With the paperback edition of Ava Glass‘s debut espionage thriller, The Chase (formerly Alias Emma) out this week, Penguin has provided us with an excerpt to share with you all. Due to be published in the UK on Thursday, here’s the synopsis:

MOVE FAST. STAY DARK.

These are the instructions sent to new operative Emma Makepeace.

She’s been assigned to track down a man wanted by the Russians and bring him into MI5.

It should be easy. But the Russians have eyes everywhere.

Emma knows that if spotted she and her target will be killed.

What follows is a perilous chase through London’s night-time streets.

But in a city full of cameras, where can you hide?

Now, on with the excerpt!

*

The street appeared ahead, its lights bright after the darkness of the park, and Emma motioned for Michael to follow as she slanted off the path on to the grass, skirting the main entrance to the park and dashing across the road. They’d just reached the shadows on the other side when she spotted three quick-moving figures heading towards the park entrance. Grabbing Michael’s arm, she dragged him out of sight behind a parked van. For once, he had the good sense not to speak but gave her a silent, quizzical look.

Silently, she pointed at the group on the other side of the street.

The three Russians moved with animal smoothness as they turned into the park. She couldn’t make out their faces, but one of them was tall enough to be the man who’d tried to kill her. Emma was willing to bet the other two were the older man with the uneven nose, and the thin blonde woman from the hospital.

As they disappeared into the park, the short one dropped back and swept the street with a look. Emma held her breath, digging her fingers into Michael’s arm. Willing him not to move.

Finally, the man turned to follow the others. Emma sagged back against the metal of the van, her heart pounding.

Either she’d been right about Michael’s phone being bugged or they’d been caught on CCTV. It didn’t matter which – the speed with which the assassins had arrived told her everything she needed to know.

Michael was still staring at where the figures had disappeared. ‘You think they’re looking for us?’

Emma, scanning the nearby buildings for CCTV cameras, responded without glancing at him. ‘I think they’re looking for you.’

He flinched, shoulders hunching as if he’d taken a blow.

Cursing her own glibness, Emma slowed. ‘Hey,’ she said.

Despite every fibre in her body calling her to hurry, she waited until he lifted his eyes.

 ‘I know you’re scared,’ she told him. ‘I am too. But I promise I’m going to keep you safe. You asked me to tell you the truth, and I will as much as I can. In return, I need you to trust me. And right now, I’m telling you we need to run like hell.’

*

Ava Glass’s The Chase is due to be published by Penguin in the UK in paperback, on February 16th; the novel is published in North America by Bantam. The next novel in the series, Game of Spies, is due out in August — also via Penguin and Bantam.

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You can watch a trailer for The Chase, below: