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.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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!

Book Review
The Trap
Ava Glass
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


Move over, Emma Peel of the beloved 60s TV series The Avengers and Eve Polastri from the more recent 2018 series, Killing Eve. This is the third appearance of Emma Makepeace (real name: Alexandra) in her thrilling reprisal in this page-turning espionage spy novel. This clever and ingenious heroine grapples with hordes of Russian GRU/FBS agents and their assassin henchmen to uncover a plot that threatens to disrupt the upcoming G7 meeting.

This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone due to Glass’s effortless insertion of necessary backstory. Emma is part of the small, secret “Agency,” focused on identifying and stopping Russian spies working inside Britain. Tension between London and Moscow is at an all-time high due to the ongoing Ukraine war and Russia’s efforts to keep gas prices spiraling upward. In just a week, the G7 meeting will take place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The seven most important and powerful leaders of western democracies will gather to discuss possible Russian sanctions, as well as other world issues, to promote the global economy, stabilize democracy, and even rein in China and Russian aggression.

Emma was born to be a spy. Her Russian father was a scientist spying for Britain, sharing information he believed could avert a nuclear war. Her mother fled Russia while still pregnant. Her father was betrayed and executed when Emma was only several months old. After university, she joined the Army and was immediately placed in military intelligence, being fluent in Russian, Polish, and German. After her service, she was recruited by MI5 under her current boss, Charles Ripley.

What are the Russians planning? How are they going to disrupt the G7 meeting and humiliate the leaders of western democracies? Multiple British intelligence agencies know that a high-ranking FSB operative has flown to England and was observed entering the Russian embassy. He was subsequently followed to the palatial home of Russian expat, Nikolai Orlov. This operative is known to be ruthless and directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocents in Syria and Ukraine. Orlov is a self-made successful businessman and doesn’t fit the mold of a typical FSB operative. How and why is he involved? A targeted assassination is suspected. They have less than a week to uncover the plot. Emma is assigned to spearhead the surveillance and investigation of Nikolai Orlov. It’s vital that she gets inside his house. Intelligence suggests that Orlov is having dinner at the Balmoral Hotel. With an elegant disguise and guile, she confronts and mesmerizes Nikolai, posing as “Anna Case.” She piques his interest and vanity with subterfuge, lies, and her beauty. Feigning familiarity from a previous lecture he had given, she secures an invitation to his mansion for a personally cooked dinner the next day. Orlov has no house staff, nor has he ever wanted any. Emma is tasked with placing three micro transmitters in the house—one in his study, one in the living room, and the other in his bedroom. Although she’s never attempted a “honey trap” before, she is prepared to do whatever it takes to gain his confidence and, hopefully, uncover the target and method of assassination. She suspects “Nick” is being coerced into the plot and might ultimately be a target himself.

Ava Glass crafts a masterful narrative that is a cinematic gem, deftly capturing the reader’s imagination. A lethal cat-and-mouse contest plays out in the shadowy streets of London and Rome. Emma must use disguise and subterfuge to avoid capture, and the action—filled with explosive, hand-to-hand combat—ratchets up to an exhilarating, high-octane climax. In my mind’s eye, I picture Diana Rigg or Uma Thurman playing the part of Emma Makepeace. This will appeal to aficionados of Ian Fleming’s James Bond series. Emma could easily hold her own alongside James.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books for supplying an uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review. Although this is the third in a series, I’m fully on board for the further travails of Emma Makepeace.

Another Emma Makepeace winner! Ava Glass has created a female spy protagonist in Emma and I'm a big fan of this series. It's a page-turner filled with excitement, intrigue, lots of action and chaos with Edinburgh as the background. Highly recommend for those who enjoy fast paced spy thrillers.

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

This book feels genuine and well researched. A G7 summit is about to take place in Edinburgh, with a credible threat that a head of state will be assassinated. Emma is with MI6, and being unfamiliar with the city, a local police officer is assigned to work with her. She must seduce a wealthy local Russian to find out who will be assassinated, when, and where.. When he flies her to Rome for a dinner date, things really take off. This is the kind of book that will keep you up all night, reading to the end.

"You really should see the other guy" The Trap is penned by Ava Glass. Readers are taken into a suspected threat to the G7 Conference in Scotland's Carlowrie Castle in Edingburgh, with our 20-something British spy, Emma Makepeace, and Scottish police person, Kate MacKenize. Emma's handler, Ripley plans to implant Emma undercover as Anna Case to infiltrate Nick Orlov's world. Emma and Mack research who Nick Orlov is and if he is apparently been working with two Russian FSB agents--Vladimir Balakin and Leonid Fridman. Emma begins her extremely dangerous task by befriending Orlov, the Russians "apparent" partner in their planned G7 disruption. Will undercover Emma be recognized for what her and Ripley's plan really is? And then.... Danger increases, Emma is feeling pressure, they're all looking for her to get Nick Orlov to talk! What does he know? Can she find anything or anybody with damning proof? Lookout! Illegal weapons are suspected! Suspense, rapid intense danger, discovery, murders, a wounded agent and so, so much more!
I highly recommend this outstanding spy thriller!!! Kudos to Ava Glass!!!