Emma Makepeace is back and on the search for information about Russian plans to disrupt a G7 summit in Edinburgh. This latest in the series (of which I am a fan) sees more development of Emma herself, who shows vulnerability, ethical concerns, and questions her own judgment as she and the Agency do what they have to do to protect others. This is more straightforward than the first two books and the plot is a sleigh (or maybe more appropriately troika) ride. Emma must get close to Nick, a wealthy Russian who now has a British passport and who is somehow connected to the evil Balakin and his henchman. And she must work, reluctantly at first, with Kate Mackenzie, a police office assigned to help her work through the streets of Edinburgh. No spoilers from me but know that there's good tension and a few surprises (including one from Emma's past). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A great read and I'm pleased Glass has set up an interesting possibility for the future.

Emma goes on another daring adventure in the name of Crown and Country. This is an excellent story of spy craft and what it takes to keep a country safe. The details of human intelligence is especially interesting. The plot is striking and powerful. The characters are fully developed and play their roles perfectly. Even if you had never read anything in the series before once you read this one you would be hooked.

Another great, speedy book by Ava Glass! Our spy Emma is always a step ahead of the Russians (or who ever is threatening our freedom). This series is definitely worth your time!

Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 I want to be a spy stars

This is the third installment in this series and it’s just getting better! I adore Emma Makepeace, and I hope there are many more books to come!

Emma works for a top-secret security team in Britain, and she specializes in thwarting the Russians.

The G7 Summit is coming up in Edinburgh and a high-level Russian spy has just landed at the airport. Emma and the team race to uncover the plot and save world leaders.

Filled with tense moments, I rooted for Emma, but she can definitely hold her own! She has to navigate in a city she doesn’t know well. I liked her pairing with Scottish cop Kate Mackenzie and I hope she returns! I also want to know more about Ripley, Emma’s boss.

This book makes me want to go to Edinburgh even more, although I hope the Russians aren’t in town.

I love this series. After the first one I didn’t think I needed another but her sophomore novel sucked me in. I was skeptical about a 3rd, but here we are again. Emma Makepeace is a badass spy whom I am fully invested in. This one started slower than the others but once Emma pairs up with local cop, Kate Mackenzie, it picks up fast and is thrilling to the end. I love their banter and everything reads like a fast paced spy movie.

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

Between Ava Glass’s novels, it’s easy to forget just how tough Emma Makepeace really is. Yes, she’s brilliant at surveillance. And yes, she not only wears disguises well, but she also BECOMES the person that Martha’s wardrobe transforms her into. But, halfway through The Trap, when she took out a Russian agent in a brutal hand to hand struggle, I remembered. This is the agent who, in The Chase, eluded a Russian hit team in London (with all CC compromised so no support from The Agency), and brought the target to safety. With, if I recall correctly, a bullet in her shoulder.

I love the way the Trap unspools. FSB has something planned for the G7, but all the security services can’t discover what exactly. There’s a Russian expatriate entrepreneur who is involved, but the question is willingly or under duress. And there is a new character, MacKenzie, as a possible ally but whose mistrust of spooks (preferring solid police work), could hinder this.

Ava Glass compresses time near the end so that you’re nearly following the hunt for the (finally discovered) assassin second by second.

OK, Ms Glass, what’s next and how long do we have to wait?

The Trap by Ava Glass is the third book with our favorite young spy, Emma Makepeace.

"Emma is in Edinburgh with the Agency. Intelligence says that an assassination attempt is coming sometime during the G7 meetings. Can she and her team stop it in time?"

I loved the first book where we're introduced to Emma Makepeace. The second book is good but never quite reach the level of the first one. This new book is one I couldn't put down. It's full of action and spies being spies. Emma has to make some tough decisions about just how far she's willing to go to do her job. Mackenzie is a local cop that helps Emma navigate Edinburgh and a lot of her decisions. There's a wild ending and you're never sure who's going to make it.

Emma is a great character. Don't miss this spy thriller from Glass.

4.25/5 stars

This is the third offering in the Alias Emma series following an operative in a super-secret British agency (appropriately called The Agency) charged with heading off Russia's spy threats.

Emma Makepeace is part of an elite group tasked with uncovering and neutralizing an assassination threat which is set to take place in Edinburgh during the G7 Summit of nations. However, they have no idea who the target might be and have less than a week to find out. In the middle of this high-stress situation, she also comes face-to-face with a person from her past that she never expected to see and must decide how she feels about it and how to go forward from the encounter.

There's suspenseful undercover work, media leaks within the group, gray areas of moral dilemmas and the challenges and surprisingly comfort and camaraderie of working with a temporary partner (for Emma).

I've been really enjoying this series, and this addition just keeps the admiration flowing. Emma is a flawed but fascinating character, and I'm anxious to keep seeing how her character continues to develop.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for providing the free early arc of The Trap for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Ava Glass continues to story and adventures of Emma Makepeace as she races to discover and stop an assassination at the meeting of the G7 nations. The writing is crisp and the old and new characters the author introduces are interesting and well drawn out. I did find the story to slow at times midway through the novel but Glass brought everything together nicely at the end in a rush. Overall I found this to be a good but not gripping read.

Emma Makepeace is the cover name of a young operative for an unnamed British security service that focuses on Russian threats. In the first book in the series, Alias Emma, Emma is a new-ish agent and has to get a reluctant asset across London without being spotted by the city’s ubiquitous surveillance system. In the second, The Traitor, a more experienced Emma goes undercover on a Russian oligarch’s yacht, trying to find out who killed an MI6 agent and what British agent might be a mole for the Russians. Now, in The Trap, Emma has been given her most challenging task: within just one week, find out what the Russians are plotting to attack the upcoming G7 meeting in Edinburgh, and stop it.

Emma is hampered by her unfamiliarity with Edinburgh and is partnered with Kate Mackenzie, a police detective who has been bumped to vice from homicide after she disagrees with her superior’s order to move on from an investigation of some murders of prostitutes. As with all literary spies, Emma much prefers working on her own, but she and Mackenzie quickly find they have a lot in common; particularly their shared no-nonsense, driven styles.

In classic thriller style, author Ava Glass has a set piece to outline the issue and problems, then the action begins, with Emma pursuing her target, working day and night to try to learn just what it is the Russians have in mind. It wouldn’t be a thriller without plenty of tension, action and danger, and this book delivers the goods.

Is danger looming for the G7? Intelligence officer Emma Makepeace is on a high-profile, complex case with global implications and minimal information to go on. Can she set a trap to stop this Russian plot?

I love this series because of Emma. This female spy is driven, gutsy, and incredibly intuitive. She’s shown there’s not much she can’t handle.

Like the other books in the series, The Trap is action-packed, filled with suspense and tension, and has well-timed twists. I couldn’t put it down and devoured it in less than 24 hours!

Two new aspects make The Trap stand out from the previous books. Emma is assigned a partner for the first time, working with a local Edinburgh detective who is a great addition. We also get glimpses of Emma’s vulnerable side, her challenges as a spy, and the conflicts with her personal life.

The Trap is a must-read for those who enjoy fast-paced, high-stakes spy thrillers and international intrigue.

Like its predecessors, Alias Emma and The Traitor, The Trap offers a compelling read with an excellent plot, brisk pacing, and captivating characters, particularly Emma. This series has earned a spot at the top of my reading list.

This third installment of the series may be the best (so far). I found this to be fast paced and engaging. Emma heads to Scotland to determine what the Russians are up to. She’s in an unfamiliar city and, for the first time, is works with a partner, a local detective. Surprisingly, the partnership appears to work, and the case moves along. This thriller has everything you’d expect bad guys, chases and secrets galore. The author has set us up for the next installment and I can’t wait!

Definitely a fun and fast-paced spy thriller!! This is the third book in the series featuring Emma Makepeace as the spy FMC, but I read this as a standalone and it works! 🙌

I do have the first two books on my TBR - just haven’t had time to read them yet! But I’m definitely looking forward to going back to read both!! 🤓

Definitely recommend to fans of fast-paced, quick reads and spy thrillers! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Ava Glass for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

The Trap is the third book in Ava Glass’s Alias Emma series. I have not read the first two in this series but that was not a problem with thoroughly understanding this story. With that said after reading The Trap I am now going to read the first two in this series as I am now a fan of Emma Makepeace. Emma works for a top secret government agency. The G7 summit is taking place in Edinburg. There is a threat against the summit. Knowing a Russian agent is in Scotland but not what he is planning or where, the story begins. Emma is faced with countless challenges along the way. Never having worked with a partner, she is now partnered with a Scottish member of their drug squad to serve as her guide in this unfamiliar country. Her guide is Kate Mackenzie another strong female character. Emma must also decide if she is willing to do what it takes to be a honey trap. This was a page turner. I enjoyed the main characters being smart, strong female leads. So many twists and turns. I liked the thought process that took place to unravel this operation. This book is a definite must read as well as the first two books in this series. I am looking forward to reading what Ava Glass has in store for Emma next time.

I’ve been a fan of Emma Makepeace from her debut in Alias Emma (#1 in this series) and this latest did not let me down! It was an entertaining combination of espionage, thrills and chills (without a lot of graphic violence or involved technology) with a touch of glamour and romance. A great quick read featuring a female British spy in the tradition of James Bond.

Unfortunately, The Trap got off to a slow start but just as I was considering a dnf... it took off at a fast pace that had me turning pages right through the exciting conclusion with a hint of what’s to come for Emma. I also noticed a couple of plot lines that sounded a bit familiar from the previous titles... Emma’s undercover work and suspicions that there was a traitor on her team. Between the initial pacing and familiarity in the story, there was just enough to knock off one star. Despite the four stars, Emma gets my continued support and I’ll be waiting anxiously for #4!


FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another great addition to the Emma series! Again another great engaging read that pulls you in from the start. I really enjoy the plot with the blend of spycraft and politics and feels very credible to actual global events. Can't wait for Book 4!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this advanced copy.

I love the Emma Makepeace books but note that you have to read them in order. First is Alias Emma, then The Traitor, and The Trap is the third installment. We find Emma having to find out what the Russians have planned for the G7 summit.

Emma has to go undercover (of course) and get close to a man who has ties to the Russians involved. She has to romance him, get close to him, and try to get him to divulge what he knows. Is he a willing participant with Russia? If so, Emma might be in grave danger.

These books are so much fun, tightly written, and feature an excellent, strong female main character. And while some thrillers feature graphic content, these are mostly rated PG-13 for more sensitive readers. I highly recommend this series.

I can't remember how I discovered this series, but I am so glad that I did! This is the third book, but it can be read on its own. It is well written and action packed, and the main female character is great. It was a quick read for me, or perhaps it was quick because I didn't want to stop reading once I started. :) Our patrons have enjoyed the first two books in this series, and I feel sure they will enjoy this one as well.

If Emma Makepeace has no fans, it's because I'm dead.

For three years in a row now, I get so excited for September because it means a new nail-biting, action-packed adventure with my favorite spy, and The Trap was no exception!

With the Global G7 Summit days away, Emma and her team are tipped off to an assassination attempt the Russians are planning. The only problem is, they have no clue who they are targeting. As many of the worlds most powerful leaders arrive in Edinburgh, Emma and the Agency have only a week to figure out who the target is to stop the assassination.

As always, I loved living in Emma's secretive, dangerous world, and couldn't stop reading because the action picks up from the very first scene. Without spoiling it, I was elated to see one of my favorite characters make a reappearance, and I loved a new character we meet who feels like she might show up in more books in the future.

Fans of action packed spy thrillers, know that you will love every book in this series!