THE TRAP by Ava Glass

5 stars!

Step aside James Bond as Emma Makepeace once again takes center stage! Emma Makepeace is back in thrilling, high octane action as the coolest UK intelligence agent yet, as she heads to Edinburgh to stop Russian interference with a pending global G7 summit.

As all the top world’s leaders start to head to the summit, a top Russian oligarch, top level spies and muscle men get spotted indicating that a high-level Russian assassination may be in the works. Emma and her team at The Agency set up operations in Edinburgh to head off the assassination. All sorts of internal intelligence agencies politics get triggered along the way, along with what seems to be an insider mole feeding information to the press.

Trying to infiltrate behind the scenes to figure out what the Russians are up to, Emma has to make the difficult decision to go undercover as a “honey trap” which may mean having to resort to sex to gain a Russian’s insider trust. The moral dilemma, and Emma’s increasing ambivalence, runs through much of the novel – a resonant counterpoint to male agents typically being more readily willing to sleep with the enemy as need as opposed to the more nuanced personal feelings that a woman brings to the table. Emma feels both fierce and dedicated to her team, as well as vulnerable and uneasy about using her sexuality as a weapon. Also, Emma feels genuine attraction to the Russian Nick, which throws into issue how she’s had to sideline personal relationships in order to do her intelligence work. The intricacies of these feelings as Emma sorts through them shows the gift of Ava Glass’s character building of Emma.

Secondly, Emma who’s used to operating as a lone ranger, gets assigned to partner with a woman on the Scottish police force in her undercover work. As Emma moves from suspicion to trust, and from disparagement to admiration, a deep friendship between the women emerges.

Good luck trying to stop somewhere in the middle of this lightening fast read!

Next book in the series, PLEASE HURRY Ava!

Thanks to Ava Glass, Random House, Penguin and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.