Copies provided  by the publisher via NetGalley. I am reviewing Codename: Villanelle and its sequel No Tomorrow together, as they feel like one book. 

I’d watched the TV adaptation of these novels and also knew the author was experienced and has won prizes, so I was doubly disappointed by just how pedestrian the writing is in these two books. 

To start with, the idea of a Villanelle has been done before - the TV series Nikita featured an uncannily similar female psychopath, also taken from prison and groomed to become the perfect killing machine by a shadowy organisation. In this case we have The Twelve, an international organisation of powerful men whose interest is the protection of stability in politics as well as organised crime, in order to ensure the continued flow of capital. If an individual threatens their interests, a sentence of death is passed, and one of their network of assassins is despatched to execute it. Villanelle - young, cool, clever, almost completely emotionless - is their star killer. 

Eve Polastri, meanwhile, heads up P3, a department within MI5 dedicated to assessing the threat to prominent individuals visiting London and liaising with the police for their protection. For some time she has been growing increasingly interested in reports of a female assassin’s involvement in recent unsolved killings of prominent figures, so when the charismatic advocate of Russian-European relations Viktor Kedrin visits London, she is on guard. When he is killed on her watch, the stage is set for the start of a cat-and-mouse game between Eve and Villanelle. 

The plotting felt quite lazy to me. Very little effort is expended on building up a plausible narrative, and there are great gaping holes where plot development would have been very welcome. So for instance, the first few chapters focus entirely on Villanelle, with some background and a couple of kills. The story then switches to Eve Polastri in London, with a similar outline of her back story. Eve is pulled from her job at P3 and set up in a secret office to track down Viktor Kedrin's killer, and suddenly there are references to how deeply she is hurting her husband with all the secrecy, but with no insight into any events that actually show their relationship changing over the course of time - we go straight from loving couple to strained relations with little sense of a progressive breakdown. Similarly, we are invited to believe that a seasoned, emotionless killer becomes obsessed with the detective investigating her, just on the strength of being told by her handler that a female detective is on her case. And indeed, why is Eve so obsessed with Villanelle, to the point of endangering her marriage and her life? There is no psychological insight, no nuances - all we get is being told, and we're expected to go along with that. 

The second book, No Tomorrow, is if anything, even less interesting. There are more imaginative murders, and a secondary plotline about Eve's boss which anyone can see coming from miles away. And finally, an ending which should be intriguing but, because of the dire quality of the writing, ends up simply being wholly implausible. 

Don't bother - I certainly shan't if there are any more books in this series in future.

I loved this book and having the chance to read it as I am presently watching the series. The dialogue is brilliant and funny too. Looking forward to reading the next book too. Perfect for fans of the TV series, you won't be disappointed!

Absolutely loved this book!ast-paced, compelling plot progress. Villanelle is fascinating, efficient and quick on her feet. Enough details, but not too much. Far fewer characters than the TV series. It's entirely fresh and unlike anything else I've read, all in a good way.

Last year, the whole craze of the BBC series Killing Eve passed me by, but I did hear that the books were better - aren't they always! 
Well, I still cannot compare the book to the TV series, as yet, but I certainly enjoyed this book very much.

Villanelle, the assassin, is a sociopath, but you find yourself drawn into her story and rooting for her in a strange way. Eve, the security officer is tasked with tracking Villanelle down, but this job will certainly be a game of cat and mouse and I am not sure who will win. I look forward to seeing how the story unfolds.

This was great; fun, well-paced, and interesting.  It surprised me in a few places too.  I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the TV series, but that really takes some beating.

I did want to read this because I watched the show. I found that the two support one another, rather than being two distinct works. The characters are interesting and great to read about. And the storyline itself is solid. I do prefer how the show presents much of the storyline and context as a mystery but oh well.
I enjoyed this but it did feel just a little incomplete.  It does make sense why - apparently this is a collection of 4 novellas that have already been published separately. Even so, I wish it had been reworked, especially the ending - which is quite abrupt. 
I'm a little torn on whether i want to read the next book or not, because I don't want to spoil the show, but if you're not concerned with that, I would definitely read it asap.

Overall I enjoyed this book.

I watched the Killing Eve TV series before reading the books, and found the books to be more detailed with more realistic characterisation.  There was quite a strong sexual theme throughout the story but it fit well with the characters.  I particularly liked the attention to detail in the assassination plots which I thought were very well thought out.  

I would recommend a read.

Villanelle (a codename, of course) is one of the world's most skilled assassins. A catlike psychopath whose love for the creature comforts of her luxurious lifestyle is second only to her love of the game, she specializes in murdering the world's richest and most powerful. But when she murders an influential Russian politician, she draws a relentless foe to her tail.

Eve Polastri (not a codename) is a former MI6 operative hired by the national security services for a singular task: to find and capture or kill the assassin responsible, and those who have aided her. Eve, whose quiet and otherwise unextraordinary life belies her quick wit and keen intellect, accepts the mission.

A mediocre novel unfortunately but the producers of Killing Eve made an incredible series out of it (thankfully!) The two main characters are built up more more effectively on the screen and often that's easier to do I accept but there could have been more in the book to bring out their personalities. Killing Eve (series) had me emphathising with both main characters even when I saw what they were both capable of - that's the trick to great television and also the trick to great writing (and acting!) I will completely support a second series on the screen but another book? No..

This novel written by Luke Jennings is intricately linked to the age and times we are now living in. The average person can no longer be sure who the good guys are even when these same people are tasked with responsibly for guarding the security and welfare of individuals and country. This book centres around Villanelle, forced from an early age to prioritise her own survival, needs and desires with no concept of right, wrong or conscience. The ideal candidate (given a new identity and back story) selected  by a group of faceless individuals to carry out assassinations. Beautiful, clever and calculating, she would appear beyond the reach of justice, invincible and indomitable. The reader is then introduced to Eve Polastri, an experienced member of MI5, who is struggling to accept the limitations and restrictions placed upon her (in her opinion because she is a woman) in her efforts to combat terrorism and catch the terrorists and those who manage them.  Can she even be sure the decisions made at the highest levels are for the right reasons or for a much deeper and darker purpose. And so the two protagonists move through events, each totally focussed on their own end game, slowly becoming aware of each other , determined and resourceful , intent on becoming each other's nemesis. This book unusually for the genre has women carrying out acts of extreme violence , showing little or no compassion and a single minded intensity towards the final acts of retribution leaving this reader shell shocked. A book of this time and highlighting women's changing role and place in orchestrating events.

This is a fast paced, engrossing thriller which races along at a pace. The characters are well depicted and believable. I loved the TV series based on this book, but the book is better as it has more detail and the characters are more alive in the book. I would thoroughly recommend this book.

Villanelle is the perfect assassin. A Russian orphan ruthlessly trained and given a new life. Eve Polastri is ex MI5 and makes it her mission to hunt her down. 

This isn’t something that happens very often, but the TV series was a hell of a lot better than the book. Neither Villanelle or Eve were particularly well written. There seemed to be a lot of descriptive filler which made it a tad boring and it ended on a pointless cliff hanger. The main plus is that it’s a short read so I got through it pretty quickly. 

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

Code name Villanelle

If you needed another reason to believe that the book is generally always better than the tv adaptation...this proves it! Code name Villanelle is the first of a 2 book series which formed the basis for tv’s Killing Eve.
A female killer is killing prominent powerful figures around the world. Ruthlessly efficient, and leaving no clues.
Eve Polastri is an unconventional, but doggedly determined, MI5 agent who has been tasked to find the assassin...and this is becoming a personal vendetta.
Can Eve uncover the assassin’s identity before Villanelle discovers who is chasing her down. 
Well written first instalment which efficiently reveals the storyline from both assassin’s and Polastri’s viewpoints throughout the story.

A race against time...but who will be successful, and at what cost? Read this in two days!! 

Looking forward to the concluding episode immensely....5 Stars

I'd never heard of author Luke Jennings before watching Killing Eve on tv. I loved watching it (watched it twice now!) so was curious about the book. It didn't disappoint. Fairly short, compelling and the characters are just as intriguing as in the tv series. Basically if you liked the tv series you'll like the book. I admit I'm somewhat baffled as to why this book isn't better known by now (or maybe it is and I just hadn't heard of it?) but it certainly deserves a wider audience. It's sheer (if at times over the top) escapism. Recommended. 

Thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for ARC.

Plenty of us have seen the BBC's epic drama of Killing Eve, now learn about how it all started.  Following Villanelle from her chilling childhood years to becoming an assassin.  Do we ever really learn who she is?  Not really, but it's a great read nonetheless.

The TV show based upon this novel has been so successful and so it was great to go back to the source material to see what all the fuss is about before I watch the show. This tells the story of Villanelle, a Russian assassin and Eve Polastri, the MI5 agent tasked with catching her. Firstly, the character of Villanelle is so compelling and Jennings has done an excellent job at creating a totally mesmeric and utterly terrifying character that feels authentic. Yes, the action is all a little bit extreme and yes, at times the narrative feels a little disjointed and yes, Eve feels a little bit less well drawn, but the triumph that is Villanelle and the way she interacts with the world is enough to propel the narrative. I will definitely be reading the follow up soon to find out what happens next and I would recommend this to anyone who likes Gregg Hurwitz's Orphan X series.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a terrific read and if like me you loved the TV series it is an entertaining and pacy tale.

It is not a lengthy read and can be finished in just a couple of hours, but it is filled with drama and gives a wonderful background to what we see on our screens.

I must admit I wanted to read this because of the TV series Killing Eve. Unpredicyibly, and rarely I prefer the TV adaptation rather than the book, but nonetheless a clever book. Recommended.

Very good. watched the TV series too which was done well. Very good storyline, unusual and captures a completely different element that is around at the moment.

Tense and exciting. Would highly recommend to fans of the tv series and for readers of the book, I would highly recommend watching the series!

Having watched Killing Eve I didn’t expect to love this as much as I did, but the book is predictably richer than the adaptation and although parts seemed familiar, the tv programme and the book have some differences, and complement each other nicely. Fast-paced and compelling, the book paints the portraits of both Eve and Villanelle beautifully and ends with your fascinated by their fates. Can’t wait to read the sequel!