Rating: 4/5
Something strange happened to me recently. I never thought it possible but for once I managed to overload my brain with the amount of books I’ve been reading. A shocking confession to anyone who has ever known me and my literary addiction.
Because of such I felt it only logical to give my brain a little reset; move from the sword fighting and dragon slaying to something more down to earth.
Enter Ava Glass’ Alias Emma (2022), a spy thriller set in London, whose protagonist, Emma Makepeace must traverse its streets in order to safely transport the son of a Russian asset, all the while avoiding agents on both sides and the city’s CCTV network.
Alias Emma defied my expectations, being reminiscent of Apple TV thrillers such as Slow Horses (2022-) and Liaison (2023-), but with stronger emphasis on the Russians.
Through its short sentence structuring, Emma and her asset, Michael’s escape through London is fast-paced. Their story gets to the point and doesn’t waste time in going into the procedural jargon perhaps more heavy espionage books would go for. It is kept simple, which thankfully is what I needed at that point in time. The characters themselves aren’t over-complicated either.
Emma Makepeace is a rookie who is neither professional nor blundering. She maintains a level of bravado that doesn’t make her completely indestructible against her opponents. She fights tooth and nail to complete her objective and knows when to call for backup. Even though said backup could put her and her asset at an even bigger risk. Her backstory might be a little clichéd to me but the flashbacks written have helped flesh out her character and motives, enough for me to acknowledge her as a well-conveyed character.
The same is applied to Makepeace’s mentor, Charles Ripley. I imagine him as a semi-extravagant James Bond now retired and taking on the mantle of M. There is a sense of mystery about his character which both Emma and the readers are drawn to. His loyalties to The Agency; the subdivision he runs which employs Makepeace, begins to be questioned
As you have probably figured out, there is a point in the book where Makepeace realises someone in The Agency is working for the Russians and she is unable to contact her mentor, who has gone incognito. The question, who is the mole will keep readers guessing. I had my suspicions but nearing the ending found to I had let my overthinking get the better of me. I will confess the identity of the mole disappointed me. I would go into it but that would lead down spoiler territory and ruin the suspense that cultivates through the story.
So instead what I would encourage readers to do is read it. Sure its simple thriller with a few clichéd elements but Ava Glass’ Alias Emma is fast paced and alluring enough to want you to know more with a down to earth protagonist who doesn’t need to be an all around badass to be liked.
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