There are many different labels one could paste on Bill Hefflin - Johnnie Walker Black enthusiast, disillusioned Romanian expat, Harvard grad, or spy - but the one he relies on to get the job done is ‘lead analyst for the CIA.’

Bill is summoned to Bucharest as the 1989 Romanian rebellion is taking hold. His KGB asset, code-named Boris, insists “you must come to Bucharest to create history. Time is critical.” When Bill arrives, he confronts the dangers of a bloody revolution, his feelings for his childhood sweetheart, and the killer of his favourite Harvard professor. He soon discovers that in the world of cold war espionage, nothing is as it seems. His dangerous mission takes him into an uprising that turns into a brutal revolution and puts him in contact with people who aren’t telling the whole truth. Hefflin starts to question the motives of the outside forces at work in the catastrophe and wonders who he can trust. Can he find a killer and locate his childhood friend before it’s too late? Will he be on the right side of history?

Whiskey enthusiasts will tell you that Johnnie Walker Black Label, Hefflin’s drink of choice, is balanced remarkably well, which speaks to its competent blending. Let me tell you about Maz’s competent blending in a literary sense! Author Maz has masterfully created, as his debut novel, a perfect blend of spy, thriller, historical fiction, action, adventure and a love story. In whiskey, balance is achieved by what is removed by oxygen and what is added by the barrels. Maz’s multiple editors and beta readers, in addition to his publishing team, have expertly worked together to remove and add just the right information at the right time to create a complex, harmonious read. This novel reads like an aged whiskey and, like a fantastic spirit, will have you asking for more. Let's hope Maz allows us to follow Hefflin in subsequent missions. Hint, hint.

At the heart of the 1989 Romanian rebellion is the communist dictator, Nicolae Ceaușescu. You’ll learn about him through the eyes of Hefflin and read about his demise. He lived in luxury while his people suffered greatly. While in Romania, I had the opportunity to tour his ‘newly opened to the public’ residence. I was shocked at the opulent lifestyle, both in the palace and at home, that he enjoyed while most Romanians were surviving on food and fuel rations and daily living in fear of the Securitate, the Romanian secret police. Maz’s novel helped me understand this horrific time in history and my being at several locations mentioned, helped to cement these memories. Ceaușescu had billions squirreled away in offshore accounts that the lettered agencies were desperately trying to locate; hence, The Bucharest Dossier.

They say that a good book, like a fine whiskey, is

1. hard to put down. I had to force myself to put The Bucharest Dossier down so that I could sleep. I can’t read under the covers with a flashlight like I used to be able to do when I was younger! This is an addictive and compelling read.

2. like an adventure. As the tension rises and bullets are fired, your heartbeat will increase and you’ll be taken on a wild ride from consulate to safe house to dark alley to speeding trains…you’ll be on an adventure for sure.

3. an investment in your evening. Exactly. What a great way to add value; increasing your knowledge about the Romanian uprising and how a spy is groomed.

4. not guzzled. Take your time. You won’t fly through this, although it is fast-paced. You’ll need to stop and appreciate what you’ve just read. The writing style is smooth and finished, more like an accomplished writer than a debut author. Then again, age doesn’t necessarily determine a good whiskey!

Pour yourself a five-star experience! Aged to perfection on March 15, 2022.

I was gifted this book by William Maz, Oceanview Publishing, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

To quote from the Author’s Note, “The Bucharest Dossier” is “a love story within a spy thriller within a historical novel.” It is also engaging entertainment that fans of espionage tales should very much enjoy.

Protagonist Bill Hefflin came to the US from Romania as a young boy, leaving friends, family, and the love of his young life behind. After attending Harvard, he becomes a CIA analyst and, for reasons no one—including Bill—can fathom, is tapped by Soviet mole “Boris” to receive the intelligence Boris supplies.

Now, it is 1989 and the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellites are turning away from Communism and towards democracy. All except Romania which is still under the heel of brutal dictator Nicholas Ceausescu. But a revolt is brewing and could explode any day. Boris demands that Bill meet him in Bucharest. This is to be their first-ever face-to-face meeting. What does Boris want? Will Bill be able to find the loved ones he left behind all those years ago? And if he does, will he and they be able to survive the revolution?

Author William Maz has written a complex tale filled with believable, compelling characters, great settings (including Harvard Yard, Manhattan, and Bucharest), a goodly amount of suspense, and a number of double-crossings and surprises along the way. I thought he was particularly successful in describing what it was like to live in Romania under Ceausescu’s dictatorship amidst unrelenting secret police surveillance and coercion, widespread corruption, and severe shortages of even the most basic necessities.

I did find the ending somewhat problematic, consisting of a long exposition that tied all the novel’s threads up in a bow that’s a little too neat and pretty for its own good. But hey, this is fiction—and absorbing fiction at that. Kudos to first-time Author Maz for giving lovers of Cold War history and espionage a good yarn.

I really liked this book. It was just the right blend of history, romance and intrigue. The characters were well developed and memorable, The past and present came together seamlessly. The Romanian fight for independence brings expatriate Bill Heflin back to his childhood homeland. It's unclear who is behind the uprising. Nothing is as it seems to be. Bill becomes involved in solving the puzzle finding surprises about himself and his past love by the end. I highly recommend The Bucharest Dossier.

What a fascinating journey!

No matter how short I try to resume this story, it is so complex and has so many facets it is impossible to gasp its true nature in a couple of sentences. It's a spycraft thriller, the days before and the days after the Romanian Revolution of 1989 seen through the eyes of a CIA analyst, and how this affects and connects to his life as an Romanian expat.

It is very well written, at times quite fast paced, not shying away for the violence and the intricate games that its genre is known for.

However, what I loved the most and where the books shines brightly is the atmosphere it paints that seems so specifically Romanian. As a Romanian myself I was in awe at how well the author painted the mood in the train, in the old neighborhood, dealing with Romanian institutions, all those gray shades, cold and desperation before the revolution and the bright days of childhood memories. Tanti Bobo was such a magical character, one that I will keep close to my heart after reading this book. The whole story gives justice to the gypsies that are an important part in Romania and its history, in a very knowledgeable way. I think this was a very hard thing to achieve without a great deal of writing skills and the deep knowing of how complex their role is in the Romanian society.

While the ending might not seem very possible, it does have the feeling of outer time I can only compare to Liviu Rebreanu's book Adam and Eve, this small spark of realism magic vibe elates the pages and brings such an extraordinary glow to them. And when each little detail starts to create a map of the story, from the cigarettes his lover smoked to the family photographs, it is such a rewarding end of journey for the reader.

I received this book in order to offer my honest opinion.

A stunning debut for William Maz’s espionage thriller The Bucharest Dossier.

The storyline and its setting were incredibly engaging, tense and spellbinding. Maz wrote an action-packed moving story with complex characters, fascinating subplots and revolutionary historical events that shaped Romania at the end of the 20th century.

This novel gives a realistic portrait of the CIA and spycraft during the fall of communism during the Romanian 1989 revolution. My only critique is that the ending and the way some characters are related to each other (not naming them to avoid spoilers) were too ideal and thus less believable. Yet, The Bucharest Dossier is a beautiful, utterly captivating and informative read that mystery and especially historical fiction thriller lovers will adore.

The Bucharest Dossier by William Maz
This is a very well written espionage novel which takes place mostly in the month prior to the removal and execution of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu in Romania in 1989.Mr. Maz like the protagonist in the book was born in Bucharest to Greek parent and came to the US as a young boy. He writes what he knows which is common for a first book but it in my mind with a very even pace. Often the hardest part of writing an espionage novel.
In the book the book the protagonist (William Hefflin) is somewhat like a “Jack Ryan” in that he is an analyst for the CIA who is thrust into being a field agent in Bucharest because his source demands he come to Romania for their first face to face meeting. While the Romanian world is crumbling Hefflin is more interested in seeking the love of his life from childhood. All the while agents from the KGB, Romanian Security, the CIA and business people from the West are following him believing he must know either what is the plan for the US to incite the overthrow of the government or where the billions stolen by the Caeusecus is hidden in western banks.
I do not wish to give away any spoilers, suffice to say it ends well for Hefflin and there is plenty of embarrassment and worse for the KGB, CIA and Romanian security.
Reading this book, I thought this is ideal for a movie and I say that in a good way. I do hope this does happen. Until then, read the book and let’s hope Mr. Maz continues writing.

A spy thriller set in the very last days of the Cold War, specifically during the Romanian Revolution (December 1989). In The Bucharest Dossier we watch history unfold as Ceausescu's reign over Romania collapses.

Upon finishing the book, I have two sets of impressions. The first is on the main story and spy plot. The second is on Bill's immigrant status and love. As part of the main storyline, we travel with Bill Hefflin, a CIA Analyst, to Romania, so that he can meet with an informant. It is here where we get our first glimpses of what life is like for Romanians living through this period. The Securitate (secret police) and their effect and control. The general day-to-day-survival of the citizens when there isn't enough to survive on. It even touches on other topics, such as what the 'real' currency is when traveling there. But the main story also covers other questions too, such as: 'What does one do when the system and government that you have supported is collapsing?' 'What do you do to survive?' 'Who do you betray?' 'Who betrays you?' All together I found the main plot and story a very interesting and informative read. I think the ending for a couple of the fictional characters were tied up too neatly or expectedly, but it didn't keep me from enjoying the story. I was already invested and appreciated being given the chance to learn about this historical moment in time and to see what life was like from another's point of view.

While there is no doubt that the main story gives us much to think on and learn from, what I found were two additional themes/plots. The first is that we get the opportunity to see the world through an immigrant's eyes. Bill is a refugee twice-over. First from Romania to Greece, then to America. (I hope I've got that correct). In the quiet moments of the story, we see Bill's lifelong struggle with identity. Is he Romanian? Greek? American? In America, he changes his name to fit in better, but you are still left with the impression that there is an uncertainty there. A 'citizen of the world' as Catherine describes it. The second is one that relates to love. To be honest, this is the area of the book that worked the least for me. I won't go too much into it, but the ending felt a little awkward, plus I never clicked with Catherine. She is definitely not 1-dimensional - which is awesome, but there lies the rub too. In making her a more fully-formed character I saw things that I didn't care for. The first time we meet her she says of herself that "I became the center of my own universe." Truthfully, that's probably a very human thing to do/say. But still, my first impression was that she was a little full of herself and I didn't quite know how to take her.

In the end, I rather enjoyed the story and can recommend it. Its plot moves at a nice pace and the main character is likeable and easy to root for.

Thanks to Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.