Raise the Union Jack for Emma Makepeace!
Third in a fast-moving British spy series featuring a woman in MI6.
The G7 meets in Scotland in a few days, and the prime minister’s office is “terrified that something is going to go wrong with the gathering.” MI6, the secret intelligence service, learns that a Russian assassin plans to murder a head of state there. But who’s the killer? Who’s the target? And what’s to be done about it? MI6 assigns Emma Makepeace to prevent disaster. Against her wishes, she’s partnered with homicide detective Kate Mackenzie. But their chemistry works. They make an effective team, with Emma (not her real name) as the leader. They start by looking into a Russian émigré named Nick Orlov, whom they see talking on his cell phone, flatly refusing to do something. He’s visibly frightened, so Emma approaches him on a ruse and begins wheedling her way into his confidence. Soon she agrees to his dinner invitation, and—well, she’s never seduced anyone before, but it may be necessary to set a honey trap in service of king and country. Bond—James Bond—wouldn’t have thought twice, of course, that martini-drinking alley cat. Speaking of whom, not since 007 has there been such a worthy spy as Emma Makepeace. She’s tough and smart and has a particular talent for faking emotion. “Being able to cry on cue is a vastly under-rated skill,” she notes, and she uses it when she’s in a tight spot with Orlov. The latter’s enemies are setting him up, luring him into their own trap. She wants to get him out of it, both because it’s her job and because she’s come to like the guy. And she has other quirks: “Some people meditate to deal with stress. Emma picked locks.” Fans of Ian Fleming’s work are sure to enjoy Emma Makepeace. No, she isn’t a Bond clone, although they could be cousins. Near the culmination of a bloody fight with a mortal enemy, she declares, “His Majesty says hello.” How very British.
Raise the Union Jack for Emma Makepeace!Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780593972212
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Bantam
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
A standout in the series.
The sixth adventure of Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon explores the mysteries of human consciousness, the demonic projects of the CIA, and the city of Prague.
“Ladies and gentlemen...we are about to experience a sea change in our understanding of how the brain works, the nature of consciousness, and in fact…the very nature of reality itself.” But first—Langdon’s in love! Brown’s devoted readers first met brilliant noetic scientist Katherine Solomon in The Lost Symbol (2009); she’s back as a serious girlfriend, engaging the committed bachelor in a way not seen before. The book opens with the pair in a luxurious suite at the Four Seasons in Prague. It’s the night after Katherine has delivered the lecture quoted above, setting the theme for the novel, which features a plethora of real-life cases and anomalies that seem to support the notion that human consciousness is not localized inside the human skull. Brown’s talent for assembling research is also evident in this novel’s alter ego as a guidebook to Prague, whose history and attractions are described in great and glowing detail. Whether you appreciate or skim past the innumerable info dumps on these and other topics (Jewish folklore fans—the Golem is in the house!), it goes without saying that concision is not a goal in the Dan Brown editing process. Speaking of editing, the nearly 700-page book is dedicated to Brown’s editor, who seems to appear as a character—to put it in the italicized form used for Brownian insight, Jason Kaufman must be Jonas Faukman! A major subplot involves the theft of Katherine’s manuscript from the secure servers of Penguin Random House; the delightful Faukman continues to spout witty wisecracks even when blindfolded and hogtied. There’s no shortage of action, derring-do, explosions, high-tech torture machines, attempted and successful murders, and opportunities for split-second, last-minute escapes; good thing Langdon, this aging symbology wonk, never misses swimming his morning laps. Readers who are not already dyed-in-the-wool Langdonites may find themselves echoing the prof’s own conclusion regarding the credibility of all this paranormal hoo-ha: At some point, skepticism itself becomes irrational.
A standout in the series.Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9780385546898
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.
A woman accused of shooting her husband six times in the face refuses to speak.
"Alicia Berenson was thirty-three years old when she killed her husband. They had been married for seven years. They were both artists—Alicia was a painter, and Gabriel was a well-known fashion photographer." Michaelides' debut is narrated in the voice of psychotherapist Theo Faber, who applies for a job at the institution where Alicia is incarcerated because he's fascinated with her case and believes he will be able to get her to talk. The narration of the increasingly unrealistic events that follow is interwoven with excerpts from Alicia's diary. Ah, yes, the old interwoven diary trick. When you read Alicia's diary you'll conclude the woman could well have been a novelist instead of a painter because it contains page after page of detailed dialogue, scenes, and conversations quite unlike those in any journal you've ever seen. " 'What's the matter?' 'I can't talk about it on the phone, I need to see you.' 'It's just—I'm not sure I can make it up to Cambridge at the minute.' 'I'll come to you. This afternoon. Okay?' Something in Paul's voice made me agree without thinking about it. He sounded desperate. 'Okay. Are you sure you can't tell me about it now?' 'I'll see you later.' Paul hung up." Wouldn't all this appear in a diary as "Paul wouldn't tell me what was wrong"? An even more improbable entry is the one that pins the tail on the killer. While much of the book is clumsy, contrived, and silly, it is while reading passages of the diary that one may actually find oneself laughing out loud.
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-30169-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
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