The Traitor by Ava Glass

THE TRAITOR by Ava Glass is the next espionage thriller in the series which began with the very exciting Alias Emma. Emma Makepeace, a British spy, is back and posing as a staff member on the yacht of a wealthy (and criminal) Russian oligarch. That setting is impressive and isolating. Emma (posing as Jessica) is intent on learning about possible chemical weapons trades so she comes across some very ruthless adversaries. The subsequent deaths and numerous close calls add tension, but unfortunately, the “traitor” of the title is fairly obvious from the start. That means a good deal of the suspense centers on how long until Emma will be betrayed and the extent to which she is likely to be deceived by her handlers. Emma is a very likeable character and her conscience is increasingly coming into conflict with espionage practices – I am looking forward to more in this series.