Move over James Bond! Emma Makepeace is back for another mission after her exploits in Alias Emma. When an MI6 agent’s body is found in a suitcase Emma is called to the scene. The agent was following up on a closed case involving two Russian oligarchs and illegal arms sales. It falls to Emma to take over the case and find proof of their activities. Working under cover as a crew member on one of the oligarch’s yachts, she is on her own. Emma is a dedicated and resourceful agent, but what she discovers leaves her shaken. There is a third member involved with the oligarchs who had ties to the British government and had gained Emma’s trust. Ava Glass has written an espionage thriller that will appeal to fans of Stella Rimington’s Liz Carlyle series. This is highly recommended and I look forward to the return of Emma Makepeace. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for providing this book or my review.

Review: The Traitor by Ava Glass 4.25 stars

British spy Emma Makepeace goes undercover on a Russian oligarch’s superyacht, where she’s one wrong move away from a watery grave, in this electrifying thriller. 

The Traitor was another great spy thriller from Ava Glass. While the first installment, Alias Emma, was an action packed chase through London, The Traitor focused more on her undercover spy work. It was just the right amount of action, plot and character development. I appreciated that the storyline was easy to follow and loved the super yacht aspect - it was the perfect backdrop to add to the suspense. 

I highly recommend this on audio - the narrator did a great job with all the accents and brought tension and suspense to the reading experience. 

While this is the second installment to Alias Emma, it can be read as a standalone. I will definitely be picking up the next Alias Emma book!

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Alias Emma, so I couldn’t wait to dive into this one. Emma Makepeace, a spy focusing on Russian infiltration in Britain, goes undercover as a yacht stewardess. Her mission is to figure out why a low-level MI6 “number-cruncher” agent was killed with a chemical weapon and that leads her into the shadowy world of Russian oligarchs. The story was quick moving, but not as engaging as book one. I guessed the traitor early on, so I wasn’t surprised by the reveal at the end. Solid three stars.

This is not my normal genres and was not what I was expecting. It was not necessarily for me but I still enjoyed it for what it was. I think if you like spy thrillers you will enjoy this book. It was well written and I was able to enjoy it enough that I finished the book

Emma is at it again, undercover trying to find the killer of an MI6 agent.
Multiple countries and suspects keep her on her toes everywhere from the streets to the most beautiful yacht she's ever seen. There's trouble around every corner that seems too easy for the suspects and she begins to wonder if someone on her team has turned. With her life on the line, can she find the Russians and determine if there's a traitor among them?

I really like this series so far! The Traitor brings us back to Emma and her role in British intelligence. This time she goes undercover on the yacht of a Russian oligarch to solve the murder of a fellow agent. Along the way, there is another murder, lots of intrigue, and lack of trust for anybody she encounters. She questions everything and everybody, as she should. The ending was shocking! I can’t wait for the next one in this series.

Emma Makepeace is back in a new spy thriller. This time, an MI6 data analyst is murdered and found in a suitcase. Emma finds out that he was working on an investigation into Russian oligarchs who may be selling chemical weapons. She ends up going undercover on one of the oligarch's yachts, pretending to be one of the staff. Unfortunately, the first thing her new boss does is confiscate her cell phone, so she is cut off from communications. Things get more exciting from there.

I thought this was a great second installment in the series. Emma Makepeace is a strong female heroine. She goes into action and gets into scrapes just like spies do in the movies. It was a good read and one that kept my attention through to the end. I like Emma's character and hope there will be more installments of her adventures.

This book is stand-alone, even though it is part of a series. You don't need to have read the first one to get this one. Any details of the backstory are brought up quickly. The pacing was good. Things moved along quickly and there were no boring spots. I recommend this to anyone who likes spy stories or thrillers.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Traitor by Ava Glass is another exciting spy novel from the author who wrote the unique Alias Emma. I was a fan of the author’s previous book, which is the reason I decided to read this one. I think this book is even better than the first. It starts with an intriguing murder mystery that causes the main character to go undercover on a yacht. There are a ton of twists and turns. Readers that love mystery and spy novels will enjoy this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

A decent spy thriller but it was light on the intensity and the unknown criminal was obvious to me pretty early on. It’s a quick read but I needed the writing to be more fast paced and intense to be more believable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

If there is one thing Emma Makepeace cannot handle, it is a traitor. She can understand why people did what they did even if it didn't follow any logic, but traitors, she would tear them limb to limb. They were the reason why she was without a father now. And the potential of having someone close to her becoming a traitor was one thing she was not ready for.

This is the first time I'm seeing a spy getting burned yet continue her activities. I think it gives perspective into how hard it is to strip away all knowledge and progress made on the operation before you can hand it over to someone else. Emma might have taken things little bit too personally, but she also showed how important it was to make the next move before criminals who uncovered her identity slipped away.

Emma is a good spy and her personality is interesting. I would like to see more of her as 007 style. Maybe she could be the female 007, we all longed for.

Book Review
The Traitor
Ava Glass
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


Move over Emma Peel from the beloved ’60s TV series The Avengers, and Eve Polastri from the more recent 2018 series Killing Eve. This is the second appearance of Emma Makepeace (real name: Alexandra) in her thrilling reprisal in this page-turning action espionage spy novel. This clever and ingenious heroine will grapple with hordes of Russian GRU spies and oligarchs living in England, along with their assassins.

Emma is part of a small intelligence unit of MI5 focused on identifying and stopping Russian spies working inside Britain. Tension between London and Moscow is at a new high. Emma was born to be a spy. Her Russian father had been a spy for Britain, sharing information he believed might prevent a nuclear war. Her mother proactively fled Russia with her while still pregnant. Her father was betrayed and executed when she was only several months old. After university, she joined the Army and was immediately placed in military intelligence, fluent in Russian, English, Polish, and German. After the service, she was snagged by MI5 by her current boss, Ripley.

She was summoned to a small flat and noted a large suitcase on the floor, slightly ajar. As she peered in, she shockingly noted the appearance of a naked man, kneeling and bent forward, with paper-white skin awkwardly stuffed inside. His face was contorted and bloated, with his tongue grotesquely protruding—the result of pain and fear. No fingerprints or DNA were found. This was obviously a targeted assassination—and perfectly executed by the Russians. Agent Stephen Garrick had stumbled upon some damning intel. He was a victim of VX (Venomous Agent X)—a chemical weapon developed during the Cold War. It disrupts the nervous system, paralyzing the muscles of respiration, resulting in a horrible death by asphyxiation. He was surveilling oligarchs Andrei Volkov and Oleg Federov, who orchestrated a massive organization with dozens of shell corporations funneling money all over the world to hide their involvement in the sale of chemical weapons and armaments out of Britain. But, most importantly, there was a third unidentified individual in the operation—probably embedded in MI5—a despicable mole.

To uncover the truth, Emma must go undercover and join the staff of Volkov’s superyacht, Eden. Currently docked off the coast of Nice, France, and about to set sail. Under the “Gold Dust” operation, Emma would become Jessica Marshall. She would be working alone on the yacht as it cruised toward Monaco. A painful death would be the result of discovery—working without backup. Tension and intrigue incrementally ratchet up as Emma discreetly searches and digs for evidence. Emma is an expert at deception, which will aid in her hair-raising forage on the yacht.

Ava Glass crafts a masterful narrative that is a cinematic gem, deftly capturing the reader’s imagination, as Emma against all odds searches for the truth. She must use disguise and subterfuge, and at times masterful hand-to-hand combat, to avoid capture by the Russians and their lackeys. A lethal cat and mouse contest plays out in the shadows of Monaco and Barcelona. The action is non-stop and explosive, ratcheting up to an exhilarating high-octane denouement. I couldn’t put this gripping novel down and finished it in one sitting.

In my mind’s eye, I pictured Diana Rigg or Uma Thurman playing Emma Makepeace—the female equivalent of James Bond. I’m on board for further travails of Emma.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

Great fast-paced read. Emma Makepeace is a great action hero, being female and daughter of a refugee/MI6 source a nice twist and well-done characterization of the betrayals and how that affects the workers in espionage world. It’s not LeCarre, there’s not as much high level geopolitical or bureaucratic maneuvering. But good pure action. There are moments of high level suspense, like when Emma is hiding from a thug trying to catch her before she breaks into a safe. The Russian men are (mostly) all evil and predatory, their young trophy girlfriends dumb and shallow, so I wish there were some better more nuanced characterizations of secondary characters. But overall a fun enjoyable read.

The Traitor is a top notch spy novel it is so well written it pulls you in right from the start. I found it nearly impossible to put down and I can’t wait for more! Excellent series and I highly recommend it!

This was a fantastic sequel! It was even better than the first, and I enjoyed the first immensely.

While Alias Emma had British secret agent Emma Makepeace being hunted through the streets of London this time around, she's setting sail for Nice and Barcelona. In The Traitor, she is tasked with infiltrating the world of the Russian elite. In an attempt to solve the murder of an M6 data analyst.

This was an action-packed, fast-paced, and thrilling read filled with intrigue, danger, and spies. It was entertaining and very enjoyable. I highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved Ava Glass’ first book, Alias Emma, so I was delighted to get a copy of her second book, The Traitors, to review. This book was perfect for me-a spy novel with a female lead. Emma is a brave, likable character who makes bold decisions throughout the book. I was rooting for her and wanted her to succeed. While you don’t have to read Alias Emma first, it helps to see her character grow over the two books if you do read it first. The pacing of The Traitors is propulsive and kept me turning the pages to see how it would end.

Emma Makepeace works for the Agency as the youngest intelligence officer. She is assigned a case that puts her on a Russian oligarchs yacht off Nice as a stewardess under an assumed name of Jessica. She is given everything she needs to maintain that identity, but the boss takes her cell. Now how is she going to communicate with her chief? There is a third person involved...an unknown Englishman who whe is tasked with discovering. Much happen and nothing goes smoothly. Read to learn who the third person is and how Emma figures everything.

Emma Makepeace is a spy for the British government in MI6 division. A place so secret most in the government do not know it even exists. She is out to bring down a group of Russian Oligarchs almost entirely on her own. Picture a female James Bond. It’s fun and adventure all mixed together. And one, that I would definitely pick up a sequel to read. Thanks to Goodreads and NetGalley for the read.

Safiya Sinclair’s father, a volatile reggae musician and militant adherent to a strict sect of Rastafari and is obsessed with the corruption of his family from the outside Western world. This is her story of redefining what the world meant to her and how she came to reckon the two sides of the world.

What a fast-paced read! I was worried I might miss some of the backstory because this is the second book in the series but that wasn't the case. It starts with a murder and ramps up the tension and intrigue from there. Like the best spies in literature, Emma seems unable to stay out of danger or walk away from a mystery she hasn't solved yet. It makes for an unputdownable read!

A fun follow up to alias emma! Emma and her handler are called to investigate the death of a man on the heels of Russian spies. Of course, what transpires is a twisted tale of murder, adventure, and international suspense! A fun, fast—paced thriller and a great sequel to alias emma!

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.