By Tessa @TessaTalksBooks Posted on

Alias Emma by Ava Glass #BookReview #Thriller #Espionage

Emma Makepeace is about to spend the longest night in her life.

She’s on her first operation with a shadowy organization known only as ‘The Agency’, assigned to track down and save an innocent man wanted by the Russian government

All Emma has to do is bring him in to MI6 before sunrise, and before an assassination team gets to him first.

But the Russians have hacked the city’s CCTV cameras. There are spies all over London searching for the two of them. And her target, Michael Primalov, doesn’t want to be rescued.

As London sleeps, a battle is taking place on its streets as Emma fights to keep Michael alive.

But what sort of reception await them if and when they get to MI6?

KILLING EVE meets JAMES BOND in the first novel of the ALIAS EMMA series: a thrilling, cinematic page-turner starring the most likeable and resourceful of heroines. 

Rating: 5 out of 5.

What’s it about (in a nutshell):

Alias Emma by Ava Glass is a fast-paced espionage thriller about Emma Makepeace, a secret agent, who must save a local London doctor from being kidnapped by Russian agents.

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):

I do love my espionage thrillers, and my initial expectations are that this story will have everything I love about the genre: tons of thrills, a fast pace from beginning to end, intelligent moves and clever wit, and generally a hero who I will love to route for.

Actual Reading Experience:

Alias Emma was everything I hoped for and more. I loved it and would be very happy if it was the start of a new series.

The thrills began early and didn’t stop until the last page. The story reads so super-fast that the pages practically flipped themselves. I may have even stopped breathing at some point and couldn’t have asked for more from the story.

The plot is tightly focused, which adds to the fast pace. There are no unnecessary meanderings to get in the way of all those thrills. I loved the crispness of the writing and found it immersive with just the right amount of subterfuge.

 I also enjoyed the flashbacks that allowed me to learn more about Emma and added to her character development. I felt that the character was relatively well developed while leaving room for growth and further development should this become a series. Emma is tough but not indestructible and extremely smart. She has learned a set of valuable skills that give her street smarts as well as conventional intelligence.

The story definitely has James Bond vibes, without the cars and toys. I wouldn’t have minded some gadgets, but I also loved that she was sent out to do this dangerous job without any weapon aside from her brain. Anyone can get out of tight situations with a gun. Still, to only have your ingenuity as a weapon, now that takes a special kind of woman.

What It Reminds Me Of:

The publisher called it Killing Eve meets James Bond, and I agree entirely with that comparison. I thought the story reminded me of a James Bond thriller with a female lead.

To Read or Not to Read:

If you love fast-paced thrillers with a strong female lead, you will love Alias Emma.

20 Replies to “Alias Emma by Ava Glass #BookReview #Thriller #Espionage”

  5. Teri Polen says:

    I haven’t watched Killing Eve, but the James Bond comparison would have done it for me – especially since the protagonist is female.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. WendyW says:

    “A James Bond thriller with a female lead”. That sounds fantastic! Excellent review, Tessa.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Carla says:

    Excellent review, Tessa. This sounds amazing. I love that she just has her wits and brains to help her. I am adding this one to my library shelf for now.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Terrie Purkey says:

    Great review and I agree with the analysis. She’s a great kick-ass spy but she also has a great depth of character – responsibility, moral code, etc. that makes her a great heroine.
    Terrie@ Bookshelf Journeys

    Liked by 1 person

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