Thank you to @atRandom and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #AliasEmma.

I like a good spy story as much as the next person, but this one fell a little flat for me.

Set in current day London, Emma Makepeace is a newly recruited British Intelligence agent working undercover when her mentor reassigns her to a challenging mission - collect the son of a Russian scientist and deliver him to a safe house before the Russians find and execute him. Of course, nothing goes as planned and when her mentor goes underground, Emma and her "asset" are on their own - dodging Russian assassins across London as they try to get to safety.

I liked that the main character was female, but some of the action was just beyond belief for me. I do think this book will appeal to the masses. Can see it as a limited series on Netflix.

Alias Emma by Ava Glass is a superb read with a well-drawn plot and vivid characters. A read well worth the time.

This book kept me engaged from the first page. I loved the protagonist Emma from the beginning. I loved seeing how her character developed throughout the novel. A young women whose life has be lived in the shadows because of what her life's work is. The ups and downs of her job, who do you trust and who you don't. Losing a beloved family member because of his life's work surely had me captivated from the start.

Emma Makepeace is working for a secret society to help keep track of the Russians.who have been killing off people who are helping the British. Emma which isn't her real name becomes involved in a mission to take down one of Russia's highest ranking officers. What Emma doesn't know it that this officer is linked to her past. What can it be?

Emma goes on a journey that brings her to the brink of death. The high speed chase that not only endangers her but many other people. Her mentor Ripley is suddenly demoted and is no where to be found. Emma suddenly feels left out to dry so to speak and doesn't know who to trust. The climax to this story was fantastic. It wasn't your typical girl spy falls for the man she is to protect and than is left to heal her wounds. No Emma is thrown right back into the plot to capturing that Russian officer. Will she be able to pull it off?

I totally recommend this to anyone who loves mystery, spy thrilling stories. Ava Glass has written not your typical spy thriller, but a thriller with a central female character who doesn't give up and buckle under pressure .She is someone I would love to read more about and hope a serier of books will follow.

Thank you Ava Glass for such an action packed high pitched novel. Also thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. So happy I was approved for it and look for to more Emma Makepeace novels..Four and a half stars

Emma Makepeace is tagged by British Intelligence to convince Michael Primalov, the son of expat Russian scientists, to go into hiding so Soviet secret agents will be unable to kidnap him and blackmail his parents. Emma is a novice but also a master at disguises which comes in handy as Michael and Emma must cross through London without being seen. All sorts of roadblocks are thrown in their way usually by shadowy, square jawed Russians. Their unknown pursuers are only one of the tropes included in this fast-moving thriller that fails to stick a landing. Several storylines fail to become fully developed leaving readers wondering what actually happened behind the scenes at the British Intelligence facility. Readers who also like action films like the Mission Impossible series will enjoy this tale that's heavy on action but falls short on character development and plot.

Emma Makepeace makes for a good protagonist in Alias Emma. I enjoyed the story of her attempt to cross London in the nighttime with a man being hunted by bad Russians. They had to evade being scene, especially by the millions of cameras that London deems necessary to surveil its citizens.
Sadly, this nighttime trek took a dive, literally, into the ludicrous and the trek became tedious rather than exciting. But I do look forward to the sequel where Emma meets up again with Mikhail. I see romance!
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Emma Makepeace isn’t her birth name. That’s Alexandra, born in London of a Russian widow. Her father was a fairly high-up Russian government employee whose love of country and hatred of the Russian leaders led him to work for the British to help save his country. The KGB were coming after him, so he got his wife out to the UK before he was arrested, tortured, and killed. Alex was born in the UK, went to University, joined the military (intelligence), and plucked by Charles Ripley into ‘The Vernon Institute,’ a secretive counter intelligence unit of MI6. She had wanted to be a spy since childhood.
Michael Primalov is a pediatric oncologist. Elana, his mother was considered a traitor to mother Russia. She was Russia’s top nuclear physicist, but managed to get out of Russia when Mikhail was but a baby and MI6 settled the family in their version of witness protection. He too grew up English, but rejected living in secrecy, went to med school and became an oncologist.

The KGB/GRU is not known for being very forgiving. They will hunt down traitors until the traitor has paid the dues. Four former colleagues of Elena, also living in the UK, have been murdered recently. Elana is the sole surviving member of this research group but her whereabouts are unknown. But Michal/Mikhail is living and practicing medicine in London. The Russians want to get him to draw out his mother from hiding.

Ripley assigns Emma to contact Michael to convince him to come with her and return to protective custody. Previous attempts have failed so Ripley thinks someone closer to Michael’s age might fare better, especially now that the Russians are getting terribly close.

A couple of attempts at talking with Michael have failed, but Emma sort of ambushes him on a morning jog. That didn’t go well, but she did identify a couple Russian agents on the same jogging path. She goes a bit undercover as a hospital nurse to talk further and now sees one of the thugs dressed as an orderly. Too close. Michael begrudgingly must go with her.

Off they go, on foot, trying to get to the MI6 offices on the Thames River. The cross-town route degenerates into a deadly cat and mouse game pushing Emma and Michael though sewers, the Thames, dumpsters, drunk night owls, multiple Land Rovers tracking their movements and a ton more.

You can probably guess that Emma eventually gets Michael to MI6, but the real story is the ‘why’ behind the Russians dogged hunt for Michael. That you’ll have to find out for yourself. I didn’t see it coming.

Looks like Alias Emma is Ava Glass’ first novel and it’s a barn burner. Just in her late 20s, Emma is a boss. She takes on each attempt on Michael’s life head on. Sometimes she wins, other times she has to slither out to fight later. Each contact with the Russians is worse than the previous. I’d guess that 80% or more of the book is the 24hr pursuit by the Russians.

I liked this and I hope that it’s just the beginning of an Emma Makepeace series. It’s that good. But it did remind me of a movie. In the late 1970s, a cult movie of sorts was in wide release. The Warriors. About a NYC street gang leader who tried to organize all the street gangs and control the city streets. But he gets assassinated, and The Warriors are blamed. The movie was a string of street fights between the Warriors and the gangs chasing them down the streets and subways as they fight their way home to Coney Island. My roommate at the time was a Bronx native and he just blasted the movie as being entirely unrealistic. He said if anything like this story every did happen, the Warriors would’ve just stolen a car and driven home. Case closed. On one level, that’s this book. Emma and Michael fighting their way across London instead of just stealing a car and driving to MI6.

But that wouldn’t have been any fun. Ava Glass’ version is fun.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance review copy. Due to be released Aug 22, 2022.

review by ECD

I was desperate for something to read and went back to this and I could not put it down. Loved the characters, the back story and the speed at which this book ran. A great read for an afternoon at the beach and looking forward to the next in the series... Of course the movie was also playing in my mind! Would make for a good series!

I was contacted by the publisher and overall enjoyed this book. It did feel a bit long at points but overall a solid read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Alias Emma.

I'm generally not a fan of spy/espionage novels, but the premise sounded more action fueled than about politics so I was excited my request was approved.

I really wanted to like Alias Emma more, but I wasn't a fan, and it was because from a very early scene in the book where Emma is almost killed by a thug and her asset saves her life.

What kind of spy/intelligence officer is she if she's almost whacked in the first scene?

And a man comes to her aid? The very asset she's supposed to protect?

From then on, it was hard for me to believe Emma was a capable intelligence officer.

It was coincidental that both Emma and Michael are of Russian descent, the former harboring a deep hatred of her native country due to her father's murder.

It would have been more interesting if Emma had been American and, as a result of spending all that time with Michael, helped her to see Russia in a different light.

I understand Russia is the bad guy here; when aren't they?

The writing was fine, and the flashbacks into Emma's past; how she was recruited, how she came to work for Ripley, how she ended up with the assignment before she was tasked with protecting Michael, offered insight into Emma, but she was still a one-dimensional character to me.

She became a spy to avenge her father. That's all we know and all the author seems to want readers to know.

And like I said, I found it hard to take Emma seriously as a spy after that first scene.

This wasn't for me, but I'll check out the author's next book.

Alias Emma, the first book I've read by Ava Glass, was intense, enjoyable, edge-of-your-chair suspenseful, and a twisty, turny thrill ride.

Do not miss this book! I was pulled in immediately to the story of the doctor under threat who refused to believe it. In my mind I was telling him, believe it, save yourself, please just listen! And Emma, OMG she is a kickass, take names super hero!

The characters, if you couldn't tell from what I wrote above, are fantastically done in this novel. Descriptions are so vivid and the chapters that are included about Emma's early life are just enough to calm your heartbeat and whet the appetite for the next plunge into the horribly challenging and dangerous situation that she and Michael find themselves in.

Read this book ~ it's unlike others I've read in this genre and I'll bet you'll love it.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

A spy novel set in current-day London, rookie spy Emma Makepiece must ferret her asset, the son of a Russian dissident, across the city to MI6 headquarters in 12 hours. The infamous city surveillance grid has been taken over by the Russians, and Emma’s handler and mentor is off the grid, and she fears a traitor in their ranks.

While this is a fairly routine spy/chase/adventure, I enjoyed Emma’s character…her loyalty, steadfastness and fearlessness. She’s an intelligent quick-thinker determined to finish her mission against all odds.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine/Bantam for providing the free early arc of Alias Emma for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.
WOW what a ride! Be warned, you do NOT want to start this late in the day, as you WILL want to read it in one sitting. Fans of tv shows Alias and The Americans will absolutely love this book. It's an edge of your seat, rollercoaster ride, don't want to put it down, spy racing against the clock thriller of a story about Emma rushing across London in less than 24 hours to get her "assignment" Michael to safety. What a fantastic lead character! Looks like this might be the start of a series? Fingers crossed! A perfect novel, wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

Emma is a new secret agent who is tasked with bringing the son of Russian dissidents into protective custody.
Most of the book takes place within a twenty four hour period. It’s fast paced and has you on the edge of your seat. You won’t be able to put it down! I loved it!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

A female James Bond! I could not have loved "Alias Emma" more. Everything you could want out of a spy novel - mystery, action, suspense, but all with a female as the lead. I really loved that the majority of the book took place across 12 hours, which made the plot all the more suspenseful. Great character development by Ava Glass. I would love to see this turn into a series, similar to James Bond. There is so much potential with the spy network created in these pages! Not to mention, it would make a fantastic movie!

This is really fun spy novel that, ok, resembles a lot of other spy stories and shows, with the major exception - the protagonist is a woman! Emma is a secret agent, and has been assigned to protect her charge, Michael, from the Russians, who are desperate to get their hands on him. Most spy stories with female leads have them be sexy, use their bodies, etc. This doesn't do that! Emma uses her brain, her knowledge, her spy tricks. Emma's backstory adds a lot of heart to the story, as she has a personal stake in keeping Michael safe from the Russians.

I could easily see this being made into a movie, and/or setting off a series starring Emma.

Thank you netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Non stop, fast paced spy thriller. It was great having the main character, Emma, as a tough female and highly competent young spy. I loved the chemistry between Michael and Emma and how they worked together throughout the mission.

I enjoyed this book and can easily see these characters, including Michael, returning in sequels and a tv series. I did think the end wrap up was a little flat compared to the rest of the book, but overall all it was a great read and wonderful to discover a new writer to add to my must reads.

Alias Emma is a wonderful, action-packed chase from one end of London to the other with two lives at risk. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Emma Makepeace is tasked with safely escorting a physician whose life is at risk because of his mother's previous relationship with the Russian government before he was born. His mother has warned him all of his life, but being raised as a British citizen, he has trouble believing that after all of these years, the Russians would care about his parents being Russian dissidents, almost to his peril.

Emma is well aware of what the Russian agencies are capable of, even with only a short time as a British agent under her belt. She knows the danger and is ready to face it head-on. Despite only being an agent for a short time, she does have some surprises and a serious determination to get him to safety within twelve hours. More than just his life is at risk if the Russians reach him. Unfortunately, they have more than just experienced, ruthless agents on their side. They also have serious hacking power and have managed to take over London's extensive CCTV network to monitor Emma and her charge as they cross London on foot. Things get even more serious when Emma learns that she has no help from her agency.

Emma Makepeace is a very well-written character who understands her limitations but definitely has courage. I kept wondering how an agent with no weapons would match up against multiple Russian agents who have no shortage of weaponry. Alias Emma demonstrates how an author can turn a location into one of the characters of a book and make that location stand out as the reader recognizes locations or is even drawn into conducting research to get to know London better. Emma is a character that the reader wants to get to know better. The reader definitely will sit on the edge of their seats, pulling for her to make it to safety. By the end of Alias Emma, I was hoping that this book was the first in a new series, and it looks like I will get my wish. This review can also be read along with other reviews at Lady Techie's Book Musings. http://LadyTechiesbookmusings.blogspo...

Ava Glass writes a compelling and classy action-packed narrative sporting a memorable debut in the spy genre. Her protagonist, Emma Makepeace, is a force to be reckoned with and is sure to become one of the most entertaining action icons of the future.
Emma Makepeace is a British spy trained to be the best in taking the fight to her adversaries. Like a proper spy, nothing about her is real, not even her name. When Russian defectors start dying at the hands of a nasty group of assassins, Emma is assigned to protect a doctor who is the son of a family of defectors in London. With the city’s CCTV hacked by the same group of assassins and the inner sanctum of trust presumably breached, Emma and the good doctor are relentlessly pursued throughout the city, racking up shootouts, car chases, boat chases, and much more as Emma struggles to protects her charge.
The action hits fast and hard, bursting with rigorous energy and crisp visualization. Sidestepping a cliched romance, Glass keeps the emotional tension high but with a realistic purview of the mortal danger ahead of the protagonists. The London setting goes hand in hand with a classic espionage vibe that’s balanced superbly with high adrenaline and lively fleshed out heroes and villains, none more so than the charismatic Emma Makepeace who is wonderfully easy to fall in love with due to her spunky personality. As much as the narrative keeps a blistering furious pace, Ava Glass sneaks in much-needed insights into Emma’s origins as a spy and her motivations, tying in neatly with the present day as well as enriching the heart and soul of this adventurous thriller.
Alias Emma is a bona-fide action-heavy spy lore that’s packed with the right bit of misdirection and twists to keep each and every chapter passionately addictive and entertaining.


Full review posted on www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain

ALIAS EMMA by Ava Glass
What a wild adventure! (while safe at home) through the streets and rivers of London, only steps ahead of Russian assassins. Emma has to trust in her training (“you are ready for this”) and she and Michael (her assignment, to get him to safety) learn to trust each other and work as a team. I love strong female protagonists, and also love those who allow others to help. We none of us make it all on our own. This was a most compelling book, pushing other entertainments to second place, and only allowing sleep once my new friends found a respite of safety.
Many lessons learned, about staying alert, always looking for a way out, and “the best revenge” and excellent writing. I do hope there will be more books for this brave and resourceful spy (whose mother thinks she has a quiet government job, of course she does).

This is an exciting book, like a 300-page car chase. Just when you think it's going to slow down it stays back up again.