The Traitor by Ava Glass: REVIEW

The Traitor by Eva Glass 

Series: Alias Emma #2

Release Date: 14th Septemer 2023

Publisher: Penguin

Genres: Thriller / action / suspense / spy

A body is found in a padlocked suitcase.

Investigator Emma Makepeace knows it's murder. And it's personal.

She quickly establishes that the dead man had been shadowing two oligarchs suspected of procuring illegal weapons in the UK. And it seems likely that an insider working deep within the British government is helping them.

To find out who the traitor is, Emma goes deep undercover on a superyacht owned by one of the oligarchs.

But the glamorous veneer of the rich hides dark secrets. Out at sea, Emma is both hunter and prey, and no one can protect her.

Never has the turquoise sea and golden sands of the Rivera seemed so dangerous.

As the hunt intensifies, Emma knows that she is in mortal danger. And that she needs to find the traitor before they find her ...

The Traitor is the second novel from Ava Glass, the spy handler turned author who is giving James Bond a run for his money by writing gripping female led spy thrillers in glamourous settings that are loved by women. Ava Glass’s critically acclaimed debut The Chase is currently in the running for Spy Novel of the Year alongside Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) and is being made into a new TV series by the team behind BBC’s The Night Manager.

When I first started reading this book I'd actually no idea this was the 2nd book in the series. However, small nuggets of information about a previous case were very cleverly woven into the opening of the story and now I want to go back and read the first book,  although it was absolutely not necessary to enjoy this book at all. It was written so well that the story just seemed to flow brilliantly. It was an easy book to read with lots of little surprises along the way. 

Spy thrillers aren't normally something I'd read too often as I get a bit bored with the stereotypical male characters who seem to be all about blowing stuff up throughout these type of novels. However, the main character here is the very clever Emma Makepeace who is fearless, yet smart, cunning and still totally relatable to the reader. We see her human side and she is compassionate, vulnerable and desperate for human connection. 

Emma belongs to an agency that is so secret, very few people know of its existence. It deals 'off the books' with a variety of scenarios that could have potential life changing consequences for the world. Tasked with identifying and taking down Russian operatives, Emma's job is all consuming to the detriment of her relationships with others. But, she is supported by Ripley who felt very much like a father figure to Emma. Sometimes he was harsh with her but he always appeared to have her best interests at heart. With this new case however it was difficult to know who to trust and who had their own hidden agendas. I spent a lot of the time second guessing everyone's motives and this really helped me reflect on how our main character Emma must have been feeling during her investigation. 

I started reading this book on my flight home from holiday and I'd finished it by the following day. I simply couldn't put it down. An excellent read if you like a strong, female lead. A gripping storyline and cleverly written book. 

 

The Traitor by Ava Glass - Book Trailer from Jack Jewers on Vimeo.

ABOUT EVA GLASS

Ava Glass is the author of the espionage series Alias Emma. A former civil servant and journalist, she once worked closely with spies, and that experience fuels her writing. Ava is the pseudonym for an international bestselling author who has written more than ten crime novels under another name. Her books have been bestsellers in multiple countries, and have been published in more than twenty languages. Alias Emma is currently being developed for television by The Ink Factory. Join Ava’s bookclub and win free books on her website: www.AvaGlass.co.uk, or follow her on social media: @AvaGlassBooks