I enjoyed this book a lot - enough that it kept me up several hours past my usual bedtime to finish. Very well paced, and cinematic action scenes that were well-written enough to give me a perfect idea of what was happening. My only complaint, and why I dinged it by one star, is that while Emma was a character I liked watching in action, I wanted to know more about *her*. We get almost no glimpse of her personal life besides a few flashbacks of her "origin story" and training. As a result, the only personality she really had was "perfect bad-ass" - not a bad thing, but I wanted more!

Alias Emma by Ava Glass This book was a real page turner. Not much on subtlety and thankfully the sex/love interest was very under stated given that the spy is a young woman trying to save the life of a young handsome doctor. The story is about Emma a young spy is some agency not MI5 or MI6 that must get the young doctor from North London to MI5 just south of the Thames in London. All the while Russian assassins are attempting to kill young Dr. Michael. Worse, the Russians have hacked into and control all the CCTV cameras in London. This makes it essentially impossible to move without being found. While reading this book I had my city map of London open which was quite useful. Although I know London fairly well this was an added helpful resource. Perhaps when the book is published the inside cover will have a good map of London to help the reader. On books like this I do not want to give away any spoilers. I will say, I enjoy espionage novels and there is enough espionage to make it more than a thriller. I would say this is not a Tier 1 espionage book but certainly a very soldi Tier 2. Well worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was supposed to be a spy story for a female James Bond....I found it did not grab my attention.

We have Emma, working for the intelligence service in the UK, trying to save a doctor from the Russians and moving across London to do so. There's a lot of action, bloodshed and a bit of a body count which is the norm for spy dramas. The characters are interesting and well-developed, especially Emma as we learn about her background and recruitment.

Overall, I found it a bit dry and not particularly engaging. The dialog is a bit stilted and did not have the natural flow that I craved. I found this one to be just ok.

This is a spy thriller that almost entirely takes place over one night as Emma tries to get a target to safety in London. I thought jt was a good book that I didn’t want to out down, but I would have liked a bit more character development. But it was enjoyable!

Espionage set in London. Emma, a spy, is tasked with getting Michael, a doctor, to safety within 24 hours fighting against a team of Russian hit men. It’s a fast paced, detailed story that’s realistic and keeps you guessing about counter espionage, who can be trusted,etc. it’s a good quick read.

I am grateful to the author and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for offering an ARC in return for an honest review. This novel is all about the action, with non-stop racing-through-danger scenes, with a twist that the hero is a female trying to rescue a male. There are shades of "James Bond" and "Run, Lola, Run" in the physical violence and thriller tension.

What I missed were compelling characters and the answers to various teaser questions about the key characters and their histories. For a first novel, there is good potential showing for Ms. Glass, but my key reaction was that it lacked depth and complexity. This is clearly setting the state for a sequel, and I will be interested in reading it when it appears. 3 stars.

What a thrill ride! Alias Emma by Ava Glass was so much more than I anticipated!

The plot was really well done, and a bit scary, not only because of all the obstacles Emma kept coming up against, but also because it has become increasingly clear how technology can be used by the wrong people, and scenes like this could happen in real life.

Moreover, I loved the characterization. Emma was at once a professional, skilled at being a spy and even fighting, but the author added a bit of vulnerability and uncertainty at times. Michael on the other hand was a self-assured doctor, determined to continue on the path he was on, but gradually adapted to the situations he found himself in. There was a realness to the way the author created them that isn't always this skillfully done.

I hope the author makes more Emma books!

I really enjoyed this book. It made me feel the same way James Bond did years and years ago. Emma Makepeace is a relatively newly minted spy for a secret part of a British agency. She is brought in to safely escort a Physician, the son of Russians who spied for the British, from his location to a safe spot. He has previously refused any help but her boss thinks she may work out because her history is so similar to his and they are of an age. It is loaded with well written and believable action, is very visual and makes you want to read about Emma’s new adventures. Thanks to Net Galley and Bantam for an ARC for an honest review.

A wonderful story about a newbie spy. Emma Makepeace had always wanted to be a spy. So after University and a career in the. military she applies, and is accepted. We journey through her training and the first cases she is sent on, which to her dismay, seem rather tame and not spy-like at all. Emma’s spy life is rather mundane until she is charged with convincing a doctor of Russian heritage that his life is in danger and he must leave everything `behind and start over if he is to survive.

A very well written book with interesting characters. If you have ever wanted to be a spy, this book can act as a primer. I hope there are many more Alias Emma adventures in store.

This is a present day action-packed novel about a British spy Emma Makepeace. Her mission is to rescue a Russian born doctor who is being sought out by Russian agents. The plot is full of spy craft, double agents, and family connections. At times the events seemed a little implausible but the story moved quickly and I found it hard to put down. One could easily see this being adapted for the screen.

“Wherever they take you, please be happy”

I have a lot of mixed emotions about this book. I always fall in love with a smart female spy and absolutely adore when their genius is being used. That being said I felt that there were times in this book where Emma was written to bring herself down a bit and seem more amateur than she really was. It was interesting to have the majority of the book take place in a singular day except for a few flashbacks. I do wish there was more backstory but because it is the first book in the series I understand that there will probably be more in the future books. The relationship Emma and Micheal form over the course of the books seems genuine and not forced. I really like their bond built on the trauma of the night and how it forced them to trust one another.

What an entertaining book! I read it in a weekend because I could not put it down. The plot was engaging and fast-paced as I tagged along on a high thrill chase through central London. The escape route ran down dark alleys, in underground canals, across a river, and in and out of inconspicuous coffee shops.
Emma Makepeace, (an alias) is a spy, and her first big undercover assignment is to rescue a young doctor, the son of a Russian scientist who defected years ago. But Michael, a doctor, is unwilling to leave his life and his career. Backstory flashbacks fill in Emma’s early story and the quest for revenge that brought her to the spy world. The clock is ticking for Emma to bring Michael in before he is killed. The reader is invited along on this dark night on the run. Enemies’ eyes are everywhere. Who can she trust? Hopefully, this will be a series of novels, and I can spend more time running from the Russians with Emma.

Alias Emma was tremendous fun. Taut and suspenseful with a likable, clever, and level-headed lead. Emma Makepeace has about 12 hours to get her asset to safety across London all while avoiding the ubiquitous CCTV network (part of the city’s “Ring of Steel”) which the enemy has hacked and now controls. Though not the point of the story, there was great chemistry between Emma and her asset which helped set the scene and up the stakes.

I would happily read a sequel or two about Emma’s future missions.

Thank you very much to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Emma has only been a spy for a short while. Her first gig was infiltrating a radical environmental group, which she found a bit ho-hum. Now, Emma is called upon to deliver Michael to safety. She has 12 hours to get Michael across London to a safe house. Russian spies are after Michael’s family, and they have hacked all the cameras in London. Will she make it in time?

There’s quite a bit of action, and Emma proves herself to be quite resourceful and forward-thinking. She needs to be, as her boss has suddenly gone dark, and Emma doesn’t know who to trust. The characters are well-developed, and we learn about Emma’s past in alternating chapters. The writing is conversational so there are no breaks in your reading.The plot is engaging, if a bit predictable. If you’re looking for action rather than actual espionage, this is a quick read.

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I am in the minority but I did not much care for Alias Emma. I found it too unrealistic and too over the top with West spies good, East spies bad theme. The majority of the book is spent with an inexperienced and young female spy trying to bring to safety a son of former Russian scientists who defected to the West. The repetition wore on me along with the silly dialog and the glorification of spies but only if they are of the West.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for providing me with copy to review.

I received access to an ARC of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for a review. I really enjoyed the storyline and pace of the story, and while I understand why it was finished the way it was, I couldn’t help but wish for a slightly different ending. Would happily read a sequel if one were to be written.

“Alias Emma” by Ava Glass is a spy-thriller book. This book takes place over a short period of time (most of the action occurring over a day). I found the pacing to be good regarding the main story, though it slowed down (as expected) giving background information. This book has a number of twisty turns with a lot of action. It was an engaging book and if this were to become a series, I’d most likely pick up another book about this character.

WOW. Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this book and give feedback. First, I haven’t read a book in one day in a while. But thankfully, it was cold and rainy and my plans fell thru. I think you will want to have a day to read it because it was hard to put down. Emma Makepeace works for MI5 but is charged with getting the adult son of a Russian defector to MI6. She has to do it in London, a city with more CCTV than any other with the Russians watching. Everywhere she turns, there’s someone after them. The action is fast paced, the author doesn’t spend too much time on unnecessary events, My guess is that this will be the first in a series and that it will be made into a movie. Get this book!

Alias Emma follows British secret agent Emma Makepeace as she tries to protect Michael, the son of a prominent Russian scientist, from assassination. Most of the book takes place the course of about twelve hours as Emma tries to get Michael from one end of London to the other on foot and without being seen by any of the hundreds of CCTV cameras around the city.
Espionage/spy/procedurals are not my favorite genres, but I did find myself enjoying this book. It was a fast paced, quick read, and I did want to keep turning the page to find out what was going to happen next. While most of the story took place over one night, there where chapters throughout that told Emma's backstory and how she became a spy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Alias Emma.

Ignore the cover, which is sort of gross. I did enjoy the spy/thriller that was Alias Emma. Obviously the first and major spy was Emma and NO that wasn't her name. The book follows Emma through her latest assignment in protecting Mikhail/Michael. She must safely deliver the young handsome Doctor to his parents who are under protection from the Russian government.

The author is very descriptive in the cctv footage, spies and the best drop off's ever. Nobody is who you think they are. For the entire book, we are drawn to the streets, running from others and hoping we deliver on our goal-get Michael to safety. Very edge of your seat type book. Lurking in the shadows are killers, mercenaries and the Russians.

Well written and very entertaining