Member Reviews

I really like this series. The plots are tightly paced. They are an exciting read. Emma is a great character. This one involves finding a mole within the British intelligence.

"British spy Emma Makepeace goes undercover on a Russian oligarch’s superyacht, where she’s one wrong move away from a watery grave, in this electrifying thriller from the author of Alias Emma .

An MI6 operative is found dead, locked in a suitcase inside his own apartment. Despite an exhaustive search, no fingerprints are found at the scene. Emma Makepeace and her handler, Ripley, know an assassination when they see one, and such an obvious murder can mean only one thing. Someone is sending a message.

As she digs into his past, Emma discovers that the unfortunate spy had been investigating two Russian oligarchs based in London. He’d become obsessed with the idea that the two were spies, aided by a third man—whose identity he had yet to uncover. When he shared his findings within MI6 in the weeks before he died, the response came back fast and Drop the investigation and move on. Had he uncovered a secret that cost him his life?

To pick up where he left off without ending up in a suitcase of her own, Emma goes undercover on one of the oligarch’s million-dollar yachts, scheduled to set sail from the Côte d’Azur to Monaco. Under other circumstances, this would be a dream vacation. But if Emma’s real identity gets discovered, it’s a death sentence.

As Emma’s work reveals secrets she’d be safer not knowing, the danger ratchets up. The killer may be closer to home than any of them imagined, and Emma won’t be safe until he—or she—is caught."

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine/Bantam for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

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Great Author, Great Story, Loved it more than her others. A great book for a lazy weekend afternoon for an escape. Thanks

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THE TRAITOR by Ava Glass is a smart, taut, beautiful thriller that stunned me with its elegance and quick turns of phrase that stopped me in my tracks and also hurtled me further into an entrancing story. I enjoyed the characters, the settings, the plot twists and revelations, the all of a truly wonderful tale. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

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I recently read Ava Glass's first novel Alias Emma and thoroughly enjoyed it. When I realized that there was a second book in the series, I was very excited to read it. The first book kept my interest with every turn of the page. The Traitor keeps that speed as well. I will say that I enjoyed Alias Emma much more than The Traitor but this book was a delight. Kept my interest and I read it really fast. Worth a purchase!

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I absolutely loved the first book in this series. It was fast paced and smart. This one was a little less of both. I still like Emma. She just didn’t seem to be making decisions with the wit and grit of the first book. I found parts dragged a little. Still, the plot picked up at the end and in a few parts in the late half. The ending left a lot of doors open for future books.

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I’m a sucker for spy thrillers, and I'm an even bigger fan when there’s a strong female lead. So, it’s no surprise that I’m loving British spy Emma Makepeace. Alias Emma was one of my top books last year, and The Traitor is an instant favorite as well.

This fast-paced thriller is hard to put down. Emma is in danger from ruthless villains almost the entire time. Focused on the good guys, bad guys, and the one playing both sides, the story is action-packed and intense. It was great to see the wonderful secondary characters from Alias Emma helping Emma where they could.

The Traitor is a must read. Spy thriller fans will enjoy how this story blends a survival story with the mystery of who is the traitor.

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I liked "Alias Emma" for its nonstop action. This book is mostly confined to a yacht and it doesn't have the same feel at all. This is a much more conventional story and frankly kind of boring. I am not a wiz at figuring out the villain, but this one is pretty obvious from early on. Sadly I can't really recommend.

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Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

I stumbled on the first Emma Makepeace novel Alias Emma, and when I got the opportunity to read this one, I jumped on it! And it did NOT disappoint.

Emma is quite a character. The daughter of a vanished and murdered Russian spy, she and her mother successfully fled to England, where her mother still hates all spies and anyone connected to Russia. How ironic, then, that Emma has been recruited into MI6 and is one of their best assets against Russia.

When a low-level MI6 agent is brutally murdered and left to be found as a warning to others not to interfere, Emma is recruited to infiltrate the group nicknamed Gold Dust. They know who two of the three men are, but the third seems to be a British mole, and they don't know who he is.

So Emma goes undercover as a stewardess on the mega yacht owned by one of the three to befriend his girlfriend and hopefully get information. But soon, she is unmasked as a spy and her life is in danger. With a lot of luck and the help of colleagues, she is able to reach safety. But she still wants to find out who the British traitor is...............

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Part of a series, reads fine as a stand alone for those like me who had not read book one.

Emma Makepeace is part of the agency that is so secret it isn’t even on any government list and it’s her job to discover why one of their agents was murdered with chemical weapons in his home.

Fast read! Excellent spy novel that kept me wanting to read and enough character development that you could relate to characters. Very easy to follow and not wordy or lengthy with descriptions. Can’t wait to see where the series goes next!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random house publishing for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Traitor was fun to read even though it felt a bit unrealistic. Those aspects didn't make it less enjoyable though. It was easy to read as I knew the characters and some of the situations from the previous book. The story is still mainly told by Emma.

Emma is healed from her last outing physically. Mentally, I suspect things like being shot stay with you. However, she is eager enough to go undercover in a very dangerous situation to gain more information. The Russian oligarchs are hard to penetrate in their circles but she takes a role as a server on the yacht. She hopes to also learn more about the suspected British traitor. She befriends the oligarch's mistress and feels sorry for her.

Emma really doesn't learn very much on the boat, although she does take pictures of some documents. Her big break comes when she follows them to a meeting in town but it also gets her caught. She is in dire straits. She fights her way out but she is burned and can't go back to the boat.

Emma is determined to unmask the traitor. So she offers to go undercover again with the other oligarch's mistress at the gym. This oligarch hasn't seen her and her appearance has been changed. The mistress really likes her and invites her to a party. Emma is fearless to the point of too stupid to live, pushing into a meeting of the villains.

Somehow Emma manages to not die, gather information or people as needed, and her team comes in to arrest or clean up bodies. I just don't find it probable she could do some things or fight large men as well as she manages. The Alias Emma series is a lot of fun to read though.

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I was fortunate enough to read an advance copy of Ava Glass' first book "Alias Emma" and then scored again by receiving a copy of "The Traitor." I thoroughly enjoyed her latest book and really hope the series continues for as long as the author feels like writing them. They give a very "Jason Bourne" vibe, as most of the spy thriller books do for me, while still being its own un-put-down-able read. There were many moments of "is she going to be found out," "who are the bad people," "what will happen if she is caught?" that kept the story moving. Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the opportunity to read and review #TheTraitor.

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This sequel to last year’s Alias Emma is another fun spy thriller. Main character Emma works for a secret spy agency in the UK, kind of like a young female James Bond. In this book, after the murder of an MI6 employee, Emma goes undercover as a new worker on the yacht of a Russian oligarch, trying to figure out if he was responsible for the murder and a chemical weapons ring, and who he’s working with.

This book was such a quick and enjoyable read; I could not put it down and read it over the span of 24 hours. I don’t usually read spy/action thrillers, but maybe I should read more because it’s a nice change of pace. Love Emma’s brave and creative character, loved the action, and enjoyed the underlying mystery. Hope Ava Glass will write more books featuring her, and/or that they’ll make this series into a movie or tv show.

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I really enjoyed this second spy thriller about Emma. It's a great story and kept me turning the pages. If you like series, you'll enjoy reconnecting with Emma & Ripley. I have a mental image of Ripley as an "M" type of character. Emma is a brave, gutsy, risk taker who goes undercover on a Russian oligarch's yacht and is trying to find a mole. Hats off to the author for creating these fabulous characters and fresh take on the spy thriller. I will recommend this to my High Octane Book Club.

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Thank you Random House for The Traitor, a great sequel to Ava Glass's debut Alias Emma. I just love books that have strong, smart and capable women; Ava Glass is one such character. The Traitor reminds me that I should read some more spy novels. I don't read them often, and how much I appreciate a well balanced read that has deftly developed suspense but also strong character and plot development. It's a fun read, spy books are to me supposed to be a little witty, a little subtle fun, and filled with action and movement. The Traitor does this well!

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I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading the next one in the series. It was well-written, and the author created a compelling story. She had me fooled until the very end.

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Reading a fast paced espionage is great. Having a female protagonist’s is even better. Emma returns in the second book in a series. Great read.

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The Traitor is only book number two in the Emma Makepeace series, but I'm obsessed and hooked! Ava Glass once worked for the British government (and writes using an alias) so she is the perfect person to write a book featuring a female spy as the main character. Emma takes on a Russian oligarch after the murder of an MI6 analyst; fast-paced and entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC.

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British Spy Thriller

Emma Glass works for a top secret agency in MI6. When on of their analysts is found murdered and locked in a suitcase in his apartment, Emma is assigned to go undercover to discover the identity of the killer and untangle the plot he was working on. The plot involved Russian oligarchs who were known to be involved in criminal activities, specifically dealing in chemical weapons sales to anti-Western groups. Emma goes underground on the super yacht of one of the oligarchs. This is an incredibly dangerous assignment, particularly when it appears that there is a mole in MI6 giving information to the Russians.

In this exciting spy novel, Emma faces danger at every turn. Any slip will end her in the same position as the murdered analyst. I enjoyed Emma’s character. She’s smart, gutsy, and fearless. She does make mistakes, but through the book, you can see her growing as an agent.

The background is delightful. The super yacht is cruising the waters of the Mediterranean. The author does an excellent job of bringing not only the gorgeous scenery to life, but also the interior of the yacht. The pace is fast with no dearth of exciting escapes. If you enjoy spy thrillers, this is one not to miss. It is also the second book in the series, but the author seamlessly weaves the history into the current book.

I received this book from the publisher and Net Galley.

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<b>Emma Makepeace returns with new enemies in her sights--but this time she must work undercover on a Russian oligarch's yacht without MI6 contact. She faces unknown dangers and heartbreaking betrayal in this fast-paced novel.</b>

Ava Glass's <i>Alias Emma</i> was a fast-paced cat-and-mouse chase across London and through an underground warren of tunnels, all part of an elaborate plan to avoid Russian murderers. It was also a book that hit the spot and suited my mood perfectly when I read it.

Emma Makepeace returns in the second book in the series, <i>The Traitor,</i> and when one thing leads to another, Emma finds herself working undercover on a ruthless Russian oligarch's yacht.

But Emma is cut off from tracking, useful intel, and protection from MI6. She's got just days to figure out what the dangerous men are up to--and these are men who feel accountable to no one and well above the law.

Oh, and someone who's supposed to be on her side may have revealed her true identity to those who want her dead.

Glass moves the story along in entertaining fashion. The novel references elements from book one, such as Emma's familial career inspiration, but it isn't necessary to have first read <i>Alias Emma</i> in order to dive into this story.

I love a spy book, a book about Russia, and a feisty, strong young female protagonist, and <i>The Traitor</i> offers all three. I wasn't shocked by the story's twist, but Glass didn't make me feel manipulated or red-herring me to death along the way.

I received a prepublication edition of this book, published yesterday, courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine, Bantam.

You can check out my review of <i>Alias Emma</i> <a href="https://www.bossybookworm.com/post/review-of-alias-emma-alias-emma-1-by-ava-glass/"><b>here.</a></b>

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Published by Bantam on September 19, 2023

Emma Makepeace is a predictable spy novel heroine. She volunteers for dangerous assignments, expresses her displeasure when her bosses want her to play it safe, disregards their instructions when she feels she is the only one who can complete the mission, outfights thugs, and exposes the mole. The existence of a mole is one of the plot elements that makes The Traitor predictable, but nothing about the story is fresh.

Emma is in MI6. Despite her success in Alias Emma, she feels her gender is a barrier to the assignments she deserves. She begins the novel by trying to catch a Russian who is laundering money through a British bank. Emma is pulled off that project and tasked with figuring out why a low-level MI6 number cruncher was murdered. The investigation brings her to a Russian oligarch who is suspected of selling chemical weapons. She joins the staff of the oligarch’s yacht with the hope she will find evidence of those sales.

Emma follows the usual path of an undercover agent. She takes risks to search the oligarch’s yacht-office, dodges the suspicions of the oligarch’s security thug, and befriends (uses) the oligarch’s gorgeous, bored, drug-addled girlfriend. The oligarch eventually learns that Emma is a government agent. While MI6 blames that discovery on Emma’s tradecraft, Emma is convinced that someone sold her out to the oligarch. Hence, the obligatory mole.

Later in the novel, Emma befriends (uses) another oligarch’s girlfriend. This oligarch is the boss of the oligarch whose yacht she infiltrated. Emma thinks that surveilling him will let her discover the mole. Well of course it will, and of course Emma’s plan places her in grave danger.

Emma has almost no personality. Her complaints about not being taken seriously because of her gender are at odds with the important assignments she receives. She feels unappreciated because she has sacrificed any semblance of a personal life to serve king and country. Her last relationship fell apart because she couldn’t tell her boyfriend why she was always jetting off without notice. Although she bemoans her fate, Emma manages a spark of romance with another MI6 agent. This leads to cheesy sentences like “With Jon, though, everything felt possible” — sentences that would be at home in a romance novel.

Fortunately, the cheese is not overdone. Unfortunately, the plot — including the identity of the mole — is entirely predictable. Emma outfights large thugs with blows that are only vaguely described and occasionally stabs them with a tiny knife. The plot is mundane, the action is underdeveloped, and the compulsory mole subplot is so obvious that the reader will guess the mole’s identity well before the reveal. Had the mole been anyone else, I might have recommended the novel without reservations. I thought Ava Glass might at least try to surprise the reader, but she makes no effort at all.

While Glass has technical ability as a writer, she fails todeliver the suspense and credible action that spy novels require. The Traitor is at best a time-killer for spy fiction fans who are waiting for a better novel to give them their espionage fix.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

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