Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.
As an introduction, Ms Pitoniak tells us that she has always loved spy novels. However, it didn't escape her notice that all the good books were about male spies. (She needs to read Mick Herron). So she set out to write a spy novel that starred female spies and make it just as thrilling as a le Carré. For the most part, she succeeded.

Amanda Cole, joins the CIA following in her father's footsteps. She is assigned to Rome and becomes the recipient of news that an American Senator is to be killed. No one believes her. The Senator is killed and Amanda is given the post of Station Head of the Rome office. Her father gives her papers that had been in the Senator's possession that give clues as to what he was working on that probably caused his assassination. Her father's name is in the papers.
Amanda wants more information and turns an informant. She also suspects that her father might be a traitor. She holds on to that information as she tries to unravel the latest "game" between the Russians and the Americans.

The book was a page-turner and quite good. There were a few nail biting times, enough for me, but le Carré fans may want a few more.

I hope Ms. Pitoniak writes more of these books. I think she could only get better.

Make room in the spy fiction thriller world for a new voice! Anna Pitoniak, a former editor at Random House, enjoyed spy fiction but was unable to find any female-centric spy novels. She endeavored to fill that gap with her own heroine, Amanda Cole, in a soon to be released book (November), The Helsinki Affair. And fill that gap she did! The story is fast paced with two timelines at work. The characters are well-developed. Amanda faces several moral dilemmas throughout the story and even if I might have disagreed with how she chose to resolve them, these ethical quandaries serve as a connecting thread throughout the story. I’ve always struggled with stories with more than one Russian named character and so I had trouble keeping a third of the characters straight. (My Bad!) All in all, a great entry into the spy novel world…. I can’t wait for the next “Amanda Cole” installment.

This spy novel was a wild and fun ride. I will admit that this isn’t a typical genre for me, but I really enjoyed it. I think my favorite part is that the main character, Amanda Cole, is a female spy which I feel like is overlooked in most media about spies. The book takes place in two timelines and I will admit the switches between them were frequent and random often mid-page. I wish hat had been a little more clear, but it was a small annoyance and didn’t really detract from my enjoyment for the story. Amanda follows in her father’s footsteps and joins the CIA. Stationed in Rome she doesn’t expect much until a Russian citizen turns up and insists he has information that is life or death which starts her down a path of the case of her lifetime.

The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak is a spy novel with a plot line that is absorbing and complex. It starts out with Amanda Cole, a CIA agent who is an American working in Rome, Italy. She was the only agent who was in the building during lunch time when a man came in and warned that he was aware of a plot by the Russians to assassinate an 80 year old American senator by making it look like he died of natural causes in the hot sun. Amanda feels like the contact was telling the truth, but it was really just a feeling.

Amanda takes her concerns to her supervisor, who did not speak to the man who came in, and he said they were being conned by the Russian. Amanda at this point was almost sure her instincts were correct, but lacking her supervisor’s ok, her hands were tied.

In the end, Amanda was proven to be correct and was put in place as the head of her CIA department in Rome. This leads to a web of occurrences that involves spies, double agents, triple agents and much more. The plot is well thought out and brings characters from Amanda’s past, present and future into her story.

One aspect I enjoyed about the book was that the plot involves multiple cities in multiple countries so readers have an international experience. Anna Pitoniak has a story teller’s gift, weaving important details where and when they make the most sense. The Helsinki Affair is well worth reading, especially for readers who enjoy espionage and travel.

Multiple timelines and perspectives make for an intricate plot. Suspense ratchets up as the pages fly by. Fans of Chris Pavone may enjoy it.

I've read each of Anna Pitoniak's books as they've been released, and since I want this review to be spoiler-free, given the intricate plot, I'll just say this—each book I've read by her has gotten better and better. I thought Our American Friend was a huge leap forward in terms of themes, research, and plotting, and The Helsinki Affair ups the ante even more! I'm so glad she stayed in the same world of espionage and international affairs that she explored in Our American Friend, and I can't wait for the next one (which I believe takes place in the same world). Bravo!

This read like a movie script! This would make a super fun movie with a badass female protagonist that has good instincts. Look forward to reading more by this author!

The Helsinki Affair is a cerebral spy thriller with a wide reaching cast, and decades of secrets.

When CIA agent Amanda Cole is visited by a man who tells her a senator will die after he gets off a plane the next day, she believes him but her boss doesn't. They ignore the tip, and the senator dies of a stroke the next day. Amanda starts pulling at threads trying to figure out why the senator was assassinated, and stumbles into an international conspiracy that spans decades. Amidst the conspiracy is her revered father's career in the CIA, and the more Amanda learns, the more she wishes she was never informed about the senator's death to begin with.

The Helsinki Affair is a high stakes, high minded conspiracy spy thriller with vibrant characters and a timely tech manipulation at the center of it. It is a truly fun read for fans of the genre.

A captivating and timely tale of espionage. i would love to see this made into a movie.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The Helsinki Affair” was a really exciting spy thriller. We don’t often see women as MCs in stories like this, so I really enjoyed just how unique this book was. And regardless of its uniqueness, it was a really good story! Pitoniak did a great job building the plot and telling this story.

This author is a first-time read for me, and I was intrigued by the fact she’s writing a spy thriller with a female lead character. It’s not often we get the female vantage point of view in an espionage thriller like this.

The story brings several threads that are woven together to create a unique look at the inner workings of an agent, and what they see and deal with, including recruitment and double agents.

The story has a father and daughter working in the agency at the same time in different capacities but their intersection creates a jumble of woven intricacies that make the story shine.

The author has her research down, and her imagination has allowed us to travel to Europe and the East Coast. We jump timelines a few times in the story to find and gather past history, along with the in-depth behind-the-scenes action that ties together with today’s threats.

The station chief, Amanda, has her work cut out for her and is not one to sit idly by and push paperwork. When unbelievable evidence is passed her way, she dives in with the help of a fabulous old-school female spy, Kath. The two of them weave together a fabulous subterfuge while unraveling conspiracy, double agents, treason, and more. The ending will have your heart pounding! But what a fabulous twist!

Bravo to Pitoniak for giving the female reader what we didn’t know we were missing! The Helsinki Affair is a totally different type of plot based on betrayal, secrets, and manipulation. I hope this becomes a series!

Amanda Cole is a rising CIA officer who’s gone into the “family business.” Her father, Charlie, was a spy during the Cold War, but resigned from field duty under murky circumstances. Chafing against the boredom of working in the CIA’s Rome office, Amanda gets a chance to prove herself when a Russian official shows up at the embassy, claiming foreknowledge of an assassination plot against a U.S. senator.

Unfortunately, her boss doesn’t give the threat any credence, even though Amanda is sure it’s real. Less than twenty-four hours later, the senator is dead. And the assassination plot turns out to be a thread that begins to unravel a much larger conspiracy.

While investigating the corporate blackmail and covert manipulation that are at the heart of the Russians’ plot, Amanda comes across a reference to her father in the dead senator’s notes. Why was he mentioned? Could her father be the long-rumored CIA mole? Amanda finds herself torn between loyalty to family and loyalty to country, as she pushes to uncover the ugly truth.

Pitoniak deftly manages the plot twists and turns that every reader expects from a good spy novel. But at the same time, she imbues the tale with emotional depth and a rarely seen (in spy stories) female perspective. The Helsinki Affair is a satisfying read for fans of John Le Carré and Alan Furst, while still bringing something new to the game.

This was such a fun read. I really enjoyed the plot and the story kept me guessing. I love spy books and this was a fun addition to the genre (not to mention timely). I do think the writing was a bit weak and the characters not as strong as in other books in this genre, hence the three stars (I'm a tough grader) - but if you like spy thrillers, this is a solid pick.

I liked this one but didn't love it. I found the historical elements about the Cold War to be the most interesting parts of this one, as opposed to the more contemporary storyline both in terms of the spy game and the father-daughter dynamic. It just seemed to read a lot slower than I expected, given the topic in genre.

A compelling dual timeline spy thriller, following the lives of Amanda Cole, CIA Rome office chief, and her father, once a CIA Cold War spy. I loved the feminist slant and the pounding action that kept me plowing through to the end.

Old school spy story, which I loved. Great characters, storyline, but the ending was horrible. Will there be book 2 and is this the start of an Amanda Cole series?
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for an ARC.

I totally enjoyed this read, kudos to Ms. Pitoniak for creating some strong female characters and an interesting plot. I was a bit frustrated during a few sections, which to me were just moving too slowly. These sections mainly comprised the portions of the narrative wherein the main characters were doing background work and some techy computer financing elements that I found excruciatingly boring. Just personal taste perhaps, some readers may have found those bits fascinating. I was satisfied with the manner in which the author ended the book, hoping it might be the beginning of a new series.

This is a very good, female-led spy novel, but it is also the story of a father and daughter trying to work through old hurts and come to a reconciliation. The thread can be a bit difficult to follow at times (are they just an agent? A double agent? A triple agent?) but the conclusion is satisfying and it's an engaging read, overall.

What to say--it took me a while to "get involved". Many people with their stories that slowly unfolded until by half way through the book I was totally caught up in both their personal stories and in the plot. A Russian citizen, concerned about what he has discovered tells a CIA agent in Rome that a senator is to be killed while he is traveling in Egypt but the leadership of the CIA does not believe the story because the informant has not been vetted. Once the assassination happens it is obvious there is a mole somewhere in the State Department and a spiral of conspiracies and secondary conspires engulf the life and career of the people involved in the story. Not to be read if you believe that life in the espionage society is very black and white. I received this as an arc from NetGalley and am under no pressure for a positive review.

I love Anna Pitoniak’s books and #TheHelsinkiAffair is no exception. This is a classic-style spy novel that adds depth and character development to the twisty plot. I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoilers, but I was hooked on finding out what was *really* going on.

The characters were compelling and had developed relationships with each other, which is something I often find lacking in spy novels. Hoping for a sequel to this one!

I would recommend this book to fans of The Americans or Mick Herron’s Slough House series.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @SimonBooks for the advance copy.