{"title":"Anna Pitoniak","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnna Pitoniak\u003c\/strong\u003e crafts taut, gripping narratives that plunge readers into the heart of espionage and high-stakes intrigue. Her novels, such as \u003cem\u003eThe Helsinki Affair\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Swiss Agent\u003c\/em\u003e, blend sophisticated plotting with sharp characterisation, offering a fresh perspective on the crime and thriller genre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFans of intelligent, suspenseful storytelling will appreciate her deft weaving of political and personal conflict, where every twist reveals new layers of danger and deception. Pitoniak’s work is perfect for those who enjoy thrillers that combine atmospheric settings with razor-sharp tension.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"necessary-people-by-anna-pitoniak-9781922268860","title":"Necessary People","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNamed a book of the month by Marie Claire, Refinery29, and Oprah Magazine, \u003cem\u003eNecessary People\u003c\/em\u003e is a chilling and compulsive thriller about the lengths people will go to in order to get what they want.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStella and Violet are best friends, and from the moment they met in college, they knew their roles. Beautiful, privileged, and reckless Stella lives in the spotlight. Hardworking, laser-focused Violet stays behind the scenes, always ready to clean up the mess that Stella inevitably leaves in her wake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter graduation, Violet moves to New York and lands a job in cable news, where she works her way up from intern to assistant to producer, and to a life where she's finally free from Stella's shadow. In this fast-paced world, Violet thrives, and her ambitions grow—but everything is jeopardised when Stella, envious of Violet's new life, uses her connections, beauty, and charisma to get hired at the same network. Stella soon moves in front of the camera, becoming the public face of the stories that Violet has worked tirelessly to produce—and taking all the credit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStella might be the one with the rich family and the right friends, but Violet isn't giving up so easily. As she and Stella strive for success, each reveals just how far she'll go to get what she wants—even if it means destroying the other person along the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46502124191980,"sku":"9781922268860","price":35.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/11099723482872.jpg?v=1748609461"},{"product_id":"the-helsinki-affair-a-times-thriller-of-the-month-by-anna-pitoniak-9781835010617","title":"The Helsinki Affair : A Times Thriller of the Month","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt’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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Times Thriller of the Month\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne of The Washington Post's Best Thrillers of 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"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 in this 'delicious spy novel'\"\u003c\/strong\u003e (People).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSpying 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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. Amanda races from Rome to London, from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, unravelling 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?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46675349995756,"sku":"9781835010617","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781835010617.jpg?v=1752960731"},{"product_id":"the-swiss-agent-by-anna-pitoniak-9781835016961","title":"The Swiss Agent","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCIA officials Amanda Cole and Kath Frost must work together to untangle a global bribery scheme involving murder, wealthy oligarchs, and high-level Swiss bankers—unless Kath's mysterious past tears them apart first.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Swiss Agent\u003c\/em\u003e is described as, 'A wonderfully adroit and clever espionage novel with great characters and exceptional narrative verve. A terrific achievement,' by William Boyd, author of \u003cem\u003eGabriel’s Moon\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Twisty, brutal, and impossible to put down, Pitoniak also writes betrayal with elegance and unusual tenderness. This is the kind of spy novel you will lose sleep over,' says David McCloskey, former CIA analyst and \u003cem\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eLondon Station\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA chef's body washes up on Capri. The night he died, his employer—a Russian oligarch with direct Kremlin ties—hosted NATO's deputy secretary general for a private dinner. Amanda Cole, CIA station chief in Rome, knows exactly what that smells like.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShe calls Kath Frost: semi-retired CIA legend from the years when the rules were different. Kath is also unpredictable in ways that have always made Amanda nervous and this time that nervousness turns out to be justified.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the money from Moscow through Geneva to Washington, they uncover a Kremlin-backed operation to bribe NATO officials at the highest levels, run through the kind of Swiss banking that leaves no fingerprints. Until a banker named Julian Schmidt steps into the light—and it becomes clear that Kath knows him well. And has been keeping it quiet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe choices Kath made during the chaos of the Soviet collapse have never gone away. Now Amanda has to decide whether her partner is the one person she can rely on, or the greatest threat to the operation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is the follow-up to \u003cem\u003eThe Helsinki Affair\u003c\/em\u003e, from an author who understands that the most dangerous secrets are the ones closest to home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67598955086060,"sku":"9781835016961","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781835016961-the-swiss-agent-1.jpg?v=1790730212"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/anna-pitoniak.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}