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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.

4 stars for a well done spy novel. Amanda Cole is a CIA officer stationed in Rome. She is on duty when a Russian man insists on speaking to someone about a planned assassination. He tells her that a US senator will be killed in Egypt, but it will look like a heart attack. He does indeed die of an apparent heart attack at the predicted time and place, because Amanda's boss refused to let her warn him.
Amanda's father was a CIA officer also, who was transferred from Helsinki under murky circumstances many years before. The deceased senator's chief of staff finds strange papers in the senator's office and gives them to Amanda's father. Charlie Cole turns the papers over to his daughter, advising her that his name was included in the papers.
Amanda sets out to unravel a conspiracy that got the senator killed and how or if her father is connected. She does solve the mystery.
The author bio says that she was an editor at a publishing house before she decided to write books. I found this book to have believable characters and a well-paced, suspenseful plot.
#TheHelsinkiAffair #NetGalley.
Thanks to Simon and Schuster for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.

A subtle and dangerous espionage thriller that keeps on twisting the knife with major twists and turns at every junction point and propelled by authenticity of spycraft, this is one of the best spy thrillers to come out this year.

Full review to be posted on https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain

This was a good spy thriller that went between events in the past and the present. The central characters in this story were women which was refreshing. There was plenty of suspense, betrayal and twists that kept me interested. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I really enjoyed this book and found myself wanting to rush to the end to figure out what happened in Helsinki! I found Amanda to be such a strong character and loved her developing friendship with her coworker- who was years many older than her but a great support for Amanda.

The Helsinki Affair revolves around Amanda Cole, a woman following in her father's footsteps to work for the CIA. The father, Charlie Cole, still works for the agency, but now at a desk job. As the story unwinds, often slowly, we learn more of the father's days in clandestine activity, and that work then comes up in the daughter's own investigation years later. There were some situations that didn't really ring so true, but all in all, it's a good read.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I love good spy fiction and The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak looked like a refreshing change, since it featured a female protagonist, who turned out to be tough as nails when needed but also showed some heart underneath.

Amanda Cole is following in the footsteps of her father by working for the CIA. She is stationed in a sleepy Rome location when a Russian defector shows up in her office with a huge tip - but her boss doesn't believe it. Suffice it to say she was right, he was wrong, and now she is running the site.

I liked that this was not JUST a spy story; there was a family drama and mystery surrounding what happened to her father during his service years earlier. Amanda was a great lead character, but her colleague Kath stole the show for me. Since the resolution was not completely clear, I am hoping for a sequel and even a series starring Amanda and Kath.

I will recommend this to readers who like spy fiction with female protagonists.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Helsinki Affair is a dual timeline, with part of the story taking place in Helsinki in the 1980s with Charlie Cole, and then several decades later with his daughter Amanda in Rome, England, the US and Russia. Both are members of the CIA during their part of the storyline, and circumstances from Charlie's time as a spy tie in to Amanda's work after a U.S. senator dies of a "stroke" during a trip to Egypt. It's nice to read a spy novel where one of the protagonists is a woman perfectly capable of running an op, with a just as capable woman as one of her team members. The premise behind Amanda's mission is a fascinating one that expands the idea of just who exactly countries like Russia could be strongarming or manipulating. If the reader is looking for the book to elevate into a high-octane, suspenseful moment, they won't really find one here. It definitely feels more like unraveling the connections and checking off boxes as they narrow in on their targets. It also can be hard to follow at times as the storyline jumps back and forth between Amanda's mission and her father's time in Helsinki. Some of the past is written as the past and some of it is written more like a recollection in the present. This is also the first book in the series, so there is part of the storyline that is left unresolved at the ending of the book. I enjoyed Pitoniak connecting dots throughout the story, but I wish there had been more of a climax point to the story. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love a book in a setting that I am unfamiliar with that has me Googling places the characters find themselves in, and this one totally does that. The plot for this one was interesting and I loved that the author even states in her note that she wanted a strong female in the role of bad@ss spy.

Amanda is a CIA spy in Rome that finds herself taking information from a Russian informant that is really going to help propel her career forward. Along the way she finds out her father (a former CIA agent posted in Finland back during the Cold War) has ties to Russia, and not in a good way.

The pacing was a little slow at the beginning, but once I was deeper into the storyline I was so fascinated. I enjoyed the dual stories of both Amanda's current spy activity, alongside what her father had experienced himself back during the Cold War. I had slight issue with the formatting of the book and was annoyed with how it would switch character perspectives and time periods throughout one chapter, but it didn't affect my understanding of what was going on. I absolutely loved the peak action and suspense towards the end when everything was coming to a head. The ending was satisfying, but I could see the author being able to pick these characters back up and continue their stories with a part two. If that happens, you better believe I am picking it up!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

The Helsinki Affair is a spy novel written by a woman with a female protagonist. These two facts alone make this a must read.

The daughter follows in her father's footsteps in the CIA. A Russian comes to her with information that sends her off in a case that will make her career. The path is a hard one, with questions of her own father's guilt turning up along the way.

Forty year old Amanda Cole, CIA agent, has just stumbled onto some information that eventually leads to her being made station chief in Rome. One of her first assignments implicates her father, a career CIA employee, as a possible Soviet spy. This sets up an ethical and moral dilemma for her. Will she pursue the lead or bury it?

Taking place in Rome, London, Russia, Finland, all the intrigue of the cold war is here. With Finland physically so close to Russia, Helsinki has seen a lot of KGB and CIA action. I liked the female characters, especially Kath, an older, savvy, top notch spy. In addition to the Cold War espionage, there is also a very contemporary plot line involving stock manipulation.

There are two timelines, Amanda’s present day investigation and her father’s past involving an affair in Helsinki. As the excitement peaks, the action quickly alternates between the two. The writing is fast paced, engrossing. I did think some of the characters were pretty loose lipped with confidential information. But, after all, this is a work of fiction.

Spy fiction is not my go to genre and I don’t like the James Bond, hard to believe action stories. This one had a decent plot, not too much incredulity, and not a lot of violence; what there was was not overly graphic. It was refreshing to have a female centered spy thriller

The end of the book introduced some continuing story lines, perhaps hinting at a sequel or possible series? I certainly would read another book by Pitoniak featuring these characters.

CIA agent Amanda Cole is thrust into an international conspiracy involving high-profile assassinations and Russian blackmail. It ’ s the case of her lifetime, but solving it might require her to betray another spy—who just so happens to be her father.

Amanda Cole is a brilliant young CIA agent, following in the footsteps of her father Charlie. But Amanda’s posting in Rome is a sleepy one. She’s listless and looking for action when, on a hot summer day, it walks right through her door. A lowly Russian operative is desperate, telling her that a US Senator is about to be assassinated on an overseas trip to Cairo. Amanda believes he’s telling the truth, but her superiors do not, and they determine that the best course of action is no action at all. But when the assassination occurs, Amanda is suddenly thrust into an international conspiracy as she tries to find out why the senator was killed.

I have been loving spy novels lately, so when I saw The Helsinki Affair was about a female spy I couldn't resist! With dual timelines alternating between the 1980's and today readers travel from Washington D.C. to Moscow to Helsinki to Rome. This novel is full of blackmail, corruption, and manipulation and you won't know who to trust either!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. Spy fiction isn’t my usual genre, but I really enjoyed Our American Friend by this author and the plot of The Helsinki Affair did some compelling. This book did not disappoint. Fast moving and well executed with several more complicated plot points. I’d recommend even for readers who don’t normally consider themselves interested in spy fiction. If you like Our American Friend or State of Terror (by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny), I think you will enjoy this one.

The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak is a fantastic read. I am an early morning reader. I read for an hour before anyone else is up and then I start my day. Well…with this book, it was read for an hour and continue to read for another hour through my breakfast. It was VERY hard to put down. I am not a regular reader of the spy fiction genre, but this had me glued to the chair! I enjoyed that the main characters were female and that they were in positions of power. I, also enjoyed the back and forth narratives. That gave a lot of background to the story. I am looking forward to Anna Pitoniak’s future titles. She has me hooked!

Favorite Quote: If you expected the present to be a continuation of the past, you weren't actually looking at the present through clear eyes.

Story Synopsis: Amanda Cole, the daughter of Charlie Cole - a Cold War CIA operative- finds herself as one of the youngest station chiefs in the history of the CIA at age forty. Logical, direct, and authentic, Cole takes a tip from a Russian about plans to assassinate a well-respected Senator. When the tip comes to fruition and the Senator dies, Amanda is thrust into unraveling the complicated web of lies, conspiracies, and secrets. Through her investigation in the present day, Amanda is also forced to confront her father’s work in Helsinki in the late 1980s and double, triple, and rogue agents of the Cold War that have resurfaced.

Why does this book beguile? I initially wanted to read this because I love Finland and Helsinki (and got to visit in 2015). Also, having traveled to St. Petersburg and Moscow (same trip as Finland), I was excited to read about places I’ve visited. That alone made me enjoy the book, but it was a fabulous story! I don’t often read spy novels because they are so male-dominated, so I was delighted to receive The Helsinki Affair as an ARC. The women in this novel are well-written, complex, and very relatable. I enjoyed the tension Pitoniak created through the dual timelines of Charlie Cole and Amanda Cole leading up to the convergence of both timelines. Really fun and exciting read!

I can never read too many spy novels. The Helsinki Affair was not a disappointment. I love the twists and turns throughout the novel. It keeps a reader on her toes. The main character Amanda Cole is an up and coming CIA officer - apparently, it runs in the family. Her dad was a spy during the Cold War. I don’t want to give to much away, but buckle your seat, you’re in for a bumpy ride!