Emma Makepeace is fresh out of basic training for a British spy agency when she gets the call for her first major assignment. The job is not an easy one, as Emma must travel across the city to bring in a very reluctant son of Russian dissidents. Threats against him are grave enough to warrant protective custody, with the need to stay off the grid on the way paramount. Making things more challenging, London's CCTV cameras have been compromised by the Russian government, so the pair must use every trick in Emma's book to make it to safety undetected. When bullets start flying, will Emma's extensive training be enough to keep them alive?

I really enjoyed this novel and cannot wait to read the second book. I finished this book months ago, thinking I had written this review but finding out that it slipped through the cracks. From the fast moving plot to the well written characters, Alias Emma captivated me from beginning to end. The author brought to life a main character with grit and determination, steadfast in her convictions and resourceful. Overall, Alias Emma was a great read and one I would recommend to others.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this novel was entirely my own.

I really enjoyed this book! I had seen it everywhere and decided to give it a go. Its 007 / Mission Impossible except that you get a female hero as opposed to a role that is usually male dominated. The book is a fast rand quick read at only around 258 pages. The story of Emma as a spy taking on her first case is exciting and fast paced and felt like you were reading what could be a script for a movie. Mr. Ripley adds a dose of fun too. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Remember the name Emma Makepiece. She may well become the next star in the Espionage pantheon. And her muse, Ava Glass, almost as well known as the current crop of spy novelists.
Emma is one of the youngest spies in MI-5. She is tasked with protecting the son of a Russian atomic scientist who was secretly helping Britain. She and her family barely escape arrest and execution before being spirited to England. Now the almost demonic head of Russia's spies in Britain is determined to find and kill the entire family.
Emma's assignment is to keep the son safe. He has become a doctor and does not think he needs protection. And, thereby the suspense and excitement begin, all across London, and even in the freezing Thames.
It's one of the best spy books in years!
James N

Thank you to the publisher for this copy. I enjoyed the read and appreciated having the backstory provided - always nice to know what drives the main character into service. I found it a little slow in parts and. Is ofter the case with the genre, far fetched in places, but not not enough to prevent me from Emma’s future adventures. Bring it!

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Unfortunately, this book didn't capture me. I was really excited to read it, but when I sat down, I just couldn't get into it. It might have been the timing of when I read it, but I only got about 25% through it.

I truly enjoyed Alias Emma. If you like spy thrillers that take place in London I think this fits. Emma is a very likable character and for some reason I found her easy to connect with even though we have nothing in common. The story moves along very well. A large part of the story is a chase throughout London with Emma, who is a British spy and the man she has to save before the Russians get to him. While
I would think a chase scene is better on the screen, it was so well described I had no problem visualizing it as I read. It’s absolutely a page turner!
I definitely recommend this book. Thank you Netgalley and Random House-Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this quick-reading contemporary spy thriller. Emma is a very enjoyable protagonist with a lot of spunk and tenacity, her background brought an extra level of interest to her decisions, and the mysterious web she found herself in was intriguing the whole way through. I also really enjoyed Michael and the dynamic between the two of them. I won't lie that I was hoping for a bit of romance (the vibes had moments!) but we can't always have what we want.

The pacing was superbly done as it jumped between the present moment and past scenes of Emma's life, a hard juggling act with such a fast story. At times it reminded me of the television show '24' in how there was a deadline to meet and a lot of danger along the way.

All in all, even if there were things I wanted that didn't come to be, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to any thriller reader but especially those who enjoy spy stories with a touch of the Cold War to them. I wouldn't be surprised if we read more of Emma in the future.

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Emma has been awaiting her big break with M16, and she finally gets it, bring an operative alive to the safe house. The operative is unwilling, at first, to take protection believing he is not a target. Things soon go from bad to worse in over 24 hours as these two try to outrun Russian assassins to reach the safe house on the other side of London.

Quite a whirlwind of nonstop action. Very well written and easy to get lost in this story. I enjoyed it greatly.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Unable to provide a full review of Alias Emma. I was unable finish this title. I found myself bored and my mind wandering elsewhere every time I tried to read. Then I'd go back and reread only to have the same issue. I think this title just wasn't for me, but I'm glad so many others have enjoyed it. I may not be in the right headspace for this book at the current time. I just didn't find it as "thrilling" as I thought I would.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I was not able to finish so won't be leaving a full review at this time.

Emma Makepeace (her spy name) lives in London and works for MI6. She's 28 and hasn't been a spy for very long when she is pulled off an undercover operation that doesn't seem to be going anywhere to try to work another case. She needs to get a Russian born doctor, Michael, to go into witness protection, her mother had been a nuclear scientist who defected to Britain and there is Russian spy who wants revenge.

Emma and Michael need to get across London without being seen by CCTV cameras since the Russians have hacked into them. It is a wild ride where she saves him and then Michael saves her. I couldn't help but picture this as a movie with all the action. Emma is one smart woman and she uses all the knowledge that she learned from her boss, Charles Ripley to get them across the city.

Through flashbacks, we learn about Emma's childhood and her connection to Russia. We also learn about her career in the military and some of the cases she worked on earlier.

I really enjoyed this strong woman and look forward to reading the next installment. I'm only sorry I didn't read this one earlier! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

What a fun romp! It’s been forever since I read a spy thriller so this was a nice change of pace. It was pretty surface level without a ton of character development or depth but a nice pallet cleanser, I’ll definitely read the next in the series!

Read this book if you like: Spy dramas, first in a series, female leads, action packed books

Emma Makepeace is on her first operation with a shadowy organisation known only as 'The Agency'. She has been assigned to track down and save an innocent man wanted by the Russian government. He's a doctor.

All Emma has to do is bring him in to MI6 before sunrise, and before an assassination team gets to him first. The Russians have hacked the city's CCTV cameras. There are spies all over London searching for the two of them. Her target, Michael Primalov, doesn't want to be rescued. They end up on a crazy adventure.

This was a fast paced spy novel that reads like a movie. I enjoyed it but I did feel like it was missing something. I wasn't as invested in the characters as I should have been. I have seen that it will be a series. I do recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Random House Publishing for the gifted e-book ❤️

An absolutely crazy ride that kept me guessing the whole way. Alias Emma had me speed reading so I could figure out what was going to happen.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. A spy novel that reads like an action movie, so of course the male/female drama is needed too. Also, just a little unnerving of how many cameras there are these days and who all may be watching them.

Date is made up. I fell behind on reviews.

With her Russian background and multilingual skills, Emma Makepeace seems a perfect fit for the British Secret Service. She wants to do more but is urged patience by her mentor Charles Ripley. At last, she is pulled from a seemingly dull undercover assignment to find the son of a Russian scientist and get him across London in less than 24 hours before the Russians find him. I have read that London has one of the most extensive CCTV systems and the book reflects that, as Emma has to find ways to not be seen as much as possible. Things move quickly as the night goes on and Emma's instincts on who to trust are warranted. I appreciated the closure the extra work in France added to the end.

DNF. I was excited for "James Bond for girls!" but then it ended up being... James Bond for girls. She's a girl, and she's a spy! Woooo! Sorry. Just couldn't do it. The plot wasn't interesting enough to distract me from the one-dimensional narrator.

Emma is a spy working in London. Emma is tasked by her mentor with a special mission, she’s eager to take as this is her first big case.. Emma has to get Michael Primalov out of harms way, and to the Agency so he can be transported to a safe location. Russian agents are trying to kidnap Michael and Emma’s, mentor Ridley has made this case a top priority. As Emma and Michael race through the city trying to get to their safe location it seems the Russians know their every move. It’s a race against time and Emma must do everything she can to keep Michael safe and alive.
This book was pretty good and suspenseful. To me Emma was a bit annoying but I definitely wanted to know the outcome. It does seem odd a spy would be going around with a person she needs to keep safe and has no gun. It just seemed unbelievable and unrealistic. Maybe her having a gun would have made the story end too soon so that may be the reason the author didn’t use that device but it just seemed odd to me. Otherwise it was a pretty well written story.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.