The entire novel consists of Villanelle getting off on murder and Eve deciding she exists and obsessing over her.

If there’s a plot it’s not a well rounded one. Yeah I’m going to talk more about this in “The Bad” but Villanelle’s entire characterization is a mess and full of bad tropes. Tropes: I am a sex hungry sociopathic woman…written by a man This book really hits a lot of the beats of a spy thriller but nobody is quite a spy. Eve becomes obsessed with the female assassin she believes is responsible for several deaths across Europe, and begins to try and track down the killer–Villanelle. Meanwhile in London, an MI6 agent named Eve Polastri is demoted following the death of a Russian man she initially deemed not in need of protection. She gains a certain thrill from killing that she craves when she is not on assignment. The Twelve trained Villanelle to be a ruthless and efficient assassin, and Villanelle enjoys her duties immensely. Much of the book is devoted to revealing her backstory as Oxsana, a young Russian woman imprisoned after brutally attacking several men. Goodreads What is Codename Villanelle about?Ĭodename Villanelle is primarily about an assassin, Villanelle, and her work for a secret organization called The Twelve. The ensuing chase will lead them on a trail around the world, intersecting with corrupt governments and powerful criminal organizations, all leading towards a final confrontation from which neither will emerge unscathed.Ĭodename Villanelle is a sleek, fast-paced international thriller from an exciting new voice in fiction. Eve, whose quiet and otherwise unextraordinary life belies her quick wit and keen intellect, accepts the mission. But when she murders an influential Russian politician, she draws a relentless foe to her tail.Įve 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. 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. Villanelle (a codename, of course) is one of the world’s most skilled assassins.

Codename villanelle series