Alias Emma

A Novel

By: Ava Glass

Narrated by: Sophie Colquhoun

“A thrilling read . . . I could not have loved it more.”—LISA JEWELL

“Emma Makepeace is a worthy heir to the James Bond mantle.”—JAMES PATTERSON

In this “high-octane spy thriller in the Ian Fleming mold” (CrimeReads), a British spy has twelve hours to deliver her asset across London after Russia hacks the city’s security cameras. Can she make it without being spotted . . . or killed?

Shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award • One of the Best Books of the Year: PopSugar, CrimeReads, Library Journal

Nothing about Emma Makepeace is real. Not even her name.

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.

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.

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.

©2022 Ava Glass (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“[A] thriller that would be perfect for fans of the television show 24.”—Fortune

“Alias Emma is pure candy for those of us who love a good spy story—this is a novel you'll struggle to put down.”—Business Insider

“Totally addictive . . . Alias Emma is that perfect combination of exciting new character, explosive action scenes, and a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase through the streets of London. Once you start reading, you won’t stop.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner

Good not Great

This story has a decent plot and characters, however, I found it to be mostly one long chase. Although the writer does break it up at times, I wish she could have done something more to draw me in. I did read one review before I listened to it that said "it lacked depth" and I can understand why that person described it that way.

Too much romance

Too much romance and not enough spying. This was not a very complex story. Predictable.

Hang on - immediate action

If you like a novel to start with immediate action, you’ll be deeply satisfied. That was the start and the action continued to the end. Loved the story and the narration was excellent! I’ll be looking forward to the next Glass novel

Sassy Emma needs a franchise!

Such a fun ‘girl power’ book. Our fierce and sassy heroine Emma is a ducking and a weaving all around London in a bid to save her sexy Russian doctor from the naughty Reds. This modern take on a cold-war thriller is well done and it’s a fun and easy page turner - can’t wait for the next installment!!! 👍

Fantastic ride!

This grabs you from the very first sentence to the last! A thrilling adventure that does not let go! I usually only listen to books while commuting but I kept listening into the evening instead of watching TV. Emma is a great new spy heroine! The narrator was top notch as well. I’ll be on the look out for her in the future. Already started book 2, I hope there are more in the series!

Great read, well executed (pardon the pun)

Took an all day car trip and this was the perfect read, both to keep my interest and for the length of the book. The author was fantastic and the narrator, even better. Her characters, accents, variation in bowline, acting ability and interpretation of the story & characters was fantastic. I'm hopeful this mystery author has a sequel in the works.

I've been a member of Audible for more than 15 years and this has to be one of the best books I listened to, in plot & performance. 5 stars

Bright and sharp as a blade

Spy action with a pitch perfect young female spy and a mentor with a moral compass.

Spellbinding

Very well written and performed. The listener becomes a voyeur to a fast-paced life or death challenge whose characters are appealing.

Excellent .

A very well crafted story that offered no disappointments to this rapt listener

hope there is a second book

Emma Would be a great character to follow! Great first book! Great performance!
Lots of fun