind she is trying to work out why her father was implicated, what big scandal drove him from Helsinki all those years ago, and if could possibly be a traitor.

The dual timeline (and multiple perspectives) serves this story well. Told in the same universe as Pitoniak's Our American Friend, but with new protagonists, this is an elegant and well-woven plot. I love, love, love that those driving the plot are women. Intelligent, capable, insightful, realistic women. I got caught up with them as they followed the threads of their spycraft. Charlie Cole, on the other hand, is an insecure idiot. He's bored too, and both he and his daughter's boredom lead them into trouble. They share the addiction to the adrenaline that pushes them into intrigue, but ultimately the book is about redemption and has a lot of heart. I loved Our American Friend and this is even better. I can't wait for more!

Triggers: betrayal, off-page torture, violent death

I have read other books by this author and loved them. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the same way about her spy novel. I wasn't interested in the characters or what happened to them.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.
This isn’t your dad’s Cold War spy novel…it’s better! There are two main stories in this twisty thriller: a modern woman embarking on the cat and mouse chase of a lifetime, and her father’s own, thirty years earlier, near the end of the Cold War. Loyalties are tested in the most heart wrenching ways: to family, to country, to ideals. Will Amanda succeed in discovering the truth behind a senator’s death, or will she repeat her father’s mistakes? And when her relentless search for the truth threatens to expose him as a traitor to the country they both love, how will she choose to act? And what exactly happened in Helsinki? You’ll be on the edge of your seat in this action packed thriller ripped from the headlines of today.

This is a solid spy thriller that blends the Cold War and the present into the story. It's not a thriller but suspenseful and keeps you guessing what will happen til the end. I would not be surprised if there is a sequel.

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit https://www.ManofLaBook.com

The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak is a globe trotting espionage thriller about a CIA agent attempting to stop stock market manipulation by Russia. Ms. Pitoniak worked in the publishing industry before becoming an author.

Amanda Cole followed the footsteps of her father and joined the CIA. A Russian man walks into the Rome embassy, where Amanda works, and informs them that a US Senator is about to be assassinated in Egypt.

Amanda follows up on the tip, and when it comes to pass it opens up a whole can of global espionage shenanigans. Joining Amanda are Kath Frost, a legend in the agency, as they get closer to the uncomfortable truth.

I enjoyed this book very much. It has a lot going for it, an exciting adventure, great characters, moral and personal stakes, as well as a great plot which I could certainly see happening.

I really enjoyed the ability of the author to understand misinformation, meme stocks, and the manipulation involved. For me, this whole aspect of The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak was the highlight.

This is the first book I read by Ms. Pitoniak, and she is a gifted writer. The pace is excellent, the characters are interesting, and the plot is very intriguing. I’ve read several espionage books featuring female protagonists, it’s a nice change from the male-centric fantasy of James Bond. I have to admit that I enjoyed the majority of these novels, regardless of sex they’re just well written with strong, intriguing characters. The author herself, in the forward, admitted that she wrote this book because she wanted a spy thriller

The book goes back and forth in time to Amanda’s father, Charlie Cole’s Cold War days in Helsinki. We get more background information as Amanda pursues her current case, privy to what she knows and the layers she uncovers.

Despite the seemingly complex plot, involving many characters and financial crimes, I found it easy to follow. I’m looking forward to see if it is is part of a series, or just a standalone book. Either is fine, and I did not get the impression that Ms. Pitoniak wrote this book with a series in mind.

Amanda is following in her fathers footstep as a spy and is given the opportunity to prove herself. She learns of a planned to assassinate a important person and what she learns while trying to stop it from happening might just change her.
This was a good spy thriller with a strong female character.

When a Russian tourist arrives unexpectedly at the American Embassy in Rome with information about a planned assassination, CIA operative Amanda Cole is swept up in the most excitement she’s seen during her posting at the sleepy Foreign Service outpost. Despite her conviction that the intel this low-level Russian clerk provides, her boss decides it’s not reliable. When the target does die under suspicious circumstances, Amanda is off in a race across Europe, tracking Russian oligarchs, secret algorithms, and ultimately uncovering how her father, a CIA employee now mothballed in Virginia, is connected to the whole affair.

Pitoniak has crafted a fine spy novel, with its usual twists and authorial license regarding typical Foreign Office procedures—Let's face it. Who would really want to read a novel about all of the paperwork and oversight typical of any government agency?

Most refreshing is her main character, Amanda Cole, who has nary a romantic interest during the entire book. She’s not a sidekick, nor a damsel in distress, nor bait in a honey trap, nor femme fatale. She is a capable covert agent with authority and agency. While she has personal baggage in the form of her difficult relationship with her father, it is central to the plot. And Amanda ends up the more professional of the two. Bravo!

Nice reading a spy thriller with a strong female lead. Nice backstory involving her father as a CIA operative with a shady past. Looking forward to, recommending “The Helsinki Affair”

I’m not a big fan of thrillers, but I am a fan of Anna Pitoniak. So, I was interested to see what she would do next. But I found this mildly unsatisfying.
This thriller starts in Rome, when deputy station chief Amanda Cole interviews a lowly GRU operative who states a US senator is going to be assassinated in Cairo. Of course, her boss blows her off. And then the senator dies. Amanda is thrust into the investigation, trying to unravel the conspiracy behind the murder. She is promoted to station chief and teamed with Kath, an older agent.
I adored Kath. She’s a take no prisoners, get out of my way, kind of person. I would have loved to have seen more of her. But, in a different way, Amanda is also a strong, gutsy spy. Much younger, she’s got the ability to read people and more importantly, is not afraid to make the tough decisions. The story goes back and forth in time between Amanda’s current operation and her father’s time as a spy in Helsinki in the 1980s. Both stories involve double crosses, traitors and the whole trust factor. I got a kick out of some of the comments about female spies from both timelines. The family connection makes the two different timelines work.
I found way too many parts of this story unbelievable. Stock exchange manipulations being used to blackmail greedy American execs totally ignores the fact businesses have boards of directors. Or why is Amanda as Rome’s station chief, doing undercover work in London? And why did the 1980s Helsinki office have so much sensitive info about Afghanistan operations? And the biggest of all, was Charlie really that obtuse? But I found the characters extremely interesting and realistic, especially when it comes to the whole guilt factor.
I also was disappointed by the ending, which was extremely open ended. I’m hoping this doesn’t mean Pitoniak doesn’t mean to continue this as a series. I won’t be reading a sequel, if there is one.
My thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.