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Codename Villanelle
- Killing Eve, Book 1
- Narrated by: Laura Kirman
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
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Codename Villanelle
Buy Now for $20.48
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Publisher's Summary
She is the perfect assassin.
A Russian orphan, saved from the death penalty for the brutal revenge she took on her gangster father's killers.
Ruthlessly trained. Given a new life. New names, new faces - whichever fits.
Her paymasters call themselves The Twelve. But she knows nothing of them. Konstantin is the man who saved her and the one she answers to.
She is Villanelle. Without conscience. Without guilt. Without weakness.
Eve Polastri is the woman who hunts her. MI5, until one error of judgment costs her everything.
Then stopping a ruthless assassin becomes more than her job. It becomes personal.
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What listeners say about Codename Villanelle
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Kat
- 2020-05-20
Disappointing
The narration is good but the story is greatly lacking. I bought it because I heard the tv adaptation is great, but I couldn't get past the male driven perspective of female sexuality. I'm sure that there's a good plot in there somewhere but the constant references to sexual exploits/innuendo ruined it for me.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jordan Jade
- 2021-01-11
Brilliant, biting and refreshing
Love the show and so far the books just as well - excited to get the next book in the series.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Laurag
- 2020-09-15
Weak story premise
This story is based on characters that are unbelievable as women, they are men with breasts... not my cup of tea at all
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2020-09-04
Book VS Show
Watched the series before listening to the book. It took me a while to get into both but the characters remained consistent across mediums. I enjoyed the book’s back story on villanelle much more than the show. Still highly recommend.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-05-25
A good yarn
A good story, professionally executed. There is a little bit of American Psycho to the repetition of brand names, but a well constructed confection, like the tea-infused macaroons that the nemesis munches on in the final act. Very tasty.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Casey Digital Design Inc.
- 2019-05-13
My favorite books I have bought from Audible!
I got into this writer's work after watching the stellar TV show "Killing Eve". What I really loved was that although the TV and book's main characters are very alike, the stories are different. The book isn't just a complex rehashed screenplay version of the show. You can read and watch both, and not be experiencing the same stories. Although the show borrows heavily from the books environment and main characters, many parts and stories about Villanelle and Eve are different. To be honest, some of the killings Villanelle carries out in the book, couldn't even be on TV. I was excited about how the characters seem so human; real, confused and conflicted about things they feel they have to do regardless of their feelings. The moral quandary for both the hero and villain, protagonist and antagonist, is fascinating. The narrator was perfect for the story. Her expression, variation and pacing of the storytelling and characters and moods made me feel it was really happening. I went through both audio books "Codename Villanelle" and "No Tomorrow" in less than a week! I often lose interest in a so-so book and never finish them, so this isn't typical for me. Dark, deep, character driven, gritty and engaging books and well worth the money. Hope we'll see more like this soon. I have read a lot of suspense, but there is something unique about the world Jennings creates that draws you into it and you don't want to leave.These are my favorite books I have bought from Audible!
22 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Erin
- 2019-04-20
Awesome
I watched the show before I had the pleasure of reading the book. The show was so great that when I heard there was a book series for them I didn’t wait to get a copy of them both. The book has similarities to the show but the book is more sexual and has more details in certain things that the show leaves viewers to wonder about. The show only took certain parts from the book so don’t think because you read the book it will spoil the show or vice versa. I recommend this book to all killing eve fans, it was truly a great read!
11 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Margaret
- 2020-05-04
Four and a half stars for WHAT?
Male authors, here's a tip. DON'T WRITE FROM A FEMALE PERSPECTIVE. Please. I beg you.
Luke Jennings' spy/assassin novel has two main characters: Villanelle, the sociopathic Russian ex-convict turned assassin. And Eve, the frumpy yet persistent British detective committed to finding the lady assassin and bringing her to justice. What's going on with these characters? Well, one is sexy with cute clothes. The other is dowdy with cheap clothes. What do they eat? One eats champagne and sushi and caviar, the other is ashamed she doesn't cook. One has no feelings. The other feels guilty that she's solving international crime instead of playing bridge with her husband's friends. Other character traits? Uh . . . none. Because all women think about, apparently, is how they look, what they're wearing, and work.
I just summed up the entire character development in one paragraph. Here's a summary of the entire plot: Villanelle kills people. Eve tries to figure out who she is. The reader gets to find out why she kills her first target - a mafioso, but apparently it's not important whom her future quarries are. She just kills them in clever ways, all of which involve her outfits in some way or another.
This could have been SUCH an amazing story, with rich psychological detail and motivations and some real dimension to both female characters. Nope. Guess not.
The audible narrator is a monotone Brit whose voice varies so little that the listener isn't sure if someone's being murdered or putting on makeup.
What a waste of a credit.
9 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lorie Christian
- 2019-03-09
Not the Same as the TV Show -- But Worthwhile!
I thought I would read the gook after watching Season 1 on Hulu. I am glad to say that it is not a duplicate of the show's storyline and, if you like the characters on the show, you should enjoy the book. My problem is that Villanelle is "beautiful" but has a visible scar. When in fact to be unnoticeable, it is best to not stand out in any way. Take a look at most models without make-up -- very plain. But it is their ability to be "transformed" that makes them stars. If Villanelle is trying to become an assassin who is internationally known but elusive -- like the Jackal -- this story-line makes sense. And I enjoy Eve's home life. She is accessible and understandable. However, both women need a little more fleshing out in the books and need more twists in the book like the TV show has. I don't like to know where a story is going before the writer gets there, and some of the scenes in the book I can predict too easily.
The narrator has a bit of a hard time keeping accents straight, which becomes a bit irritating. Other than that it is a good performance.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Kephra
- 2019-03-01
the show is way better
the book is nowhere near as interesting as the show which is surprising cuz usually everyone says the book is better but not in this case
7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Elena Greer
- 2019-02-15
very exciting and different from the show
the plot is far more complex in this book than in the show. the characters are also very different
6 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-04-08
if you love the show do not read this book...
I had to check twice to make sure I didn't have an abridged copy. The book made no sense. I was so disappointed but we have an amazing show out of it so it isn't a total loss!
5 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Yosor Ibrahim
- 2020-02-17
Poor writing and underwhelming plot
I normally don’t read such novels but I heard such positive reviews about this book and the fact that it was turned into a tv series. I found the writing and the plot to be extremely weak and was waiting for something to change my view the entire time with no luck.
Would not recommend it.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Kirsten Dalrymple
- 2020-05-13
Hard to follow via audiobook
Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace to listen to a very intense/detailed audiobook, but I got lost (and then bored) right away. There are a lot of characters to keep track of while listening, and the story line and locations jump around quickly and frequently. Overall, I found the story over-the-top, like a satire of a crime novel. The narrator was excellent, but the content just wasn't for me.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 2020-04-24
So good!
This entire series is excellent! Well worth the money! If you're a fan of the show, I highly recommend reading the books (I think they're better, honestly..) at least once. I can't wait until the third one is released on audio in America... Audible.. *cough cough*
Luke Jennings attention to detail and mind for espionage is extraordinary.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Juliet Jones
- 2020-05-15
wicked
Much, much better that the TV adaptation !!
It's a must if you enjoyed the TV series