Monday, 7 October: Emma Makepeace, a British spy whose reputation precedes her, is faced with her greatest challenge yet. She has one week to prevent the Russians from assassinating one of the leaders of the Group of Seven, who are about to meet in Edinburgh. A refresher; the G7 is “an informal grouping of Western democratic nations. Its members are the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan.” For an organization with “no leader, and no legal standing,” it’s “incredibly powerful.”

A successful meeting is the goal of the British PM but in a troubling development, the security boffins have learned that an assassination attempt is being planned. Chaos in Edinburgh because of changed traffic patterns is one thing but violence at the G7? Unthinkable.

Emma is to meet her boss, Charles Ripley, at the Vernon Institute, which is a façade for an off-the-books agency. Its mission is to hunt Russian spies. Ripley meets her outside his office: “Change of plans.”

“There’s a meeting. Secure location, high level. I want you there.”



“About Balakin?” Emma asked.



“Yes.” Ripley pulled a black cigarette case from his pocket. “It’s the timing, you see. It’s worrying people. It’s worrying me.” He lit a Dunhill with a worn gold lighter and took a long drag. “And then there was that knife attack last week.”



Emma’s eyebrows rose. The day before, a lone man with a knife had attacked a group of tourists in front of Westminster Abbey. One person had died and three had been hospitalized.

Vladimir Balakin is an extremely high-ranking FSB official (FSB = Federal Security Service of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs) who has arrived in London to meet with the Russian ambassador. There can be no good reason for that. “You don’t think there’s a connection, do you?” Emma asks. Ripley doesn’t answer straightforwardly: “It was random, as far as MI5 can tell.” He continued, “But the killer was Russian, you see. As were the victims.” It makes sense to Emma now, because in her rarified life, there are no coincidences: “If something looked like a plot, it was a plot.”

Emma’s meeting is James Bond level. Ripley introduces her to “C” aka Giles Templeton-Ward, the head of MI6.

C glanced at Emma with inquiry, and Ripley said, “This is Emma Makepeace. The one I told you about.”



“Ah, of course.” In C’s cold gaze Emma saw that he already knew everything about her. He knew about her Russian parents, the languages she spoke, her time in the army, and everything she’d done right and wrong in her three years at the Agency. He would have a list of all her weaknesses.



“Good to have you.”

So, a tad dismissive but C and the prime minister’s team are under enormous pressure from “The Cousins,” (intelligence code for the Americans) to prevent a G7 attack. They suspect Balakin is in the UK “with instructions for how to carry out that attack.” Their notion of what the attack will be is vague, but Ripley knows Balakin’s MO: “he’ll be looking for the personal touch. A targeted assassination. That’s his style.”

Ripley’s team goes to Edinburgh where Emma watches Balakin: “There’d been something in his confident swagger as he left the plane that bothered her.” Did he want to be seen—were the Russians that “cocky?” Emma tracks Balakin and his henchman to a house in an Edinburgh suburb that belongs to Nick Orlov, a Russian ex-pat, now an oil executive (and British citizen). It’s vital Emma gets inside the house. Since Emma is completely reliant on her GPS for getting around an increasingly shut-down Edinburgh, Ripley teams Emma up with a copper who knows the city inside out. Kate Mackenzie aka Mack is the perfect choice, intelligent, honest, and maybe a little disgruntled with Edinburgh’s police bureaucracy.

The fastest way to get into Orlov’s house is for Emma to play the honeytrap card. This definition is spot-on: “Honey trapping is an investigative practice involving the use of romantic or sexual relationships for interpersonal, political, or monetary purposes.” The good guys have less than a week to prevent disaster. What else could break open the Russian plot and prevent an assassination? Ripley’s instructions are crystal clear. Nick is having dinner at the Balmoral Hotel—Emma’s told to “Get close to him. Find out all you can.” And by close Ripley means as close as she can. Emma lays the trap at the Balmoral after Martha, MI5’s best disguise specialist, tricks her and Mackenzie out. Lights. Camera. Action. Hit the bar.

Both Emma and Mackenzie looked as if they belonged here.



Emma wore an effortlessly chic form-fitting dress of caramel silk which contrasted perfectly with Mackenzie’s dark blazer. To anyone passing they would have looked like a pair of well-heeled friends on a night out. Or perhaps sisters; Martha had made Mackenzie’s hair the same shade as Emma’s.

Emma cleverly ambushes Nick outside the bathroom—she drops her phone, they clang heads. When he stiffly hands her back her phone, she stops. Looks. “Wait. Aren’t you Nick Orlov.” They talk and exchange numbers, and Nick tells her he’d like to see her again. Game on.

Nick invites her to dinner. Before she goes in, Emma and Mackenzie talk over what the evening might entail—Emma points out what she’s already done to investigate Orlov: she knows his house, checked out his girlfriend, and read his speeches. She tells Mackenzie, “There are some wives who don’t know their husbands as well as I know Nick Orlov.” Mackenzie isn’t convinced.

“I couldn’t do it,” she said, after a while. “It’s too much to ask. It would make me feel like a prostitute. Turn right. I’m on the next intersection.”



Emma flinched. She’d never been part of a honeytrap before and the idea of doing it made her feel a little queasy. But there was a lot at stake and she’d seen his interest kindle in that brief encounter at the Balmoral. It would be malpractice not to exploit his weakness to find out what the Russians were planning.

While there, she inserts cutting-edge spy cameras and recording devices. Orlov asks her on a second date and tells her to bring her passport. Arrivederci Roma! Fasten your seatbelt because it’s breakneck action all the way. Ava Glass rachets up the tension like nobody’s business: it all started with her debut thriller, Alias Emma. Brava!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This latest installment of another Emma Makepeace is just as good as the first 2 I’ve read. Emma works as an intelligence officer in the UK and has an interesting back-story that I won’t ruin by divulging. In this episode, she’s up against the evil Russians to try and stop a catastrophe at the G7 Summit in Edinburgh. I’m totally hooked on this protagonist and this series, so will let other reviewers reveal what they will of this particular Emma installment. I will just recommend it to readers who enjoy strong female characters who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty or use their smarts.

This installment in the “Alias Emma” spy series is another fast-moving, well-done thriller. Everyone and everything to do with the “Agency” is secret. Fake names, identifications, backgrounds and cover stores are the norm for those hunting Russian spies. “Bait” should be Emma’s middle name as she is now and always on the front lines taking chances, trying to get the bad guys before they get her, her team and many innocents.

Glass has written another tightly constructed spy story with current political over and undertones and a look at the unspeakable, which may by an all too real possibility. Interesting that Glass quietly inserts the notion that those charged with protecting us “knew terrible things happen when politics got in the way of intelligence.” Whenever someone needs to save face, appears in charge and will take any measures to redeem a reputation I never doubt the potential for mayhem and chaos in theory and practice. Another well plotted cliffhanger that I had trouble putting down.

Thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for a copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of The Trap by Ava Glass in exchange for an honest review. Note: I received this book as an early copy but it’s out now so you can get it!

James Paterson blurbed this book, saying that its protagonist Emma Makepeace is the new James Bond, and he’s not wrong. Emma - not her real name - is a British secret intelligence officer and for the third book in this series, she’s fighting Russian bad guys, this time to head off an attack on the G7 conference in Edinburgh, Scotland. I finished the second half of the book in one sitting, nearly breathless to find out if she and her team could succeed, and live to tell the tale.

With scenes written so vividly I could see them as a movie in my mind, this is Ava Glass’ best Emma volume yet. Four solid stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emma Makepeace is in Edinburgh with just days to stop a plot by the Russians to assassinate someone at the global G7 summit. It will take all her wits and abilities to get out of this one alive. What is she willing to sacrifice to achieve mission success?

I devoured this one. Ava Glass got me hooked from book 1 and they're getting better and better. The intrigue is big in scope but feels very personal as we follow 'Emma' from one harrowing experience to another and see her deal with the pressures and disappointments of living as a spy. In this one in particular, we get to see her still struggling with the revelations of the second book and get the chance to deal with things left open from the first one. I loved that we get as much time to explore the character as we do the fascinating mission.

It's a very well-rounded plot that crams a lot into it without ever feeling like things are rushed or forgotten. Anything that Glass brings into it is there for a reason and will eventually pay off. It shows some excellent planning and has me excited to see what new missions we might get to see in the future.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine | Bantam for the exciting read!

In this 3rd book in the series featuring Emma Makepeace, a British undercover spy, Emma heads to Scotland. Security for the G7 conference in Edinburgh is threatened and Emma’s team is looking for the Russians involved. For the firs5 time, Emma must work with a partner, local police officer Kate Mackinzie. Two strong women working together and it’s a great adventure.

Fast paced thriller but be sure to read Alias Emma first. Love having a strong female character. This one will keep you up at night. Thanks to net galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A fast-paced, adrenaline spy thriller, that somehow also slows down just enough for the characters to show some vulnerability and make some emotional connections with each other. Plus gadgets.

This title is the third in the series but is an excellent stand alone a Glass weaves just enough backstory into it for new readers. Just make sure you have the first and second titles on your shelves as readers will want to read all the Alias Emma books after this.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I've read the other 2 books in this series, and this one was just as good as the others. It definitely references the first two, so I'd start there if you were interested in this one. I always finish the books in this series in less than 24 hours, they're written to be read easily and keep you excited.

An enjoyable book! Even though this is part of a series, it worked fine as a standalone book.

In this spy novel, British MI6 officers are trying to avert catastrophe at a meeting of world leaders in Edinburgh. Emma Makepeace is sent to try to find out what the Russians are up to and what they plan to do to upset this meeting and wreak havoc on the rest of the world. This was a good description of how such agencies work and how they use tech and other tools to track down bad actors. I would have liked to have learned more of the characters' backstories, but I assume they were in other books in the series. Overall, this was an interesting read and kept my attention.

Emma Makepeace is my new favorite spy! “Trap” has Emma following the trail of a terrorist trying to blow up the G7 summit. If you like old school spy stories with Russians, Brits, car chases and smart dialogue, you’ll enjoy this book. Can’t wait for the next installment!

Emma Makepeace is headed to Edinburgh for the global G7 Summit. Her team is tipped off about a high-profile assassination the Russians are planning. Emma must set a trap and use herself as bait. How far will she go to catch the killer? This is a great series. I need to go back and read book 1 and 2 of this series. This novel is a spy thriller filled with politics about a G7 meeting in Scotland. If you like political spy novels then you will love this book. This series is worth your time, so pick up these books and read them soon. You won't regret it! Highly recommended!

Immersive. Suspenseful, In this 3rd book of a splendid spy series, Emma Makepeace goes undercover trying t0 interrupt a Russian plot to disrupt the G7 summit in Edinburgh. Along the way, she befriends a local policewoman and also faces doubts about her career built of lies. Like a chameleon, or superhero, Emma switches costumes and personas to achieve her mission.

This series does an excellent job juxtaposing the interior world of a complex woman spy with external, international geo-political forces. I was hooked as well by Emma's brief chance encounter with a former lover (from Book 1) who is now rebuilding his life hidden under witness protection.

Seriously cannot wait for book 4, or the film version of this series.

This was a suspenseful read. An action packed spy thriller!

Emma Makepeace works for a British security team. Her job is to take down the bad guys. She is to look over the safety of some high ranking officials.

This was the third book in the series. A good read! Look forward to the next.

The Trap by Ava Glass is an engaging read from start to finish with a well developed plot and characters. A recommended read!

Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

Emma Makepeace is on a new assignment to help oversee the G7 summit and tail a high up member of the Russian government that is up to no good. Emma is asked to honey trap Nick Orvlo who is innocent of any wrongdoing and was simply tricked into doing something evil and even helps Emma and her team figure out the plot that the Russians are up to for the G7 summit and who they are going to assassinate. Emma ends up partnering with a women named Mackenzie who she trusts and even offers her a spot on the team since she liked having a partner. This book was so good and I enjoyed every minute of it. Great pacing throughout and it made the time go by faster.

The Trapp is a great addition to the Emma Makepeace series.. I love Emma's strength and courage, and I appreciated that she had to grapple with challenging aspects of the job. I also loved the introduction of a new character that showed that women can work together, encourage each other, and look out for each other. The Trap is best enjoyed after reading the first two books in the series, but it is a delightful addition. I loved it!

I really love this series. A lot of spy novels suffer from over-complication in my opinion and this series is accessible and just plain fun. The fast-paced plots make sense and it’s easy to follow the politics of the world Glass has created. Emma is a great character, she’s tough but with humanity. Another recent spy novel I read had so many characters and conflicting loyalties that it was hard to follow. Some times a simple, well-told story works best.

Ava Glass has published three novels. The Trap was published last September and it is the third book in her Alls Emma series. It is the 78th book I completed reading in 2024.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

Edinburgh is about to host the G7 Summit in a few days. Suddenly Vladimir Balakin arrives unexpectedly in the UK. He is the second highest-ranking officer within the Russian GRU. British Intelligence concludes he is there to disrupt the G7 and embarrass the British Prime Minister.

Emma Makepeace is an agent of The Agency, a supersecret British intelligence group that is tasked with hunting Russian spies. With Balakin in the UK, he becomes their primary focus. They track him to the Russian embassy and to Nick Orlov’s private residence. Orlov had emigrated to Britain 15 years earlier and earned British citizenship.

Orlov has no ties to Russian intelligence and seems to be the wealthy businessman he claims to be. Makepeace is tasked with getting close to Orlov and discovering the connection with Balakin. She goes undercover and finds a way to come to Orlov’s attention.

After a few dates with Makepeach, Orlov flies her to Rome for a romantic dinner and an overnight stay in an exclusive hotel. Before the romantic evening can progress further than dinner, Makepeace must intercede to save Orlov from an assassin, revealing her true background.

The two must flee the hotel with Russian agents in pursuit. Orlov revealed that Balakin was coercing him to help. He had finally told Balakin that he was backing out. Orlov is in shock at the resulting assassination attempt and the revelation that the woman he was having growing feelings about is not real.

Balakin is able to return to Russia, but a plot is discovered to assassinate one of the leaders at the G7. A contract had been made with a local criminal to carry it out. Only days remain as Makepeace and her team frantically search for the suspect.

I enjoyed the 7.5+ hours I spent reading this 310-page thriller. I have had the chance to read both prior novels in this series (Alias Emma and The Traitor). I have enjoyed all three of Ms. Glass' novels. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.4 out of 5.

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A British spy, Russians, and an assassination. This book was such a great thriller! I couldn’t put it down. The characters were complex and I loved every second of this book!