Alias Emma

I love spy and action films and books so was looking forward to reading Alias Emma. Emma Makepiece is a new spy for the British government who is given her first assignment to bring the son of a Russian dissident to safety while GRU seem to know their every move. The action takes place over a couple of days and is interleaved with flashbacks.
Fast paced thriller, I found myself eager to read on. Looking forward to more of Emma's adventures

A great fast paced read.

Emma Makepeace is newly qualified and undercover in a quiet shop in London. That is until she gets a call that her services are needed for a much more important job. She has to protect a man wanted by the Russians, the only thing is he isn't convinced he's in danger and, wants no part of her protection. The first part of her assignment then is to change his mind.

Once Emma convinces Michael he is in danger the action really takes off. I was then surprised by the book taking a backward look at how Emma became an agent and her career so far. This happened a few times and at first was an irritant until it all came together and added so much more to the this cat and mouse chase.

Just how can two people become invisible in a city covered in cameras and outwit their predators, who seem to be one step ahead of them all the time?

Emma reminded me of Purdy (Joanna Lumley) from the Avengers - she is a feisty, so resourceful and, it was a joy to read her exploits. It can be difficult to read action scenes and them not be confusing or boring, but I was in no doubt throughout this book what was happening. The book certainly kept me on the edge of my seat.

What a ride! I had left this book languishing on my TBR pile and I’m kicking myself. I was immediately swept up in the story of Emma, a spy (for want of a better term) for an agency within MI5/6. The book is set in London and takes place for the most part in one 24 hour period . Emma has been tasked to bring in the son of an eminent Russian scientist who now works for the West. The fly in the ointment is the son doesn’t want to play ball and the Russians are after him. This is a tense, very well written, fast paced, yet believable thriller. I’m going to be looking out for more from this talented author.

In this breakneck, race-against-the-clock thriller, a British spy has twelve hours to deliver her asset across London after Russia hacks the city’s security cameras. Can she make it without being spotted . . . or killed?
Nothing about Emma Makepeace is real. Not even her name.
A newly minted secret agent, Emma’s barely graduated from basic training when she gets the call for her first major assignment. Eager to serve her country and prove her worth, she dives in headfirst.
Emma must covertly travel across one of the world’s most watched cities to bring the reluctant—and handsome—son of Russian dissidents into protective custody, so long as the assassins from the Motherland don’t find him first. With London’s famous Ring of Steel hacked by the Russian government, the two must cross the city without being seen by the hundreds of thousands of CCTV cameras that document every inch of the city’s streets, alleys, and gutters.
Buses, subways, cars, and trains are out of the question. Traveling on foot, and operating without phones or bank cards that could reveal their location or identity, they have twelve hours to make it to safety. This will take all of Emma’s skills of disguise and subterfuge. But when Emma’s handler goes dark, there’s no one left to trust. And just one wrong move will get them both killed.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Wow what a great thriller from the first page and just kept getting better. This follows Emma Makepeace who works as a spy for the British Government and is given the job of getting Michael son of Dimitri and Elena Primalov who were working as spy's in Russia for the British Government and fled to Britain and now in protection but the Russians have sent their GRU agents to find Michael.
Emma is given the job of delivering Michael to MI6 for protection but the Russians have hacked the camera's with help from someone inside MI5 so Emma has to use all her skills to get Michael across London.
An absolute roller-coaster ride of action, adventure, enemies to allies, heart-thumping thriller. going underground and fast boat trips a real page turner until the end.
Look forward to more stories about Emma.
Thanks to NetGalley & Random House UK, Cornerstone for a advanced copy.

The majority of the action in this book takes place over the course of one night and wow I barely had time to breathe as I followed Emma Makepeace’s exploits.
Emma works for a shady government spy agency and has spent several years in training under her mentor Ripley. She theoretically knows everything about spycraft but she has not been on many missions on her own. Whilst undercover in a Camden shop trying to find out if the hippy owner is part of a Russian funded conspiracy she is called back to headquarters.
There she is assigned to find Michael Primalov, son of a Russian scientist defector and persuade him to come with her into hiding at a safe house. The Russians are after his family and he has so far refused to cooperate with British intelligence services.
What starts as a mission of persuasion soon turns into a race against time to get Michael to safety, avoiding the crack agents sent to kidnap or kill him.
This was a real adrenaline fuelled read- the action did not stop as the pair make their way from Camden across London. Emma is an amazing heroine, brave and resourceful as she tries to reach safety. It becomes clear quite quickly that there are problems within her own organisation and she is left to rely on herself when no help is forthcoming.
This was a fabulous read- Emma is a cross between James Bond and Vilanelle although unlike the latter character she is not psychopathic! She has her own reasons for wanting to be a spy and this is explained via flashbacks to her earlier life and her recruitment by Ripley.
I couldn’t put this book down and fervently hope that Ava Glass has plans for a sequel as I’d like to read more about Emma’s escapades.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this five star read. Recommended!

Well, I started the first page and this story hit the ground running!!. It just took off and i was there, in, and totally, totally invested!!.
Emma, a British spy, has the job to bring in the son of a Russian couple, previous informants, who are under the protection of the government. Their son had been quietly living his life but due to the Russian government now threatening his life, he was now going to have to be brought in to M16 headquarters so he could be reunited with his parents and moved to a safe house where they could all be together. Up to this point Michael had refused this offer and intended to carry on with his job as a doctor as normal. He didn't seem to realise how bad the threat was. The pressure had increased and the threat was serious now so he had to be protected. Emma approaches Michael on his early morning jog, where he soon realised that his life is most definitely at risk. The next 24 hours are then full of high risk, fear and pressure even involving going back to basics for Emma to ensure that she delivers Michael to head office in one piece.
What a fantastic piece of writing!!. I wanted to read this book after reading the synopsis, but had no idea how good this book was going to be!!. If I could give 10 stars instead of 5 I would!!!.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC book for an honest review.
#Netgalley, #randomhouse, #

A good thriller that keeps you hooked. Emma Makepeace (not her real name) is a spy. Ex army, she has been recruited by Charles Ridley who she trusts implicitly. She is assigned to bring in the grown up son of an ex Russian spy but he has other ideas! Once he realises they are being chased by Russian operatives, he works with Emma to try to get to MI6 without being caught in camera! In the midst of this, Ripley goes missing so who can Emma trust?
One that you can’t put down!

I really nejoyed this book whihc i found tense and thrilling and full of intrigue. I was completely drawn into the plot and wanted to read on to the end as soon as I could

I do love a good spy thriller story and especially one that involves different government agencies. I think most of us have a mistrust of these agencies and so it always makes sense that they are involved in some plot, conspiracy or cover-up.

Emma Makepeace, a spy for the British government has not long been in this job. She is not a rookie, she already has experience as she served as an intelligence officer in the forces. She also has an interesting family background.

As the synopsis suggests, she has been tasked with finding and convincing an innocent man that his life is at risk. It is her job to get him to a safe place. What should be a basic job, suddenly becomes a flight through and under the streets of London. Trying to evade capture and being seen, is very difficult when London has cameras everywhere.

This is a fast-paced read, a quick intro to Emma and that's it, straight into the action. The story does have a little back and forth as far as timelines and people go, not much but it does give some valuable additional information. There is not a huge cast of characters in this story, some don't even have a name. This makes sense given the genre of the story.

As I mentioned conspiracy goes hand in hand with spies and governments, so this story ticked a lot of boxes for me. There are several things on the go and it was interesting to see how the author would play this one out. I really enjoyed the route she took and it felt right. This is a story that is full of mystery as well as crime set mainly in London.

This is a cracking read and I am hoping this is the start of a series. The author has left the opportunity to make this an option.

This is one for those who like a fast-paced, spy thriller that has that edge-of-the-seat frenetic energy to it, It is one I would definitely recommend.

I have been SO lucky with the ARCs I've been reading recently, this is another 5⭐ fantastic read!

Emma works for "the agency" in London, she's been undercover with some hippies for a while and sees no threat, so she jumps at the chance when her boss asks her to come in for her first real mission. Her task? To find Dr Michael Primalov and get him to safety as everyone linked to his mother (a Russian defector) is being killed. Only trouble is, Michael has been refusing to come in and they fear Emma may be his last chance. And so begins a tense heart-racing story of Emma trying to keep them both safe while the Russians control the CCTV, seem to be one step ahead of them and she doesn't know who she can trust anymore...

It's absolutely fantastic, fast paced and I felt like I was holding my breath while I was reading. The characters of Emma and Michael are believable and likeable, and I enjoyed the background of Emma's time in the army and her road to becoming a spy, giving her a more complete character.

Would definitely recommend it, I hope it becomes a series and would also make a brilliant film!

#aliasemma #avaglass #netgalley

Review also posted to Goodreads but unable to link account.

This book holds the record for the fastest I’ve ever read a book from cover to cover. The pace was relentless. I finished at four in the morning, to go sleep and rest. Most of this book lives in real time. The reader travels with Emma (or whatever her real name is) as she helps a Russian target stay alive. They run, walk, swim, drive and race by boat across London. If you know the city, you’ll easily recognise their route as they realise the Russian’s have taken over CCTV coverage across the capital and can follow anywhere, not to forget the strategic placement of tracking devices. The heavies mean to kill. Their boss has a grudge.
The narrative of a relatively new spy at MI6 brings both skills and some inexperience. These blend well with the target, who is a doctor, which proves useful time and time again. I didn’t know how easy it is to walk around major hospitals with just a badge in hand. What if the Russians can access the hospital’s logs to see who went there and where? Can the MI6 agent trust others at MI6 when things go wrong… and why?
Although I received a free copy of this book, it hasn’t changed my review. I will 100 per cent read her next book. I was forever willing them to make choices to help them along their journey, but it appears the Russians put a stop to almost everything. The next time I hear of this book, it’ll be a film on the big screens. This MI6 agent has years of book in her. A great, fast and high blood pressure read.

This was a fast paced thriller, with a non stop series of obstacles to overcome. It was very clever and I enjoyed it a lot. Recommended but you won’t be able to put it down.

A spy thriller with a rip-roaring rollercoaster ride through the streets of London.

Alias Emma is a thrilling spy novel based in London. From the start, Miss Makepiece finds herself trying to bring in a Russian doctor to MI6 Headquarters at Vauxhall Cross. Those who know London well will recognise the locations in the novel. The only problem with the task is that a Russian hit team are not only on their trail, but have hacked into every available security system - nowhere is safe! Emma has to use every trick inside and outside the book of tradecraft to accomplish her mission. Every dark corner, cctv, even every figure they encounter is a potential enemy to her and her asset. The novel has its fair share of chases, shoot-outs and hand to hand combat situations which Emma has to exercise all her available skills to overcome. The geography of the city has been well-researched by Glass, but as this was a proofing copy, I’m hoping that a street map is included in the cover of the hardback edition to allow readers unfamiliar to London to enjoy it as much as those already knowledgeable. This excellent gripping thriller will have you almost falling off the front of your seat even before Emma picks up Micheal Primolov, right up to the Secret Service’s front door and beyond. I’m hoping that Emma Makepiece will be back for a sequel. The story also has the right ingredients for a TV series.

A most satisfying story of a feisty heroine that the story builds up to be a most likeable character. A government secret department is charged with the safety of a Russian defector family with reason to think they are a target for assignation, unfortunately the son of the family refuses to abandon his job as a doctor. Emma being charged with getting him to safety has to use all her wiles to get him to go. Thereafter is how she had to use all her training and cunning to escape assassination and ambush to survive and win though. In between, flash back events are given to show her background and formation in the army followed by training as an agent with detail of her family background all of which explains her as a person.

I have found a new series to follow. Love the character of Emma Makepeace and her colleagues at MI5.
Roller coaster of a story but believable.
Would love to see this on TV or the cinema screen.

A super spy, fast paced thriller, is the only way to describe this blinder of a ‘007’ type of novel.
Makepeace is a hugely likeable leading character with a detailed back story that sets the tone for this great debut book!
Characters and storyline is, at times, a little predictable but a fab full on spy thriller nonetheless! Would recommend highly!

Michael is being targeted by the Russians and Emma an operative for MI5/MI6 has been assigned to bring him in for him & his families safety. But despite the obvious risks to his life Michael is reluctant to cooperate. However the threat is closer than they think. When Emma intercepts Michael out on a jog, it triggers a cat and mouse chase through London, and Emma only has her wits about her to try to keep them both alive.

I'm not keen on reading spy books, probably because it feels like I've been bombarded by James Bond movies et al every year in the UK, however this book has changed my mind. Fast paced with lots of action, I loved all the characters good & bad especially Emma, and felt the book was very well written. It kept my attention throughout, and it was nice that I knew all the areas of London mentioned in the book which brought the story to life in real time, as it were. I'm definitely sold on this book, really enjoyed it, and would welcome a sequel or even a series.

Super spy thriller - fast-paced and believable.
The premise of the book centres around getting a civilian to safety, which meant in effect crossing London without getting spotted/stopped. A simple plot but executed thoroughly well. I'm sure there's a means whereby they could have got to their destination with minimal fuss but I tried not to let that distract from the story.
It felt like a Bond movie, was written a bit like a Bond movie and definitely hit the mark.

Many thanks for the ARC.

⭐️ 5 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I can’t say I’m usually the biggest fan of spy thrillers, but Alias Emma has completely changed my mind.

Brilliantly written by Ava Glass (an ingenious alias for another well-known author); Glass’s writing is sharp and highly entertaining throughout.

I was hooked from beginning to end in this interesting, immersive, unputdownable read. The pacing is fast and exhilarating; the tense, tightly-plotted story is highly-charged and action-packed and I found myself turning the pages at lightning speed just to find out what was going to happen next.

The characters are perfectly drawn, well-developed and believable. Emma Makepeace (alias) is a strong, likeable, female lead character and one I’m looking forward to experiencing more adventures with.

Alias Emma ticked every single box for me — I thoroughly enjoyed my exciting journey around the streets, tunnels and waterways of London. I thought it was truly brilliant and well worthy of five stars.

Emma Makepeace. Female spy on her first operation for The Agency organisation across London.
Fastest book I have read this year! It was good, VERY good!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, particularly the race/chase across London. It perhaps helped that I have previously lived in London and knew the sights, but I suspect even those who haven't lived in London would find themselves drawn into the plot ... will Michael and Emma make it safe and sound across London or will they be caught by the Russian GRU agents determined to capture Michael? Not one to include a spoiler in a review it's hard to say much more about the plot. Fans of James Bond should consider reading Alias Emma. I note that this is the first in a series of books, and it has to be said that the end section of the book did feel a bit like it had been written to encourage the reader to read the next in the series - rather than it perhaps being integral to this book. There were a few points where I felt that I had to suspend disbelief (much like you would in many spy thrillers on film or TV) but overall I thought this a cracking story, and one which I raced through. Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book.

Absolutely fantastic read, loved every minute - a real page turner.

When I started reading Alias Emma I wasn't quite sure how Ava Glass would keep this overnight adventure moving along but boy did she succeed. I can't remember a dull moment! Great characterisation with Emma the leading lady. She sure taught London a few things that night! Loved her interaction with Michael and also Ripley.

Great ending and I for one can't wait to see where this adventure goes next - assuming a second book in in the works! Bravo!

Emma Makepeace is an agent with The Agency, a secret organisation, even more covert and undercover than MI6. She gets pulled from an undercover mission and assigned to find a man wanted by the Russians, and get him to safety in the MI6 headquarters. Seems simple enough, she thinks. She locates her target, Michael, late at night. She needs to get to MI6 by dawn. Her problem is the Russians are all over the city, and they have hacked all the cameras. London is known for being one of the most surveilled cities in the world. Every step she makes is picked up on camera. How can she cross the entire city unseen with Michael in tow?

She can’t use phones as they can be tracked, all public transport and taxis have cameras in them so they would be spotted immediately. So they need to make their way across the city on foot, as stealthily as possible, keeping to a route of minimal cameras, and moving fast.

When Emma risks a call to The Agency for support she discovers her handler has gone AWOL, and she is denied backup. Things are going from bad to worse, and continue on downwards. How do the Russians keep getting ahead of her? Who can she trust?

This was a fantastic read, once the chase was on it kept the tension up and kept you on the edge of your seat. A real page turner, and while not the most unique story, as spy thrillers have been done many times, this one is fast paced, with as many twists and turns as London's streets. Our female lead is powerful yet realistic, with a great backstory, that leads itself into more in this series. This is Book One in the Alias Emma series after all, and I can’t wait for more!

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

Emma Makepeace is an security officer with The Agency, a secret organisation that sits between MI5 & MI6.

Her boss and mentor Ripley has given her the assignment of collecting the son of a defected Russian physicist and bringing him into protective custody from the GRU.

There are only two problems, he doesn't think the threat is real and the Russians have control of London's CCTV system.

A cat and mouse chase through London's streets makes for a fast paced tale.

This is Emma's first outing and hopefully Ava Glass is working on another!

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Publishing for letting me read it!

Thanks for giving me the chance to read this in advance. A brilliantly written spy thriller which had me enthralled from start to finish. Fast paced and punchy

Highly recommended

4-5 stars rounded up

Spooks, spies, covert agencies and assassins stalking their prey with ruthless intent. Emma Makepeace is an agent for the Vernon Institute and has more reason than most to want to halt GRU agents currently pursuing Russian defectors with deadly results. She’s assigned an incredibly difficult role to persuade paediatric oncologist Michael Primalov to come to the safety of an MI6 protected safe house. The Russians primary target is Michael‘s mother Elena who escaped to the West 20 years ago with some vitally useful information. The task proves very hard and dangerous and Emma‘s boss Ripley denies her any additional support and then seems to have gone dark. What is going on at the Institute? She’s on her own, watching, waiting and running not knowing when enemies will seize the moment to strike. A lethal game of cat and mouse plays out on the streets of London.

Wow. I think I’ve just about caught my breath and my heart rate has returned to normal. This is a fast paced, high octane, adrenaline fuelled and gripping novel in the best tradition of British spy thrillers. It’s crisply written, there’s nothing unnecessary to get in the way of the tense excitement and encroaching danger. At times it’s a silent war of wits to the death, it’s an exercise in escaping traps and then hitting brick walls that exercises every ounce of ingenuity, guts and blood. It’s a fearful action packed race to survive and who can be trusted adds extra layer to the suspense. There are some great locations adding another ingredient to the drama and the City of London is a great backdrop. What about the finale? Let’s just say it’s Shepperton studio action movie worthy starring Jane Bond. There’s a wry smile from me from time to time especially at the ultimate end. Revenge is definitely a dish best served icy cold. What a cracking read!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Loved this book I am a fan of anything espionage/thriller. Really keeps you in the edge of your seat and it really quick paced. So good am going to look up authors back catalogue to see if there’s more. If there isn’t come on get writing !

The clock is ticking!
Secret agent Emma Makepeace, is on her first op for the ‘Agency’, an outfit that prefers to remain in the shadows. She has until dawn to bring a man to the safety of MI6, or they could both end up dead. It’s going to be a very long night indeed!

After leaving the army, Emma Makepeace was assessed and recruited by the ‘Agency’, and has been working undercover in a shop in Camden, (not her dream job it has to be said) but then she gets the call that will cement her career with the Agency, if she doesn’t end up dead first!

Her task is to get Paediatric cancer specialist Michael Primalov to safety - on the other side of London, and from there to who knows where? That alone isn’t going to be easy - Michael loves his job and has no intention of going anywhere, he thinks Emma is blowing things up out of all proportion. However, events prove that the Russians are definitely closing in on his parents and himself. His parents are Russian dissidents, who defected to the UK some twenty years ago, and it’s clear that if the Russians can’t get to the parents directly, then Michael is a sure way of getting to them.

Now it might appear to be easy enough to get Michael and herself across London, but there’s a massive CCTV presence, and when the Russians take control of the cameras - well that’s a whole different ball game - imagine being tracked every step of the way - Emma can’t use any technology (too easy to trace) can’t use any type of transport ( for the same reason), this has to be done on foot and as covertly as possible. To make matters even worse, Emma’s handler is about to go dark, leaving her and her asset in even bigger danger.

With a thrilling game of cat and mouse right the way across London, the tension never lets up, creating some heart stopping moments. ‘Alias Emma’ would make a spectacular all action movie, and this is an easy 5 stars for me!

I love thrillers and mystery novels and this spy novel certainly ticks all the boxes. I hope there is a continuity of this series.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s exactly what I expect from a traditional espionage book. I look forward, hopefully to more books featuring Emma

This book was such fun! A thrilling chase through the London night with as many twists and turns as London has alley ways.

Emma (not her real name) is a spy for an Agency that is neither of the MIs, an Agency charged with watching Russia (obviously this was written before recent events). Her first big undercover assignment feels far from the work she thought she would be doing so she is relieved to be tasked with something new - to retrieve a young doctor and to bring him to safety. The son of a Russian scientist who defected with secrets years ago, his life is in danger as anyone who worked with his mother is assassinated. Only Michael has a life and a job he adores and he doesn't want to be brought in. How can Emma convince him before he is kidnapped or killed? And as night draws in and the Russians get control of all the CCTV cameras in London she has a different dilemma, how can she get him to safety at all when their every step is tracked? And can she actually trust anyone at all?

Told in a mixture of flashbacks of her younger life and the events that led her into spying and the present day it is breathlessly plotted, whisking the reader through the deadly chase. Highly recommended.

Not my usual genre but I must say i really enjoyed it, there were a few oh no moments and I was torn between wanting to see what happened and not wanting the story to end. If all spy stories are as good as this one then I’ll be reading more of them.

Probably the easiest 5 star book that I've read in a while.

This is a fast-paced, racing against the clock, good old fashioned British spy thriller.

Emma Makepeace left the Army and was quickly recruited in to "The Agency". She's been undercover in a shop in Camden for a while but when she gets the call for her first massive assignment, she is ready.

Emma needs to get Michael, the son of Russian rebels across London by morning. A nice easy job until you realise that the son doesn't want to be protected, Emma's handler has disappeared and the Russians have hacked the CCTV of the Capital. If spotted, Emma knows that both she and Michael will be killed.
Realising that she cannot trust anyone what follows is Emma and Michael travelling across London on foot and avoiding the eyes that are everywhere.

How are the Russian's always one step ahead and what will happen when and if they eventually make it to MI6 before dawn?

I am thrilled to see that this is the first in a series of novels. Emma and the supporting characters are full of personality and I look forward to learning more about their pasts, their futures and joining them on the coming adventures.