Alias Emma

Alias Emma is a new series by Ava Glass, otherwise known as C.J. Daugherty, the author of the young adult series, The Night School. And what a debut it is. Her latest will appeal to all ages, from tween to adult, and is funny, engaging, and sometimes heart-stopping. 

Alias Emma is a new series by Ava Glass, otherwise known as C.J. Daugherty, the author of the young adult series, The Night School. And what a debut it is. Her latest will appeal to all ages, from tween to adult, and is funny, engaging, and sometimes heart-stopping. 

Emma Makepeace is an agent for the Vernon Institute, a top secret organization based out of London, separate from MI5 and MI6. She has a bone to pick with the GRU agents that are currently pursuing Russian defectors, resulting in multiple deaths. Their next target is pediatric oncologist Michael Primalov. Her job is to persuade Michael, the son of a Russian defector, to come to the safety of an M16 safe house. Michael is the son of Elena Primalov, who escaped Russia 20 years ago with vital information. When Emma finally convinces Michael to come with her, they run into many obstacles while being pursued by the agents. Emma’s boss, Ripley, has gone rogue, and they have denied her any additional support in getting Michael to the safe-house. It seems like things have changed overnight at the Vernon Institute and she is completely on her own. This is her first proper assignment and she must succeed in escorting Michael six miles by foot to M16 headquarters. But Russians have taken over the CCTV cameras in London and her assignment becomes a cat-and-mouse run, avoiding being seen. 

There is so much action in this book that I felt exhausted after reading it, in a good way. It takes place over the course of one night and Emma is like a young Vera Atkins or Krystyna Skarbek. After the mysterious death of Emma’s father, she has waged war on Russia, eager to get revenge. She knows how to pick locks, fight the bad guys and hot-wire cars. She is an outstanding female character, though I would love a prequel to Alias Emma to see her training in becoming a spy under Ripley’s tutelage, though they go into some scenarios. 

A well-written novel, there is nothing but the chase. Told in Emma’s voice, I love her self-awareness. She is not only a brilliant spy, but she is 100% aware of what is going on around her at all times in this race to survive. London is a great backdrop to this story, and I loved learning all the secrets such as the cameras all over the city, and the underground river. Ava Glass has definitely made London a major character in this book, and I am here for it. Make sure you block out a long period of time to read this because you won’t be able to put it down.