Secret agent Emma Makepeace (not her real name) must get the son of Russian dissidents across London to safety, while avoiding the city's all-seeing CCTV network, which has been hacked by the bad guys. The whole plot is implausible, but if one can suspend the sense of disbelief, this is an action-packed, reasonably entertaining thriller. The writing is okay, but I probably won't seek out the sequel.

3 stars ( )

(2022) Short and to the point. Very good spy story. Emma Makepeace is new to MI-6 but is given the task of convincing the son of former Russian spies that he must let her get him to MI-6's headquarters in London before GRU agents find him and kidnap or kill him. Loved this book. Library Journal:
Glass (the pseudonym for an already internationally best-selling novelist) introduces Emma Makepeace, a new-era British spy whose quintessentially English alias facilitates blending into London, the most surveilled city in Europe. In the last two weeks, four government-protected Russian scientists were publicly assassinated with the efficiency and audacity of the Russian military spy agency GRU. The message: GRU knows the locations of dissidents in London and can strike with impunity. Unless the Agency intervenes, GRU will attack another set of scientists, planning to kidnap their son, Michael, to draw them out of hiding. Emma must make contact with Michael, convince him to accept protection, and deliver him to Agency headquarters--no easy task. Once on the run, this duo must cross London unseen by the Ring of Steel of CCTV cameras, now in the hands of GRU hackers. For 12 hours, Emma leads Michael through alleys, sewer tunnels, and back channels that don't appear in any guide book. The 12-hour time line propels the narrative. VERDICT Perfect for a single-sitting read, Glass's thriller (the first in a planned series) is an adrenaline-fueled tour of clandestine London. What's next for Emma Makepeace? More, please.--Laura A.B. Cifelli

Apart from some flashbacks (which do help advance the plot), this entire book takes place in one very exciting day. The relentless pace of action calls to mind a thrilling movie - fans of Alias or Covert Affairs are bound to enjoy this introduction to Alex (Alias Emma). I found the characters and story engaging (perhaps a bit farfetched at times but that is par for the course with this type of espionage thriller). The book is well-written and I loved that London is essentially another character in the story. All in all a enjoyable face-paced spy thriller with a delightful heroine - 4.5 stars! ( )

This was a good adventure. She was a funny smart girl. Some of it was a little eyeroll but overall it was good. Looking forward to reading the next one ( )

A fun thriller, not v substantial but entertaining action. ( )