This is my kind of book. The pacing is excellent. It just moves, and you can pretty much picture the movie this might be. Had a blast reading it. Great fun.

Emma Makepiece is on her first significant mission for the "Agency" tasked to bring the son of a Russian defector to safety before a Russian assassination team. This reads like a movie plays out - fast moving and easy to envision on screen. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Well, that was exhausting!

It's no secret I'm a fan of espionage thrillers, and this one, featuring a rookie female secret agent at a fictional British Intelligence agency (coincidentally called the Agency), was so fast-paced, I couldn't believe it was over when I hit the Acknowledgments. A solid 95% of the story takes place over the course of 12 hours, as the protagonist is tasked with delivering her target, the son of a Russian defector who doesn't want to be saved, across London into protective custody, all while being pursued by a Russian assassin squad.

I enjoyed the flashbacks to when Emma was recruited and trained, which were interspersed with the present-day story to help break up the thriller aspects and let me catch my breath. I also liked the development of the relationship between Emma and her target, Michael, as they learned to trust each other and work together to stay alive.

The late introduction of a new character and ending left much to be desired, however. There was so much build-up, I wanted something bigger and more impactful in the end. I also felt like Emma was fairly one-dimensional. The story was far more heavy on plot than character development, and while it kept the pace moving along, it also meant I wasn't as invested as I could've been.

I read that this story is being adapted for TV, and I'll definitely check that out. I'm also interested in seeing if this is the start of a series. If it is, I'd love to learn more about the other three characters Emma goes out with at the end of this story.

Perfect for fans of Jason Bourne, ALIAS EMMA was both entertaining and exhausting. Fingers crossed I'll get to read more of Emma's adventures and get to know her character and others at the Agency better.

RATING: B

I really enjoyed reading Alias Emma. Emma is a spy and her current assignment is to save Michael Primalov from the Russians and get him into a Safe House. Nothing seems to be going her way. Alias Emma was a fast-paced thriller. From first chapter I couldn’t put down. I would highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the ARC for my honest review.

ALIAS EMMA
By: Ava Glass
Publication: August 2, 2022 by Bantam Books


Move over Emma Peel of the beloved 60’s TV series The Avengers and Eve Polastri of the more recent 2018 series: “Killing Eve”. This is the first appearance of Emma Makepeace in her thrilling page-turner action spy debut. This clever and ingenious heroine grapples with a horde of Russian GRU spies and assassins. Emma is a newly trained spy for the Vernon Institute of England and is tasked with the near impossible feat of delivering and protecting pediatric oncologist, Michael Primalov, to the safety of a MI6 safe house. His lone crime is being the son of Elena, who defected to the West twenty years ago, and bringing with her vital scientific data. Lately multiple other scientists associated with Elena have been brutally assassinated by Russian agents in London. She must first convince Michael of his imminent danger, and then successfully deliver him across London to MI6, while the Russians have successfully hacked into London’s famed CCTV camera network that virtually blankets the city.
Ava Glass crafts a masterful narrative that is a cinematic gem that deftly captures the readers imagination, as Emma against all odds attempts to deliver Michael to safety while avoiding the ever watchful cameras through the darkened alleys and tunnels under London. She must use disguise and subterfuge , and at times hand-to-hand combat, to avoid capture by the Russian assassins, A lethal cat and mouse contest plays out in the shadows and tunnels of London. Relief from the tension and intrigue of the chase, are deftly provided by flashback chapters involving the training and backstory of Emma’s motivation to become a spy.
The action is non-stop and explosive, ratcheting up to an exhilarating high octane denouement. I couldn’t put this gripping novel down and finished in one seating. In my mind’s eye I pictured Diana Rigg or Uma Thurman playing Emma Makepeace in an ongoing series.
Reportedly this is the first novel in a continuing Emma series. …. I’m on board for more!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books for supplying an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

This one was a very intriguing book! I will say, I did not expect to really get into it because it was a bit slow at first. Great writing though and the characters were excellent once they got the drama going!

I really enjoyed this novel. I liked the protagonist and the supporting characters as well. Interesting premise, and the plot pulled together nicely.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The cover and synopsis really intrigued me. Plus, I love covert, spy action novels! I wanted this to be a slam dunk but it falls a little short.

It's a solid book, it just isn't long enough. Everything happens too fast. I can understand wanting to maintain that pacing but there was hardly room to breathe, nevermind let the tension build. Pauses could have been very powerful here. After the early encounters, you basically know they're right around the corner so the anticipation fades.

I didn't love the ending. There seemed to be a great end point that would set up another book, continuing in a similar vein. But then we went a few chapters beyond that. It wasn't terrible but it didn't feel necessary.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this but I don't think it would be the first thing I recommend in this genre.

The intense action of Alias Emma takes place over twelve hours, but I raced through this thriller way faster than that. Emma, a new, highly-trained secret agent with a personal history revealed in flashbacks explaining her convictions, has just one night to safely deliver an innocent, and handsome, man from Russian agents pursuing them through the dark but highly-surveilled streets, alleys and waters of London. Emma, with all of James Bond’s shrewd calculation and combat skills, also has the appealing, sympathetic personality of a young woman starting her career in this deadly business. Her split-second reactions to ruthlessly pursuing enemies, the dark, danger-laden atmosphere, and Emma’s intelligence and competence all cry out for more books ( or even a film) about this brilliant new heroine.

This book was so good! So much action and intrigue from beginning to end, like a young female version of James Bond. Emma was fearless and determined to get the job job now matter what it involved, she was smart, quick thinking and tough but also had a soft side that she tried to keep hidden. This should definitely turn into a female hero series, it has everything. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!!!!

I was pleased to receive an ebook arc from Net Galley and Random House of one of the newest books that is sure to be a bestseller and the start of an enthralling series by Ava Glass.
I found Alias Emma engrossing from page one. It is the story of a new MI5 spy who is a Russian immigrant (daughter of a former Russian spy who worked with British Intelligence). Emma was brought to London with her mother at a young age by British Intelligence when her father’s double life was discovered. Her father was killed by the Russians and now she is charged with bringing in an unwilling Russian immigrant whose dissident family is in a similar situation. One problem —the young doctor has no interest in surrendering to British Intelligence and having to start a new life elsewhere. It is up to Emma to convince him that this is his only option to survive. They both embark on a long night with the mission to bring him in safely to the MI6 headquarters —encountering every kind obstacle imaginable as the Russians try to track them down—to kill or capture them both.
The author is well-versed on spy craft and so it is fascinating to learn about Emma’s training and grooming to become a tough and smart undercover spy. The backstory of Emma’s previous life as well as that of her boss adds drama to the plot line. The story is engrossing and keeps you turning the pages to find out if and how Emma is going to manage to get them to safety. Plot twists are done masterfully and you are breathless as they confront danger at every turn. I will look forward to future adventures from Emma Makepeace and her creator.

Meet Emma Makepeace, who just graduated from training from the "Agency" and gets her first real assignment. Her task, protect a young doctor, Michael Primalov. The Russians are after him and his family, in particular his mother, a former Russian scientist, who defected years ago. He fights this protection, claiming he does not need it, but after certain events, he reluctantly agrees to work with Emma.

Emma is an eager spy, who is determined to protect her charge with all that she has. The Russians are ruthless, not afraid to kill them both. She needs to get the young doctor to the offices of MI6 before daybreak. It will end up being the longest night of her life. They dodge the Russians at every turn and seem to be one step ahead of them, but the Russians always seem to find them. How can that be? Someone hacked the CCTV cameras all over London.

Along with following the steps that Emma and Michael need to follow to other to where they need to be, the reader learns more about Emma and her past and why she wanted to be a spy. Not only that, she is not sure who she can trust at MI6.

It is always helpful when an author knows about what they write. Ava knows her way around the spy culture and it shows in her writing. I really enjoyed this novel, fast-paced. lots of action, spies, bullets flying. Can they make it to MI? Well, you will just have to go get a copy of the book and read it for yourself!

In ALIAS EMMA, by Ava Glass, British spy Emma Makepeace is abruptly removed from her current assignment and tasked with delivering the son of a Russian defector/British informant to Emma's government office safely and quickly. Trouble arises immediately and Emma has to race across London, dodging cameras, shady people, and conventional transportation to complete her delivery before being caught and likely killed.
The book begins with getting to know Emma, but only spends enough time to create a connection to her and then the main plot jumps into action. Glass balances bits of exposition, character development, and action-packed chase scenes masterfully. The reader also questions everyone's loyalty and honesty every step of the the way which adds to plenty of frenetic energy in the book. Glass also does a good job of describing the geography that is being traversed so that the reader can easily keep up, even if they are unfamiliar with London. The reader is rewarded with a great ending and some awesome final action sequences
Emma Makepeace is charming and powerful and I hope Glass will continue to write about Emma's spy adventures. ALIAS EMMA is one of the best spy thrillers I have read in a while and readers will have a hard time not getting swept up in the excitement of this great read.

This novel is essentially one night in the life of a MI5 spy and her charge as they are on the run from Russian intelligence through the streets of London. The chapters will alternate with present time and then some back story to better understand how "Emma" came to be a British spy. A little more backstory would have helped connect the reader to the protagonist as well as Michael, the son of Russian scientists. The story arc seemed to climax rather uneventfully but overall it was an easy read.

Book Review: I love an excellent spy/espionage book and Alias Emma by @avaglassbooks did not disappoint. A big Thank you to @penguinrandomhouse, @netgalley and the author for the advanced digital copy of the book. Alias Emma is a well written fast-paced, highly engaging thriller with fantastic characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the exciting, intense storyline. A perfect summer escape!
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Synopsis: A newly minted secret agent, Emma’s barely graduated from basic training when she gets the call for her first major assignment. Eager to serve her country and prove her worth, she dives in headfirst.
 
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Emma must covertly travel across one of the world’s most watched cities to bring the reluctant—and handsome—son of Russian dissidents into protective custody, so long as the assassins from the Motherland don’t find him first. With London’s famous Ring of Steel hacked by the Russian government, the two must cross the city without being seen by the hundreds of thousands of CCTV cameras that document every inch of the city’s streets, alleys, and gutters.
 
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Buses, subways, cars, and trains are out of the question. Traveling on foot, and operating without phones or bank cards that could reveal their location or identity, they have twelve hours to make it to safety. This will take all of Emma’s skills of disguise and subterfuge. But when Emma’s handler goes dark, there’s no one left to trust. And just one wrong move will get them both killed.

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Alias Emma by Ava Glass follows a young British Agent, attempting to survive a harrowing night with the persons she’s protecting. Ms. Glass is a civil servant and former crime reporter.

Emma Makepeace is a young agent for “The Agency”. Emma is a vet, intelligent, and a polyglot to boot. On her first assignment, Emma trying to keep Michael Primalov alive from Russian spies in London.

Finding herself all alone, with The Agency to help her, Emma must rely on her wits to survive the night. Luckily for her, Michael is a doctor, and gets over his hesitancy to believe her story.

I enjoy espionage stories very much, so I was excited to read Alias Emma by Ava Glass. The book is filled with chases, and reality-defying heroic action. Like many of the others.

Ms. Glass wrote a very good story, and certainly a terrific thriller. She managed to introduce several characters, Emma’s history, a bit about the person she’s saving, as well as spin a good yarn. The narrative is tight, and the book moves at a fast pace.

The characters of Emma Makepeace, Michael Primalov, and Ripley are very well written. I thought the narrative was done very well in introducing them and making the reader vested in their outcome.

I really liked the fact that the majority of the book takes place over a period of one night. There are a few short chapters that fill the reader in on the previous events, but overall, I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel.

I wished the novel would have ended when the sun came up. However, the decision was made to wrap up the story in a neat package, without any loose ends. This is, of course, just a personal preference but I felt that there was no need for the reader to have this closure. It is also great fodder for future books.

The novel was a fast read, and very enjoyable. It is more of a thriller than an espionage novel, nevertheless, I found myself engaged.

Very different book from my normal reads. The cover in itself seemed boring but I thought don’t judge a book by it’s cover and I dived in. It kept me interested throughout the book and I was pleased with it.

Loaded with action! Got my heart racing. This was a fun “escape read.”

I liked the female protagonist Emma who was somewhat like a female James Bond, yet vulnerable at times as this spy business to relatively new to her. In the present-day timeline, she is assigned to protect Michael, the son of a Russian defector. She has twelve hours to deliver him to safety. They are chased by Russian teams determined to assassinate Michael, and London’s network of security cameras has been hacked by the Russians making it extremely difficult to cross the city without being detected. And she quickly discovers that she can’t even trust her own people.

It was her backstory of why she became a spy that I most enjoyed. This is where I found the emotional connection with her.

This fast-paced action thriller grabbed me immediately. Emma (not her real name, naturally) was a great character—such a badass! It was refreshing to recast a Jason Bourne-type as a woman. The vivid descriptions helped me visualize the story—it also helped that I recently went to London for the first time! Spy stories can easily get TOO complicated with all the double-crossing and changing alliances, but this one was just complicated enough to be interesting without being confusing. I really loved it! Glass did a fantastic job creating solid characters, building tension and sustaining the drama. I would love to see this on my TV screen!

ALIAS EMILY This novel Alias Emily quickly moves into suspenseful twisty turns. Emily is a new spy, but with a lot more training through her experience in the armed forces. She swiftly absorbed the training provided by the Home Office and impressed the head of that office by demonstrating bravery coupled with good common sense. He became her mentor and her trusted boss. She is assigned to the job of taking and moving a young doctor whose parents have been threatened by Russian spies and are on the trail of their son too. As Emily tries to flee the city of London, she and her charge are thwarted by the Russians, CCT cameras , no cell phones, water or food.
The characters are well developed, and the plot thickens keeping you tense until the end. The ending was not what I expected. A twist. That is another review.