A really enjoyable traditional spy story, it moved along quickly and was an exciting read. The 2 main characters have a rapid and scary chase across London avoiding the pursuers as they go. Some of the situations are improbable but the chase is fast and compelling.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommended

Enjoyed this book
Different and an easy read
Liked the characters and the build up of the relationship between Emma and Michael

Thank you netgalley, Ava Glass and Random House UK

I love thrillers and mystery novels and this spy novel certainly ticks all the boxes. I hope there is a continuity of this series.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s exactly what I expect from a traditional espionage book. I look forward, hopefully to more books featuring Emma

High-octane spy story but a bit disappointing

This spy novel involves Emma, working for the intelligence service in the UK, trying to save a doctor from the Russians and moving across London to do so. There's a lot of action, bloodshed and a bit of a body count. The characters are reasonably interesting and well-developed, especially Emma as we learn about her background and recruitment. I found it a bit dry and not particularly engaging at times. Quite good but I would only recommend it to readers who are not big spy novel fans. I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Ex Army veteran Emma Makepeace works for the Agency, one of the security services lesser known groups. She is tasked with the job of bringing in the son of a Russian defector, as they believe his life is in danger. Sounds easy, but the Russians are after them both, and even though she is so close to sanctuary, it’s not going to be easy.

This feels so plausible and scarily so. We all know how much CCTV coverage there is in our lives now, ‘big brother’ knows exactly where we are so much of the time. Add to that the hackers out there, who would be able to gain access to it all - apparently quite easily - it is worrying that the world could so easily go this way. This is a roller coaster of a ride, very readable and had me hooked early on. I like that we get bits of both Emma’s background and Ripleys too, interspersed within the almost real-time speed of the chase across London. It would also lend itself beautifully for the screen. I look forward to Emma’s next outing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I had high hopes for this spy/thriller combo, as I enjoy light intelligent entertainment. Alas, although the protagonist, Emma (!) is an engaging character, I found the whole narrative, she and her charge's relentless one-night flight from the enemy (Russians), good at the beginning, but too long-drawn for what it was in the end. The present narrative is interspersed with background flashbacks which fill us in on Emma's background and also about the context of the present predicament. I enjoyed the London locale (I am a Londoner!) but even this element wasn't totally well conjured in my opinion. It was more my own knowledge of the place which helped me visualise scenes, not the actual writing. The lack of a convincing background history to the extraordinary events which open the chase was a real letdown, as this would have added much to my enjoyment. One question that kept me thinking was why did the family involved (no spoilers!!) not change their surname once in the UK?
Many thanks to Penguin Random House via NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this almost good for me spy thriller.

I don’t normally read spy novels but I really enjoyed this one! I especially liked how the flashbacks to Emma’s earlier life told us the story of how she became a spy. The plot itself was great - and very nearly believable - and there were some really thrilling moments. The book was very well written, and I hope there will be more of Emma Makepeace in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This book was such fun! A thrilling chase through the London night with as many twists and turns as London has alley ways.

Emma (not her real name) is a spy for an Agency that is neither of the MIs, an Agency charged with watching Russia (obviously this was written before recent events). Her first big undercover assignment feels far from the work she thought she would be doing so she is relieved to be tasked with something new - to retrieve a young doctor and to bring him to safety. The son of a Russian scientist who defected with secrets years ago, his life is in danger as anyone who worked with his mother is assassinated. Only Michael has a life and a job he adores and he doesn't want to be brought in. How can Emma convince him before he is kidnapped or killed? And as night draws in and the Russians get control of all the CCTV cameras in London she has a different dilemma, how can she get him to safety at all when their every step is tracked? And can she actually trust anyone at all?

Told in a mixture of flashbacks of her younger life and the events that led her into spying and the present day it is breathlessly plotted, whisking the reader through the deadly chase. Highly recommended.

Not my usual genre but I must say i really enjoyed it, there were a few oh no moments and I was torn between wanting to see what happened and not wanting the story to end. If all spy stories are as good as this one then I’ll be reading more of them.

Probably the easiest 5 star book that I've read in a while.

This is a fast-paced, racing against the clock, good old fashioned British spy thriller.

Emma Makepeace left the Army and was quickly recruited in to "The Agency". She's been undercover in a shop in Camden for a while but when she gets the call for her first massive assignment, she is ready.

Emma needs to get Michael, the son of Russian rebels across London by morning. A nice easy job until you realise that the son doesn't want to be protected, Emma's handler has disappeared and the Russians have hacked the CCTV of the Capital. If spotted, Emma knows that both she and Michael will be killed.
Realising that she cannot trust anyone what follows is Emma and Michael travelling across London on foot and avoiding the eyes that are everywhere.

How are the Russian's always one step ahead and what will happen when and if they eventually make it to MI6 before dawn?

I am thrilled to see that this is the first in a series of novels. Emma and the supporting characters are full of personality and I look forward to learning more about their pasts, their futures and joining them on the coming adventures.