This was an action packed spy book which mostly took place over one night.
Emma Makepeace (not her real name) is a new agent for a top secret agency in London. Her initial assignment was as an undercover working in a clothing store. Her first big assignment came from her handler, Ripley, to get a pediatric oncologist to a safe house. The doctor is the son a Russian dissidents who have worked with the British agency and whose life is in danger. Michael doesn't believe her initially, but becomes convinced during their adventure.
Once Emma and Michael got on their way, she realized that 3 SUVs with Russian agents were following them closely. They had hacked the Ring of Iron - the CCTV system covering most of London' streets. Emma's quick thinking, preparation an training got them through the city - although not without some injuries.
In addition to the pursuit by the Russians -her handler went dark and the replacement officer gives her very little information or guidance about her assignment.
This was fast paced, and I was thankful for some breathers interspersed every few chapters- which gave Emma's family history, her military training, and some agency training - which helped me get her perspective. These chapters were fairly well developed.
My primary objection was the lack of story development as 80% of the book was about the chase through London. It would have helped me to have a general map of London to get an idea of the places that were mentioned.
The ending was alright but inconclusive. It seemed to me to be setting up a sequel which I would probably enjoy.
I received this e-ARC book from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily. (3.5 stars)

4.5 stars for this female driven spy-action novel. If you like James Bond movies, this is one to put on your list.

Emma Makepeace is an agent for the Vernon Institute, and her second major assignment is to extract the son of a Russian scientist to a safehouse in London before the Russian assassins on their trail can kill her and kidnap him. What complicates things is that the Russians have hacked the London CCTV system and her agency has left her with no resources but her own wits to trek across London, avoid the cameras, and deliver Michael to safety.

This book is short and frenetically paced. It is a true action novel, with conflict and tension packing every page. I enjoyed getting to know Emma and Michael, and loved the snippets of her backstory that we got every few chapters, that not only explained who she was as a person, but also built the apprehension and worry I as a reader felt for them in their journey on foot across the city. This one is definitely one to read, and I will read any sequels that maye end up being written, as this was clearly set up with several unresolved plot lines, to be continued in the future.

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

A fast-paced thriller, full of action. I really enjoyed the backstory throughout, as it gave context to Emma's intentions and decisions. It was a nail biter to the very end - I couldn't put it down!

A fast entertaining read about a young spy, most of the book focuses on her efforts to save a man from the Russians, we get a lot of her backstory. Fast moving, not super believable but entertaining none the less. Might be book one of a series

I've discovered I enjoy spy thrillers, a likeable heroine and a fast moving story. I did need to suspend disbelief that a newish agent would be given such an important job and one she had to do alone, but other than that a good read

Emma Makepeace is a British Spy that has 12 hours to deliver a package across London and to a safe house before the Russians can track her down. Her package is a doctor named Michael and he’s on the ride of his life as she whisks him away from his life and risks everything to save him.

The Russians have hacked all the CCTV cameras in London and Emma must rush Michael across the country, in the middle of the night, without being seen.

Will Emma be able to deliver Michael to her safe house before the Russians find them? You’ll have to read the book and find out!

I was on the edge of my seat and rooting for Emma throughout the entire book. The author takes you on an adventure throughout London with Emma and Michael then gives us glimpses into Emma’s early life when she was in the army and her training to become a spy.

This is a great book! So much action and really excellent characters. This book was so exciting, I couldn’t put it down! Alias Emma was so well written and I can’t wait to read more from Ava Glass

I was hooked from the first chapter and I basically read the whole book in one sitting. I enjoy thrillers and a good plot and this fits the bill. Emma is a very cool protagonist and I enjoyed how smart, competent and compassionate she was and Michael was terrific as well. I enjoy “process” stories and this was essentially how do you get across London with limited resources while being hunted down by Russian spies. It also interwove Emma’s backstory in really well. I knew very little about this book before beginning and now I’m hopeful that it’ll be a series so I can read more of Emma’s adventures.

Amazing amazing book! This should be a huge best seller.

Non stop action, smart characters. Can’t wait for the sequel!!

This fast-paced spy thriller had me gripped from the very first page. An addictive read, this action packed book is about Emma, a former military intelligence officer turned spy, as she sets out to protect an asset as they traverse the city of London to escape a foreign enemy, all while avoiding being seeing by the extensive CCTV footage in the city.

This was so well written and truly had me captivated, staying up late to finish it. Reminiscent of a James Bond-meets Jason Bourne-with a female protagonist, this was enthralling.

Highly recommended for fans of spy thrillers and action books, I hope to read more by this author!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Emma's first assignment is very tricky. She has a man from Russia that she has to keep safe and move across London without being seen by cameras. This book was very engaging.

Alias Emma captured my attention with the description of intrigue and challenge. I was not disappointed!
I am not familiar with the author, Ava Glass, however, I am now a huge fan. Ms. Glass writing style was spot on - the introduction of characters, the plot and the ending flowed very well. I initially was hesitant about the story plot, but was quickly sucked in to the story and found that I struggled to put the book down many times. What a thriller! I found it especially intriguing given today's state of affairs with Russia and the war on the Ukraine, as the Russians play a significant role in this book.

The story takes place mainly in London, and within a time frame of 12 or so hours. The main character, Emma, is a modern-day female version of James Bond. However, I find Emma to be a more down-to-earth and believable version of James Bond. Her assignment is to bring in a reluctant target. Emma is initially challenged with convincing the target that they are, indeed, being hunted. As the story unfolds, Emma is able to sway the target and the story takes off with adventure and challenges! Even more challenging is when Emma's support group does not come to the party. She perseveres as she is sharp and quick-witted to understand the situation at hand.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wish to thank Penguin Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I will be looking for more of Ava Glass books to read!

This is a very fast paced novel that I didn't want to put down. The story takes place over less than 24 hours. Emma has to get her reluctant subject to safely before the Russian spies find them. I liked that the protagonist is a woman. Refreshing change!

"Alias Emma" was a fun book. Emma Makepeace (not her real name) wanted to be a spy ever since she understood what a spy was/what they did. She has managed to obtain a position with the British Secret Service, but her first major solo assignment has not been particularly exciting/does not seem particularly worthwhile. However, that is about to change. Russian assassination teams have been killing former Russian scientists living in Britain and who provided information to the British government when they defected/emigrated, but these individuals have not been active assets for many years. The motive behind the timing of their deaths is unclear, but they were all associated with Dimitri and Elena Primalov, highly placed Russian nuclear physicists who were MI6 assets until being betrayed, and who, especially Elena, were extremely beneficial to British intelligence. Emma's boss is convinced that Elena is the main target. The Primalov's have agreed to go into protective custody/hiding, but their adult son, Michael Primalov, pediatric oncologist, has refused the offer of protection, and Elena will not remain in her hiding if her son is not safe. Emma has been tasked with convincing Michael to enter protective custody, a difficult task. Events will eventually convince Michael that he really is at risk but bringing him safely in will be quite an ordeal, taking place over the course of roughly 24 hours, as the mission has been compromised, Emma's boss has disappeared, and Emma is not sure who to trust, and she and Michael have to sneak across London, which has one of the most extensive surveillance systems anywhere.

The author makes great use of London topography/geography and the habits of Londoners. The dangers Emma and Michael face and their narrow escapes at times from Russian agents are plausible. The story has a good supporting cast. Interspersed throughout the book is Emma's backstory, explaining why she wants to be a spy, the path she took she reach that goal, and aspects of her training. "Alias Emma" is definitely worth reading.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this spy/thriller and would definitely recommend it. The author has done a wonderful job creating a story with characters you can't help but cheer for and nonstop action that makes it hard to put down. I found the main character, Emma, to be a delight, but I think Ripley played a very close second for me. This feels like a first in series and I really hope it is!

What a delight! Emma Makepeace is racing across London at night, pulling along Michael, a physician, who is resisting rescue. She's keeping him safe from Soviet agents and facing great danger. But are they about to fall into a trap? A fast=paced spy thriller.

Loved this book. Hope there is a follow up in the future. Very well drawn characters. Interesting read.
Highly recommended.

I do enjoy a good old-fashioned spy thriller, and this fits the bill nicely, being as it is full of heroic action, death-defying chases, a race against time, the chance to right past wrongs, and loads and loads of deception... Glass has done a fine job crafting a tale with characters you can't help but cheer for and nonstop action that carries you through the story from the first pages till the last. I found Emma to be a delight, although Ripley secretly stole the show for me. This feels like a first in series and I really hope it is!

Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!

WHAT A RIDE! Fast-paced and intense, had me breathing hard and on the edge of my seat the entire time. The action made you forget that you didn't know a whole lot about these characters but also knew just enough to understand their motivations and how they'd act in a situation. I hope there's a sequel!