I haven't read the first book in this series but it is a good standalone .What a brilliant,fast paced ,gripping spy thriller .Emma Makepeace works for M16 and when another young operative is found dead in a suitcase the Russians are suspected .Emma is sent undercover to work as staff on the yacht of a Russian Oligarch but she is in great danger as there is a traitor in the Agency ! Very difficult to put this book down Emma is a great character ,brave and feisty.I look forward to reading the next book in this series .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Disappointing. Predictable and cliched. Easy to read without having to overthink too much is only positive.
Notwithstanding this honest and unbiased review my thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

A couple of years ago, I probably would have said that books with the Russians as the baddies belonged to an earlier Cold War era. This would have looked out of place without the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine putting them firmly back in place as top of the league of baddies.

I like the idea of a female intelligence officer but in reality Emma could have been Emile and the story wouldn't have needed to be much different. If you are going to have a female protagonist, I want to see her gender being either a significant advantage or a significant challenge and this book didn't take either approach. Aside from her name and occasional action between the sheets, she really could have been a man.

Setting the book on a luxury yacht belonging to a dodgy oligarch will make it expensive if anybody ever wants to buy the film rights. It does give us a chance to rub shoulder with the super rich but there are few surprises in what's revealed.

I liked Emma's backstory of her father's betrayal as a reason for her to want to tackle those nasty Russkies but on the whole this book felt out of time. The twist was rather obvious - I doubt any reader was very surprised when it came.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers. It's an entirely competent book and quite a page-turner. It's just not anything different from the writing of many other spy-thriller writers.

This is the second book in the Emma Makepeace spy series, and although I hadn't read the first book it didn't hinder the story at all.

An MI5 spy is found dead in his seemingly impenetrable apartment, was it a suicide as he was found in a padlocked suitcase? Emma doesn't think so.......

After further investigations, it appears the dead spy was on the financial trail of two Russian oligarchs and it seems they have help from someone in the UK.

I would rate this as a cozy spy book rather than anything hard-hitting, it was fairly predictable and just felt a little rushed in parts. The end you could see coming from a mile away!

Also, what happened to Jason? A few story lines were just left.

OK for an afternoon around the pool when you want to pick up and put down a book without having to overthink too much

⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The Chase was one of my favourite reads of 2022, so I was really looking forward to to catching up with Emma Makepeace again. The Traitor is the second book in the Alias Emma series but can easily be read as a standalone (but I do highly recommend The Chase).

Glass’ writing is fabulous and draws you in immediately, it flows easily and is extremely readable and engaging.

The characterisation is excellent and I love Emma — she’s a likeable, strong, feisty, independent main character and it was a pleasure to read about her again.

The storyline is interesting and exhilarating in equal measure. The Mediterranean setting provides a wonderful backdrop to the story and I could really sense the claustrophobic atmosphere on the luxury yacht. I thought the main twist was fairly obvious but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book.

Another brilliant read from Glass. Looking forward to more adventures with Emma and the team soon.

Thank you to Ava Glass and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of the Traitor. I loved The Chase and was instantly left wanting way more of the Emma Makepeace story. The Traitor is another fast paced story that keeps you on your toes the whole time! Amazing twists and turns with nice short chapters which make you want to say ‘one more chapter’ and before you know it you’ve been reading for hours! Emma Makepeace is a relatable but fierce protagonist and there were some parts of the story I found myself so absorbed I was holding my breath! 10/10 writing from Ava Glass!!

An enjoyable read, but didn’t have that “well I didn’t suspect that” ending, as it ended as I expected it to, but perhaps I just struck lucky!

Not my usual read. But something drew me in...Maybe where I live and it's local connections to the government. The suspicious realistic story from not so recent headlines. I really enjoyed this and found myself wanting to know more. Will definitely be exploring more of Ava Glass's work.

An entertaining, but fairly run-of-the-mill thriller. The story is good, but the "twist" at the end could probably be seen from Mars, and the characters are all very cliched. A good holiday book, but I didn't find it very compelling.

This is an espionage thriller - so expect twists and turns! The main character is bold and courageous and as this is the second book in the series there are some parts which need explaining. Overall a great read.

Emma Makepeace #2
Emma works for The Agency, a secret intelligence section run by Charles Ripley and is separate from MI6.

Stephen Garrick, an MI6 agent, is found horribly murdered in a padlocked suitcase, his latest investigation being into two oligarchs suspected of obtaining illegal weapons and who are now prime suspects for the murder. It becomes apparent there’s a traitor working inside the government and it’s agencies who is helping the Russians. Emma goes undercover on a potential suicide mission to unmask the traitor and those that murdered Garrick. She is given a legend and goes aboard a super yacht owned by one of the oligarchs. Can she learn the truth and keep herself out of danger?

First of all, Ava Glass has created a really good character in Emma who is gutsy, creative and brave. I really enjoy reading her backstory which is infused well in this follow up novel. The plot is interesting, the style of writing is very engaging and visual so scenes colourfully appear in front of my eyes. It’s an escapist, exhilarating, easy to read, entertaining page turner with a quick pace being maintained throughout. There’s plenty of tension especially as Emma has to be audacious if she’s to learn anything of value and danger seems to lurk around every corner. The super yacht and various Mediterranean cities make a vivid backdrop to the storytelling and these seem to enhance the excitement. I really like how the mood constantly changes which is especially true on board the luxury yacht but also towards the end back in London.

However, there is one twist that is so obvious that there is no ‘surprise, surprise’ when the big reveal happens, the only surprise being that Emma misses it!!!

Overall, though it’s a really diverting fun read and I look forward to seeing what Emma gets up to next.

Ps. This can easily be read as a stand-alone but book one is very good and well worth reading.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This was a pacy well written thriller that I enjoyed reading. It was as good as the previous Ava Glass novel and that was an excellent read as well.

Two disclaimers before my review:
1. I didn’t realise this was the second in a series.
2. I’m not much of a spy/ espionage thriller reader other than Jack Higgins of old and, more recently, Mick Herron. (Of the two, this linear tale is much more along the lines of the Sean Dillon series than any of the Slough House books)
In ‘The Traitor’ Investigator Emma Makepeace is put undercover on a luxury super yacht to try and find out more about who was responsible for the murder of a government analyst, only to begin to suspect – as the title suggests, there is a traitor within her own team.
On the plus side this was a quick moving, easy read: I can see it going down well as a holiday book for many and would appeal to fans of the reality show ‘Below Deck’ at times.
I found it a bit too ‘tell not show’ although these could, in theory, have in part been to things that happened in book one which the author felt necessary to catch the reader up on. At other times, however, it’s clear the author doesn’t trust the reader to reach pretty obvious conclusions or deductions without explicit prompts.
The dialogue was a bit of an issue for me: lines like, ‘Looks like we’re about to attempt the impossible’ popping up like old ‘70s comic book, and a bad guy who starts every other sentence with a derogatory word starting with ‘b’.
As others have pointed out, anyone who’s read a thriller before is likely to guess who the titular ‘traitor’ is very early on: it’s a small cast of characters and given the protagonist, naïve in many ways, has a good idea who it is then we know that we can discount at least one of the few offered up.
All in all, I read the book quickly and never considered not finishing it, but ultimately it isn’t a series for me: judging by the other reviews, many readers really enjoyed it so as always, opinions vary.
Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity to read.

I read the first in the series which I loved and this one did not disappoint. Emma is a great character and good to have a strong female spy when so many stories are dominated by males!

It did make me want to be on a super yacht - although perhaps not that one - and the story unfolded with the mystery of who the third man would be and guessing various people through the book.

Can’t wait for the next one.

The second in this series and as good as the first, although how Emma didn't spot who the traitor was is I don't know. Needs a lot of suspension of disbelief, but still an enjoyable thriller.

Spy thriller,part of a series,not as action packed as the last one but still a fast paced,exciting read.

A good rainy day/by the pool read. . Will keep you entertained. I hadn't read the first book but I don't think this mattered. Emma is a bit naïve but quite likeable. I didn't like the Americanisms (I think I'm fighting a losing battle on that one). I did particularly like the line at the end where Emma wonders why no man ever listens to her.
On the predictable side but then life can be

Thanks must go to the publisher, Netgalley and Ava Glass for the ARC of ‘The Traitor’.

The second instalment in the Emma series and an absolute belter. I made the decision to read them back to back which only enhanced the story.

It’s so well written, break neck speed, twisty, devious and brilliantly paced. I would happily read this series for the rest of my life!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Ava Glass and Random House UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Even though this is the second book in the series, I can confidently say that it still makes sense without reading the first.

Even though I suspected who the antagonist was, I still wanted to read on, partly because I wanted to know if I was right and also because I was intrigued by the writing.

I also loved how the main character was a female spy. I was drawn in by the suspense and the strong female protagonist. I loved how she was brave and resourceful and how she could outsmart the villain. I was eager to find out how the story would end. There are far too many spy novels with male characters as the main protagonists, so it was really refreshing to have a different character to follow throughout the story.

The first book in the series is now on my list to read - perhaps afterward this book may be worth reading again? With more background, we might be able to understand Emma's character better. Even though it's not particularly necessary, it would not be fair to criticise anything concerning the character's background without reading the first book. Once I've read the first one, I may revisit this review!

Having really enjoyed The Chase, I was excited for this, Ava Glass is a talented writer. Swapping London's streets for a yacht in the Med put Emma in a difficult situation - unfamiliar territory and limited support. Just what you need to raise the stakes. Absolutely cracking thriller.