Thriller

The Helsinki Affair

The Helsinki Affair

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  • Create Date：2023-11-08 07:21:51
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Anna Pitoniak
  • ISBN：179716614X
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Summary

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。 What did he know that made him a target of the KGB and the Kremlin？ Amanda pairs up with fast-talking， take-no-bullshit Kath， a brash older woman， and legendary spy， to get to the bottom of the case。 The investigation takes them from Rome to London to Moscow to Helsinki。

As Amanda and Kath get closer to solving a case that involves double agents， blackmailed CEOs， illegal arms transfers， yachting oligarchs， and more， one question keeps coming back to haunt Amanda: why was her father’s name written down in the senator’s notes， notes that he seemed to be putting together right before he died？ In order to get to the bottom of this international plot of blackmail， murder， and lies， Amanda must decide where her loyalty lies: with her country or with her family。

The Helsinki Affair is Pitoniak’s entrée into the genre of full-fledged spy fiction。 This explosive novel is for fans of the masters of the genre—John Le Carre and Alan Furst—but will also introduce Pitoniak as a singular new talent in the world of female-centric spy fiction。

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Reviews

Lisa Ponti ，

Haven’t read a spy thriller in a while so I definitely enjoyed this one。 I didn’t 5 🌟 love it， I couldn’t connect with Amanda for some reason but the tale was a good one。 I will check out the author’s earlier books， understanding that they’re not in this genre。

Gerrie ，

The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak is the author’s first foray into the genre of full-fledged spy fiction， after her excellent novel Our American Friend， which leans more toward contemporary political and Cold War noir。In this new novel， the protagonist Amanda Cole is a 40 yr-old CIA agent stationed in Rome， Italy。 An American senator’s suspicious death in the States deep sixes her boss’s career and catapults Amanda into being station chief。 Her father， Charlie， also a long-time CIA agent， gai The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak is the author’s first foray into the genre of full-fledged spy fiction， after her excellent novel Our American Friend， which leans more toward contemporary political and Cold War noir。In this new novel， the protagonist Amanda Cole is a 40 yr-old CIA agent stationed in Rome， Italy。 An American senator’s suspicious death in the States deep sixes her boss’s career and catapults Amanda into being station chief。 Her father， Charlie， also a long-time CIA agent， gains some knowledge of the Senator’s death， which he shares with Amanda。 Suddenly she becomes the lead investigator of a complicated fraud scheme involving Russioan oligarchs， international corporations， and stock manipulation。 An undercurrent in this book involves Charlie and a disastrous mission in which he was involved in 1987 Helsinki。There is a lot going on in this novel。 Most of the action takes place in present day， with strong female characters， like Amanda and a seasoned agent， Kath Frost， driving the action and plotting an asset’s retrieval in Helsinki。There were also plenty of references by Charlie and his old friend Maurice about the original Helsinki incident。 So it is particularly exciting to see both timelines juxtaposed in the tense conclusion， set in the Finnish islands。 The author’s writing style feels fresh， detailed， and contemporary， compared to some older well known spy novels。 The relationship between Amanda and her father Charlie is particularly well-written and nuanced， illustrating well the complicated emotions and parent-child baggage that a 70+ agent and his assertive， inquisitive 40 yr-old daughter experience。This novel has very good suspense， with strong writing and interesting， female-centric espionage scenes， as well as family drama。Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC。 This is my honest review。 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

Escapist fiction that actually demands that you pay attention to follow the plot。 While many will enjoy this tale of Amanda， the youngest CIA Deputy Chief of Station ever （and one who didn't go to college because it would be boring） and daughter of Charlie Cole who has toiled in obscurity in CIA Headquarters for many years， it's hard to get around the plot holes and issues with reality。 Amanda fields a Russian walk-in to Rome station but unfathomably does not cable， call， or otherwise contact Hq Escapist fiction that actually demands that you pay attention to follow the plot。 While many will enjoy this tale of Amanda， the youngest CIA Deputy Chief of Station ever （and one who didn't go to college because it would be boring） and daughter of Charlie Cole who has toiled in obscurity in CIA Headquarters for many years， it's hard to get around the plot holes and issues with reality。 Amanda fields a Russian walk-in to Rome station but unfathomably does not cable， call， or otherwise contact Hqs even as he claims a US Senator will die the following day because her Chief of Station doesn't want to call out Cairo Station。 She then has direct contact with the Director （but not with anyone else in HQS） and sets off on a quest to untangle documents related to a financial scheme left behind by the Senator which include her father's name。 Kath， an ace analyst of sorts， shows up in Rome with a pile of papers and sets up camp - and while I liked Kath， it's more than a stretch。 Meanwhile， why did Charlie leave Helsinki？ His timeline doesn't track btw but it's clear from the moment he meets Mary what's going to happen。 And then there's his friend。 Pitoniak makes a stab at layering in some tradecraft but。。。Thanks to the publisher for the arc。 Over to others who have less critical eyes。 。。。more

Robert ，

Strong start with an interesting premise that fizzles out into a family drama。 Reads like the author got board with it all about 3/4 the way through。

Abbey ，

Way too much happening。 Couldn’t keep timelines or names straight。 No thrilling aspect to this “thriller”。 I slogged through this the whole time， reading faster so it was over sooner。

Emily ，

This is a fabulous spy novel。 Amanda Cole is a "diplomat" posted to the nothing ever happens here embassy in Rome when she catches a walk in visit from a Russian man。 He has information that he got somewhat inadvertently and if someone acts on it， it might save a life。 Her boss is phoning it in and Amanda is a nose to the grindstone type。 Does she do what she is told？ What might the consequences be？ Meanwhile， Amanda's father Charlie， a likable guy， used to be an active field agent but for years This is a fabulous spy novel。 Amanda Cole is a "diplomat" posted to the nothing ever happens here embassy in Rome when she catches a walk in visit from a Russian man。 He has information that he got somewhat inadvertently and if someone acts on it， it might save a life。 Her boss is phoning it in and Amanda is a nose to the grindstone type。 Does she do what she is told？ What might the consequences be？ Meanwhile， Amanda's father Charlie， a likable guy， used to be an active field agent but for years he has worked in Langley doing boring desk work。 Charlie and his wife Helen separated when he was based in Helsinki。 Eventually， he came back to the states for his desk job a few months later but the divorce was inevitable。 Father and daughter are close， but it's complicated。Can't say much more， because one of the most interesting parts of this involves technology， social media， finance and Russia but it would be a spoiler to go further。 Pitoniak fills this novel with fabulous characters， the family friend Maurice who is wise and knows what to do when disaster looms。 You should probably take Maurice's advice。 But do you？。 Kath， the older woman agent who can never get a vacation because she's always called back to work her magic in some situation involving Russia。 A Senator and an Oligarch who are interacting about something。 What is their relationship？ There's a secret involving Charlie that starts to bother the very upright， committed Amanda。 Despite her intense loyalty to her employer and country， Amanda finds here and there that it isn't always easy to know when your lies are for your country and when they suit you。 The CIA is itself a character， with lots of different interpretations of what means are okay to an end， depending on who's in charge。 A fast can't put it down read。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more

Alicia ，

This book is about Amanda Cole a female spy which I love because most thriller books I read that involve a spy has a male main character。 The book takes place in two timelines （Amanda’s father’s timeline following Helsinki and her own time line） which makes the book fast paced i however feel like sometimes the switch was a little random。 Amanda follows in her father’s footsteps and joins the CIA。 She’s stationed in Rome and doesn’t expect much action when a Russian citizen shows up and tells her This book is about Amanda Cole a female spy which I love because most thriller books I read that involve a spy has a male main character。 The book takes place in two timelines （Amanda’s father’s timeline following Helsinki and her own time line） which makes the book fast paced i however feel like sometimes the switch was a little random。 Amanda follows in her father’s footsteps and joins the CIA。 She’s stationed in Rome and doesn’t expect much action when a Russian citizen shows up and tells her that he has vital information that would start a case she would never expect。 Overall I really liked this book and loved Anna Pitoniaks writing。 I just wish the switched made a little more sense 。。。more

Olivia Rose ，

I’m probably just dumb but I had a hard time keeping everything straight。 If I didn’t have ADHD， I probably would have given this 5 stars。

Kelly - readinginthe419 ，

Interesting and mostly fast-paced， dual timeline spy story with a couple great female characters。 Full review to come。

Liz ，

I’ve been enjoying Pitoniak’s books for a few years now and was not disappointed by this one！！ Her last novel was outside my comfort zone but I gave it a try anyway and loved it。 So when given the opportunity to read this spy thriller from her， I didn’t hesitate even though this is not something I normally read。 I liked that this was not an action-packed spy thriller。 It was quiet， behind the scenes uncovering of conspiracies both past and present。 Well written with interesting and like-able cha I’ve been enjoying Pitoniak’s books for a few years now and was not disappointed by this one！！ Her last novel was outside my comfort zone but I gave it a try anyway and loved it。 So when given the opportunity to read this spy thriller from her， I didn’t hesitate even though this is not something I normally read。 I liked that this was not an action-packed spy thriller。 It was quiet， behind the scenes uncovering of conspiracies both past and present。 Well written with interesting and like-able characters， although I wish we would have gotten deeper dives into them。 I enjoyed my time with this and look forward to her next release！ I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Stacia Vega ，

4。5⭐️

Tara ，

Amanda is a second-generation spy。 When her current case hints at something her father Charlie was involved in while in Helsinki， she must decide whether her allegiance is to him or the agency。 I enjoyed this spy thriller from a female perspective， but it was a little hard to keep straight。 It has many plot points going here and there and I was invested in the story， I just felt a little like I was holding on。 I am also reading The Sisterhood， a history of women in the CIA， and it was a really g Amanda is a second-generation spy。 When her current case hints at something her father Charlie was involved in while in Helsinki， she must decide whether her allegiance is to him or the agency。 I enjoyed this spy thriller from a female perspective， but it was a little hard to keep straight。 It has many plot points going here and there and I was invested in the story， I just felt a little like I was holding on。 I am also reading The Sisterhood， a history of women in the CIA， and it was a really good pairing with these two books。 Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review。 。。。more

Book of the Month ，

Why I love itBy Deanna RaybournWhen professional ambition and family loyalty collide， how far would you go to see justice done？That’s the question CIA operative Amanda Cole must wrestle with in Anna Pitoniak’s smashing new novel， The Helsinki Affair。 I love a tense spy thriller and was enthralled from the jump with this propulsive， globetrotting story。When a Russian informant warns of the impending assassination of an American senator， Amanda is the only one who believes him。 After the senator d Why I love itBy Deanna RaybournWhen professional ambition and family loyalty collide， how far would you go to see justice done？That’s the question CIA operative Amanda Cole must wrestle with in Anna Pitoniak’s smashing new novel， The Helsinki Affair。 I love a tense spy thriller and was enthralled from the jump with this propulsive， globetrotting story。When a Russian informant warns of the impending assassination of an American senator， Amanda is the only one who believes him。 After the senator dies， Amanda is thrown into a worldwide conspiracy。 With only experience and instincts to guide her， Amanda begins to untangle the web of international intrigue only to find her father at the center。 Will she protect him and risk the career she prizes above everything？ Or will Amanda sacrifice her beloved father and shatter his reputation to prove her fealty to the agency to which she has dedicated her life？Pitoniak has taken the classic spy thriller and given it a stylish update with a brilliant and flawed female lead。 It crackles with energy from the very first page， and the unexpected ending will leave readers begging for more。 Relentless and riveting， The Helsinki Affair is fresh and twisty as the lemon peel in a Vesper Martini。Read more at: https://app。bookofthemonth。com/all-bo。。。 。。。more

Cynthia ，

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 coas 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。 。。。more

Mo Smith ，

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。All opinions are my own。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 A I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。All opinions are my own。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！ 。。。more

Erin ，

-Thanks to @simonbooks for the gifted copy-I don’t often pick up these types of books， but this one was fantastic！ I loved feeling like I was reading a Jason Bourne movie， because this one had my blood pressure raised a few times。 Amanda Cole is one bad ass gal， smart and very dedicated to her job。 Look forward to reading more from this author！

April ，

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 play 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。 。。。more

Maureen ，

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。

Nan Williams ，

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。

V ，

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 tri 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。 。。。more

Carol Perreault ，

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

Kristi Lamont ，

BOOK REPORTReceived 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-gene BOOK REPORTReceived 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。PSGod， how much do I hate Norman Mailer for dying before finishing the sequel to Harlot’s Ghost？？？DESCRIPTIONIT’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 。。。more

bookishblondegirl ，

3。75 or 4I 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 a 3。75 or 4I 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。 。。。more

Brooke Maxwell ，

Who loves a good spy thriller？In the Helsinki Affair， our protagonist， Amanda Cole is the CIA agent stationed in Rome when she learns of a plot to kill a US Senator from a suspicious Russian man who just appears one day。 When the Senator is killed， after Amanda’s boss declines to follow up， Amanda is thrown into an international conspiracy of epic proportions。 To complicate things， Amanda’s dad， another employee of the CIA seems to be mixed up in it all and Amanda learns this from the now dead S Who loves a good spy thriller？In the Helsinki Affair， our protagonist， Amanda Cole is the CIA agent stationed in Rome when she learns of a plot to kill a US Senator from a suspicious Russian man who just appears one day。 When the Senator is killed， after Amanda’s boss declines to follow up， Amanda is thrown into an international conspiracy of epic proportions。 To complicate things， Amanda’s dad， another employee of the CIA seems to be mixed up in it all and Amanda learns this from the now dead Senator’s personal notes。Amanda and her team begin to put the puzzle pieces of this conspiracy together。 The dual timelines pull together the present day conspiracy and Amanda’s dad’s time in Helsinki during the 1980’s。 What does her dad know？ Will Amanda be able to make the hard decisions with her dad involved？Filled with all the spy tropes you could hope for: blackmail， corruption， double-crossing， and high pressure situations， the pages turn quickly as we follow Amanda and her colleagues。 Thank you to @SimonBooks and @annapitoniak for my copy of #TheHelsinkiAffair It will be out in the world on 11/14/23！ 。。。more

Jess ，

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 s 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。 。。。more

Jess ，

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 s 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。 。。。more

Caroline ，

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。 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。 。。。more

ManOfLaBook。com ，

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit https://www。ManofLaBook。comThe 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 Egyp For more reviews and bookish posts please visit https://www。ManofLaBook。comThe 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 thrillerThe 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。 。。。more

enjoyingbooksagain ，

Amanda is following in her fathers footstep as a spy and is given the opportunity to prove herself。 She learns of a plan 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。 So if your in the mood to read a really good spy novel pick up The Helsinki。 Affair which is coming out next month

Eileen Doyle ，

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 al 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！ 。。。more

tpg0 ，

Title: The Helsinki Affair Introduction In the heart of the Nordic region， where the Baltic Sea gently kisses the shores of Finland， lies the enchanting capital city of Helsinki。 This vibrant metropolis， known for its stunning architecture， rich history， and vibrant culture， has become a beloved destination for travelers worldwide。 Yet， beneath the surface of this serene and seemingly idyllic city lies a complex and intriguing history – one that has been dubbed "The Helsinki Affair。" The Hidden Layers To the uninitiated， Helsinki might appear as a tranquil and uneventful European city， offering its visitors a mix of modernity and tradition。 However， beneath the facade of this peaceful city， there is an undercurrent of historical and political significance that has shaped its identity。 The roots of "The Helsinki Affair" can be traced back to the mid-20th century during the height of the Cold War， a period of intense rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union。 As one of the few neutral states in Europe during this tumultuous era， Finland found itself in a unique and precarious position， balancing between the superpowers。 It was during this time that Helsinki emerged as a stage for some of the most crucial diplomatic negotiations of the 20th century。 The Summit That Shook the World "The Helsinki Affair" reached its climax in 1975 when the Finnish capital hosted the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe （CSCE）。 The conference， often referred to as the Helsinki Accords， was a watershed moment in the history of international relations。 Delegations from 35 countries， including the United States and the Soviet Union， came together in Helsinki to discuss a wide range of issues， from human rights and economic cooperation to territorial boundaries and disarmament。 The most significant outcome of the conference was the Helsinki Final Act， which aimed to improve relations between East and West， particularly the United States and the Soviet Union。 It established the principles of non-intervention in the internal affairs of sovereign states， respect for human rights， and territorial integrity。 While the Helsinki Accords were not legally binding， they had a profound impact on the course of history。 They set the stage for subsequent developments in Europe， such as the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany。 The Legacy of "The Helsinki Affair" Helsinki's role in "The Helsinki Affair" transformed it from a quiet Scandinavian capital into an emblem of diplomatic prowess。 The city's neutrality and its ability to host significant negotiations between the two superpowers made it an essential player on the world stage。 The legacy of the Helsinki Accords is still felt today， with the city's reputation as a hub for diplomacy and international dialogue remaining intact。 Moreover， the principles outlined in the Helsinki Final Act continue to shape the course of international relations。 Human rights and territorial integrity have become key issues in the global arena， reflecting the enduring relevance of the agreements made during "The Helsinki Affair。" Conclusion "The Helsinki Affair" is a chapter in history that demonstrates how a seemingly unassuming city can play a pivotal role in global politics and diplomacy。 The Helsinki Accords and the events surrounding them continue to resonate in the modern world， reminding us of the power of dialogue and diplomacy in shaping international relations。 While Helsinki may be celebrated for its beauty， it also deserves recognition for its historical significance and the enduring legacy of "The Helsinki Affair。

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Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Helsinki Affair

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Helsinki Affair&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Helsinki Affair&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0