I just read *The Trap* by Ava Glass, and let me tell you, I was hooked! 😍 Like, imagine James Bond, but make it Emma, the most badass British spy EVER. Yass queen! 👑 I don’t normally read spy books but this one was a perfect one to start with.

So, the story kicks off with our spy girl Emma zooming over to Edinburgh for the G7 Summit (fancy, right?), and that's when things get WILD! The twists and turns had me gasping, clutching my pearls, and flipping pages like a madwoman!

Emma is seriously everything – smart, fierce, and always two steps ahead. And can we talk about the plot? It’s like a rollercoaster, and I didn’t want to get off! 🎢 You never know who to trust or what’s coming next, and I was living for every second of it.

If you’re into spy thrillers with a side of glam and a whole lot of action, *The Trap* is totally your jam. Five sparkling stars from me, darlings! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Run, don't walk, to grab this book – Emma Makepeace is calling, and you definitely want to answer! 💃✨

In Ava Glass’s newest book The Trap, Emma Makepeace is back and her objective is to make sure security at the upcoming G7 conference being held in Edinburgh protects the high ranking world dignitaries attending. The problem? Russian spy Vladimir Balakin arrives in Scotland with his henchman and an unknown at his side. The plan? It’s up to Emma to go undercover once again and find out who the mystery man is, what his role since the problem is, and what the plot is by the Russians to disrupt what will be sanctions against them by the G7 leaders. With Ripley, IT expert Zach, and Adam assisting her, along with a female Scottish police officer (whose role starts as someone to help Emma navigate the streets of Edinburgh but quickly turns into something bigger) named Mackenzie, Emma is working with a short window of time to keep the peace at the conference.

Glass develops some new, robust characters in this one that you hope to see in future books. She also revisits a ghost from the past that almost distracts Emma from her case. The setting of Scotland is a welcome change. The Trap is another thrilling ride of espionage and malicious government interference. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on September 3, 2024.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #TheTrap #AvaGlass #RandomHousePublishing #Ballentine

This whole series has been so much fun. It’s high action and fast paced, two things I really enjoy in a thriller. I did feel that this book wasn’t quite as action packed as the first two, but it was still a lot of fun. This one is also a little more predictable and the twists weren’t as twisty. I did enjoy learning more about Emma and her life as a spy, this is always fascinating to me, and this aspect of the book did not disappoint. Because of the pacing of this book, you won’t want to put it down, and I forgave a lot of the predictability because I was having so much fun. I like that we got introduced to a new partner for Emma. I really liked her, and I hope that the author finds a way to keep her around in the next book because two strong female spies is just amazing.

While this book is part of a series, I do think you could read it as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading the first two because they are awesome and so much fun.

Another great chapter in the Alias Emma Series! couldn't stop reading the book. The story line is so good! The characters are evolving with each book

I love the Emma Makepeace series! THE TRAP was an excellent thrid outing for the wily spy, as fast-moving as her debut ALIAS EMMA and as twisty a plot as last year's THE TRAITOR. The more I get to know Emmas, the more I want to continue following her exploits.

I can't get enough of Emma Makepeace! The Alias Emma series by Ava Glass is a great thriler and easy to read in one sitting! I couldn't put this down on a recent flight. In this story, Emma travels to Edinburgh to assist with the G7 Summit. Old and new friends are involved and the mystery has twists and turns. These are always timely with the world situation with Russia and its interesting to see how Glass utilizes recent events in her storylines. Emma is the ultimate female British spy!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Once you start this book, there’s absolutely no stopping.

It’s fast moving from the first page. Emma Makepeace is a secret intelligence officer working with a small team of experts. They are searching for a Russian military assassin with a possible attack on the upcoming G7 Summit in Scotland. The group headed up by Charles Ripley includes pros that are highly skilled with computers, police work and military combat.

The G7 includes the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. There’s not a lot of time to make sure that they are free from danger while they’re on official business. The team knows it can’t be cancelled when they learn that a highly skilled Russian spy has just arrived. The team is under intense pressure to find out what Vladimir Balakin is planning. As they move quickly sorting through pieces of information, I am feeling like I have to read the pages in a hurry. I can sense the pressure; the stakes are high.

This story feels real like it could happen which makes it even more tense. That’s why I love reading books by Ava Glass, a former crime reporter and civil servant. The author knows exactly what it takes to make a great thriller with the topic, characters and setting. Her stories never let up until the end. While the British spy, Emma Makepeace, can be found in two other books, this one can be easily enjoyed as a standalone. However, of the three, this is my favorite.

My thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of September 3, 2024.

I have not missed a single book in this series. Emma Makepeace, the female James Bond, is a bad a$$ and always on a mission. While they can be read as a standalone (each book is a mission) I would highly recommend reading them all in order. Emma’s character continues to grow and each book picks up where the last ended.
I personally love a great spy novel, and the topics covered in this are so relevant to things going on in the world today. We have new characters (I am anxious to see if they show up later) and a visit from a dark haired man that Emma was especially glad to see. Whatever Ava Glass has in store next, I will NOT miss it
Thank you for Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I haven't read the prior books in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. While there is lots of action, the story is somewhat predictable, Other parts require the reader to suspend disbelief. The ending was a bit underwhelming, and I am not sure if I will pick up future books in this series.

This third novel featuring Ava Glass' the female equivalent of James Bond, Emma Makepeace, is a novel you'll want to devour this summer. Fast paced as always, you'll find yourself staying up late to read just one more chapter of this book. The story takes us to Edinburgh for the G7 summit, where Emma is in charge of bringing in a Russian expatriate who has been caught up in a plot to target the leaders gathering at the summit. In the days leading up to the event, Emma must seduce her target, all while working with a partner in the local police force who are suspected of leaking important details of the covert mission to the press.

Two years ago I was thrilled to read Ava Glass’ “Alias Emma” and I was equally thrilled with the sequel “The Traitor” last year. The third installment brings back the incredibly competent, intelligent, risk-taker Emma Makepeace, who is defining the epitome of a brilliant female spy. A few characters from the past books make appearances, but “The Trap” can keep your heart pounding as a standalone and you’ll fall in love with Emma.

In this first book, Emma’s knowledge of the streets of London played a significant role; here she’s in unfamiliar Edinburgh where the G7 will be meeting trying to figure out why a Russian spymaster is sneaking through Great Britain. She’s paired with a Scottish police officer, Kate McKenzie, a different role for Emma who is usually working alone. Together they trail spies, circumvent assassins, and defeat bad guys.

Emma has definitely grown into a well rounded character. She has some misgivings (Should she be a honeypot? Is her Scottish partner the news leak?), but that makes her more human when she performs with superhuman acumen. Emma faces some expected misogyny, but the fact that she excels at her job makes her wonderfully confident.

My thanks to pseudonymous author Ava Glass (read the acknowledgments of “”Alias Emma” to figure out who this is) who is championing a modern day heroine in Emma Makepiece. We definitely need more female spies! 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Although Ripley has an impossible eye color, grey.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Nick’s home is decorated with paintings of Scottish flowers although they are not named: Heather? Bluebells? Thistle?

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Thank you for Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

NetGalley introduced me to the second book in the Alias Emma series leading me to read the first book as well, so when I saw that the third book was available on NetGalley I was excited to request it. This book picked back right up from where we left Emma Makepeace in the second installment. From ther the action started off with a bang and never let up. I absolutely love how Ava Glass characterizes Emma- she is both a bada** spy that also has feelings and emotions the reader gets to see. I thought the Scotland setting was perfection and the return of beloved characters with new characters was excellent. Another great addition to the Alias Emma series. Highly recommend picking these books up!

Emma Makepeace is once again on a mission... to stop an assassination at a high profile event!

I was excited to get my hands on a copy of this new spy novel. I read the first two books of this Ava Glass series back to back last year and I thoroughly enjoyed the fast paced action of espionage. Book 3, "The Trap" did not disappoint.

I always have so much fun in this world that author Ava Glass has created. It starts off fast and never lets up into the last page. I hope Ava Glass continues to write more stories in this spy world. I will always be a fan!

I enjoyed this third book by Ava Glass. Not as action-packed as her first, or as suspenseful as her second, but a good story nonetheless. Readers new to the Emma Makepeace series will find this easy to get into, but I'd recommend reading the first two, as well. Spy Emma finds herself going the extra mile to uncover the reasons why certain Russians visiting Edinburgh are acting suspiciously in advance of a world summit. Given current events with the attempted assasination of former president Trump, it is a timely read. A new character is introduced, who may or may not feature in future books, but it will be fun to find out. Recommended.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Emma Makepeace is back in the new Ava Glass thriller, The Trap. As Edinburgh prepares to host the G7 Summit, British Intelligence learns of a potential threat to the proceedings. Who is behind it and what is the threat? Stretched thin due to cutbacks, there’s a fear of real vulnerabilities “on every front”. In an effort to learn more, Emma is asked to go undercover and develop a relationship with Scottish businessman, Nick Orlov, who appears to be close to a Russian FSB agent who may be behind the plot. It’s a dangerous assignment and her boss, Ripley, says of it “Operations like this one change you. If you do this, it will change you in little dangerous ways”. “I can handle it,” Emma insisted, stubbornly, although nerves had begun to swirl inside her. The tension sets in and ratchets up as the story proceeds. A former protectee of Emma’s observed. ““That’s what you have to do. Your world is life or death… Everything is at stake every time you get out of bed. In that sort of situation, it’s easy to doubt yourself, easy to lose faith. But you have to keep your focus. Whatever it is you have to do, will it save lives?” “Yes,” Emma whispered without hesitation. “Then those lives are what matters. Think of the people you’re saving. Keep them always in your mind. And you can do anything.”

Emma partners, reluctantly, with local police officer, Kate MacKenzie, to determine the threat. Despite her toughness, there is a warmth to Emma which makes you root for her. This is another satisfying, suspenseful read. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

I have enjoyed the arc of the Alias Emma series, and find it hard to believe the life of this spy that has unfolded in what purports to be one year in her life! Like Alias, Emma and The Traitor, the Trap is a fast paced thriller with a short timeline for The Agency to resolve a threat against an upcoming G7 meeting in Edinburgh. With the tight timeline and the city she doesn't know, Emma moves fast to neutralize the threat, bringing in some new and interesting contacts and situations. A worthy follow up in the series!

The third book in the Alias Emma series might be the best one yet. Emma Makepeace is a great character, the plot moved along at breakneck speed and there were enough twist to keep me enthralled to the very end. I read the entire book in a little over a day, unable to put it down. This can be read as a stand alone but I strongly recommend starting with the first book, "Alias Emma," and reading the entire series. You'll be glad you did.. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for an advanced reader copy.

A spy novel--I used to shun this genre. I still do, but more selectively and I will NEVER shun books by this author! I received the first book, Alias Emma, and I have been avidly watching for more. #2--also excellent. The Trap is book 3 in the Emma Makepeace series. The excellence continues. You have a badass woman spy (but not over the top), working for M16. This book has her traveling to Edinburgh where she needs to stop an assassin. This could definitely be a standalone book--although once you read it, you will backtrack. Anyway, I finished this book 3 weeks ago and I have been unable to put together a review. I think none of my words could do this author/book justice so I am going to give it a 5 star rating. I HIGHLY recommend that you read it. You will be missing out otherwise. I am very appreciate to Bantam Books and NetGalley for the complimentary digital arc. This review has not been coerced in any way. This is my own opinion, my own words.

Once again Ava Glass has come up with a brilliant book. This time Emma Makepeace needs to find out how the Russians (it’s always the Russians) are going to wreck the G7 summit in Edinburgh. She befriends a handsome man named Nick who may or may not be working for the Russians. The only problem is that the British have no idea who the target is. This is a fast paced book. Ava Glass has done a good job of making us know the city of Edinburgh without making it overwhelming. The story is interesting and there aren’t too many characters to keep track of. This would make a great read if you are stuck inside on a rainy afternoon. Thank me later

When I got a copy of this book, I didn’t realize it was the third of a series, but hanks to my local library, I soon caught up on Emma’s earlier adventures. Perhaps because I read them so recently, this third installment felt a bit low stakes — even though we were constantly being told how high the stakes were. But while I held my breath a bit less, it was still fun to follow Emma on the case, and I look forward to her next mission.