This one was a very intriguing book! I will say, I did not expect to really get into it because it was a bit slow at first. Great writing though and the characters were excellent once they got the drama going!

I really enjoyed this novel. I liked the protagonist and the supporting characters as well. Interesting premise, and the plot pulled together nicely.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The cover and synopsis really intrigued me. Plus, I love covert, spy action novels! I wanted this to be a slam dunk but it falls a little short.

It's a solid book, it just isn't long enough. Everything happens too fast. I can understand wanting to maintain that pacing but there was hardly room to breathe, nevermind let the tension build. Pauses could have been very powerful here. After the early encounters, you basically know they're right around the corner so the anticipation fades.

I didn't love the ending. There seemed to be a great end point that would set up another book, continuing in a similar vein. But then we went a few chapters beyond that. It wasn't terrible but it didn't feel necessary.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this but I don't think it would be the first thing I recommend in this genre.

The intense action of Alias Emma takes place over twelve hours, but I raced through this thriller way faster than that. Emma, a new, highly-trained secret agent with a personal history revealed in flashbacks explaining her convictions, has just one night to safely deliver an innocent, and handsome, man from Russian agents pursuing them through the dark but highly-surveilled streets, alleys and waters of London. Emma, with all of James Bond’s shrewd calculation and combat skills, also has the appealing, sympathetic personality of a young woman starting her career in this deadly business. Her split-second reactions to ruthlessly pursuing enemies, the dark, danger-laden atmosphere, and Emma’s intelligence and competence all cry out for more books ( or even a film) about this brilliant new heroine.

This book was so good! So much action and intrigue from beginning to end, like a young female version of James Bond. Emma was fearless and determined to get the job job now matter what it involved, she was smart, quick thinking and tough but also had a soft side that she tried to keep hidden. This should definitely turn into a female hero series, it has everything. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!!!!

I was pleased to receive an ebook arc from Net Galley and Random House of one of the newest books that is sure to be a bestseller and the start of an enthralling series by Ava Glass.
I found Alias Emma engrossing from page one. It is the story of a new MI5 spy who is a Russian immigrant (daughter of a former Russian spy who worked with British Intelligence). Emma was brought to London with her mother at a young age by British Intelligence when her father’s double life was discovered. Her father was killed by the Russians and now she is charged with bringing in an unwilling Russian immigrant whose dissident family is in a similar situation. One problem —the young doctor has no interest in surrendering to British Intelligence and having to start a new life elsewhere. It is up to Emma to convince him that this is his only option to survive. They both embark on a long night with the mission to bring him in safely to the MI6 headquarters —encountering every kind obstacle imaginable as the Russians try to track them down—to kill or capture them both.
The author is well-versed on spy craft and so it is fascinating to learn about Emma’s training and grooming to become a tough and smart undercover spy. The backstory of Emma’s previous life as well as that of her boss adds drama to the plot line. The story is engrossing and keeps you turning the pages to find out if and how Emma is going to manage to get them to safety. Plot twists are done masterfully and you are breathless as they confront danger at every turn. I will look forward to future adventures from Emma Makepeace and her creator.

Meet Emma Makepeace, who just graduated from training from the "Agency" and gets her first real assignment. Her task, protect a young doctor, Michael Primalov. The Russians are after him and his family, in particular his mother, a former Russian scientist, who defected years ago. He fights this protection, claiming he does not need it, but after certain events, he reluctantly agrees to work with Emma.

Emma is an eager spy, who is determined to protect her charge with all that she has. The Russians are ruthless, not afraid to kill them both. She needs to get the young doctor to the offices of MI6 before daybreak. It will end up being the longest night of her life. They dodge the Russians at every turn and seem to be one step ahead of them, but the Russians always seem to find them. How can that be? Someone hacked the CCTV cameras all over London.

Along with following the steps that Emma and Michael need to follow to other to where they need to be, the reader learns more about Emma and her past and why she wanted to be a spy. Not only that, she is not sure who she can trust at MI6.

It is always helpful when an author knows about what they write. Ava knows her way around the spy culture and it shows in her writing. I really enjoyed this novel, fast-paced. lots of action, spies, bullets flying. Can they make it to MI? Well, you will just have to go get a copy of the book and read it for yourself!

In ALIAS EMMA, by Ava Glass, British spy Emma Makepeace is abruptly removed from her current assignment and tasked with delivering the son of a Russian defector/British informant to Emma's government office safely and quickly. Trouble arises immediately and Emma has to race across London, dodging cameras, shady people, and conventional transportation to complete her delivery before being caught and likely killed.
The book begins with getting to know Emma, but only spends enough time to create a connection to her and then the main plot jumps into action. Glass balances bits of exposition, character development, and action-packed chase scenes masterfully. The reader also questions everyone's loyalty and honesty every step of the the way which adds to plenty of frenetic energy in the book. Glass also does a good job of describing the geography that is being traversed so that the reader can easily keep up, even if they are unfamiliar with London. The reader is rewarded with a great ending and some awesome final action sequences
Emma Makepeace is charming and powerful and I hope Glass will continue to write about Emma's spy adventures. ALIAS EMMA is one of the best spy thrillers I have read in a while and readers will have a hard time not getting swept up in the excitement of this great read.

This novel is essentially one night in the life of a MI5 spy and her charge as they are on the run from Russian intelligence through the streets of London. The chapters will alternate with present time and then some back story to better understand how "Emma" came to be a British spy. A little more backstory would have helped connect the reader to the protagonist as well as Michael, the son of Russian scientists. The story arc seemed to climax rather uneventfully but overall it was an easy read.

Book Review: I love an excellent spy/espionage book and Alias Emma by @avaglassbooks did not disappoint. A big Thank you to @penguinrandomhouse, @netgalley and the author for the advanced digital copy of the book. Alias Emma is a well written fast-paced, highly engaging thriller with fantastic characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the exciting, intense storyline. A perfect summer escape!
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Synopsis: 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.
 
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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.
 
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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.

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Alias Emma by Ava Glass follows a young British Agent, attempting to survive a harrowing night with the persons she’s protecting. Ms. Glass is a civil servant and former crime reporter.

Emma Makepeace is a young agent for “The Agency”. Emma is a vet, intelligent, and a polyglot to boot. On her first assignment, Emma trying to keep Michael Primalov alive from Russian spies in London.

Finding herself all alone, with The Agency to help her, Emma must rely on her wits to survive the night. Luckily for her, Michael is a doctor, and gets over his hesitancy to believe her story.

I enjoy espionage stories very much, so I was excited to read Alias Emma by Ava Glass. The book is filled with chases, and reality-defying heroic action. Like many of the others.

Ms. Glass wrote a very good story, and certainly a terrific thriller. She managed to introduce several characters, Emma’s history, a bit about the person she’s saving, as well as spin a good yarn. The narrative is tight, and the book moves at a fast pace.

The characters of Emma Makepeace, Michael Primalov, and Ripley are very well written. I thought the narrative was done very well in introducing them and making the reader vested in their outcome.

I really liked the fact that the majority of the book takes place over a period of one night. There are a few short chapters that fill the reader in on the previous events, but overall, I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel.

I wished the novel would have ended when the sun came up. However, the decision was made to wrap up the story in a neat package, without any loose ends. This is, of course, just a personal preference but I felt that there was no need for the reader to have this closure. It is also great fodder for future books.

The novel was a fast read, and very enjoyable. It is more of a thriller than an espionage novel, nevertheless, I found myself engaged.

Very different book from my normal reads. The cover in itself seemed boring but I thought don’t judge a book by it’s cover and I dived in. It kept me interested throughout the book and I was pleased with it.

Loaded with action! Got my heart racing. This was a fun “escape read.”

I liked the female protagonist Emma who was somewhat like a female James Bond, yet vulnerable at times as this spy business to relatively new to her. In the present-day timeline, she is assigned to protect Michael, the son of a Russian defector. She has twelve hours to deliver him to safety. They are chased by Russian teams determined to assassinate Michael, and London’s network of security cameras has been hacked by the Russians making it extremely difficult to cross the city without being detected. And she quickly discovers that she can’t even trust her own people.

It was her backstory of why she became a spy that I most enjoyed. This is where I found the emotional connection with her.

This fast-paced action thriller grabbed me immediately. Emma (not her real name, naturally) was a great character—such a badass! It was refreshing to recast a Jason Bourne-type as a woman. The vivid descriptions helped me visualize the story—it also helped that I recently went to London for the first time! Spy stories can easily get TOO complicated with all the double-crossing and changing alliances, but this one was just complicated enough to be interesting without being confusing. I really loved it! Glass did a fantastic job creating solid characters, building tension and sustaining the drama. I would love to see this on my TV screen!

ALIAS EMILY This novel Alias Emily quickly moves into suspenseful twisty turns. Emily is a new spy, but with a lot more training through her experience in the armed forces. She swiftly absorbed the training provided by the Home Office and impressed the head of that office by demonstrating bravery coupled with good common sense. He became her mentor and her trusted boss. She is assigned to the job of taking and moving a young doctor whose parents have been threatened by Russian spies and are on the trail of their son too. As Emily tries to flee the city of London, she and her charge are thwarted by the Russians, CCT cameras , no cell phones, water or food.
The characters are well developed, and the plot thickens keeping you tense until the end. The ending was not what I expected. A twist. That is another review.

I love stories featuring badass women and Alias Emma is exactly that. Emma Makepeace is a newly minted secret agent who is tasked with protecting a son of Russian dissidents, all while trying to evade London's notorious powerful CCTV system, The story takes place over one grueling evening while Emma works to get Michael to safety and out of sight from the Russian assassins who are looking for him and his family.

Alias Emma moves extremely fast. Before you know it, you're at the end. It was a very fun book to read. My only hesitation, I wanted to know more about Emma, at least who she was in real life. But perhaps that's the point since she has to take on an alias as a secret agent.

Overall, a really good story.
Thank you Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC!

What a ride! I loved this novel from the beginning and hope it is the first in a series. I am a big fan of Emma.

Emma Makepeace is a secret agent and new to the job. She is given her first major assignment in protecting a young doctor whose entire family is wanted by the Russians. In one very long night, with many close calls, Emma and her target make their way across London in hopes of getting him to safety. To be successful, it will require the quick wits of both people.

This novel kept me on the edge of my seat. The close calls and quick thinking of Emma and her target had my attention from the very beginning. I felt like I was in London along for the journey. Ava Glass has an incredible way with description and witty dialogue. I could not put this book down when reading it. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Random House. All views are simply my honest opinion.

Emma has one heck of a night on her first real mission. Her task of taking a man to MI6 to keep him safe from Russian assassins takes her on a trek through London, trying to avoid cameras, Russian thugs and more. And her own agency isn't any help. This is a quick and action packed story, with a creative heroine, and the end sets up a book 2 quite nicely. Enjoyable read, if a little unlikely - and I'm sure her future novels will only get better. I liked Emma and her boss and crew, and will look forward to their next adventure. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the e-arc. Fun read!

This book was so much fun! Emma Makepeace works as a spy in London for 'The Agency'-a mysterious dept of the British government. She's new to her job and she's involved in cases where she performs surveillance on local Russian spies. Years ago, her father was killed at the hands of the Russian government and her pregnant mother was secreted out of Russia to England. Emma has vowed to use her skills to get revenge on Russia slowly. Her boss assigns her to watch over Michael whose mother has been targeted by Russia as enemy number one. Almost the entire story takes place over the course of one endless night where she tries to get Michael from the hospital where he works to MI6 across town. The plot moves at a breakneck pace with occasional flashbacks to earlier in Emma's life and career. I loved all the details about London and the story read like a movie. Definitely a good read for those that like Bond-type stories. I liked the little hints that this may not be the only book about Emma. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This was such a good thriller! It kept me guessing and intrigued the whole time! The characters were likable and well developed. I would definitely recommend this to everyone!