They were published between 20, and were later compiled into one book which came out in 2018. The original Killing Eve books were written by Luke Jennings as a series of four self-published e-book novellas called Codename Villanelle, Villanelle: Hallowpoint, Villanelle: Shanghai and Odessa. Here’s everything you need to know about the novels that inspired the Killing Eve series - and how they differ from the show.

His Villanelle novellas are undoubtedly his most successful though. Jennings is a British author and journalist, who'd already written a variety of other novels, including Beach Candy, Atlantic and Beauty Story. A cat-and-mouse thriller centred around heartless assassin Villanelle and MI5 agent Eve Polastri, all three seasons (the most recent of which came out in April this year) had us hooked.īut before it was a buzzy BBC drama starring Doctor Foster’s Jodie Comer and Grey’s Anatomy’s Sandra Oh, Killing Eve was actually a book by author Luke Jennings. When Killing Eve made its debut on the BBC in 2018, it quickly became the most talked about shows in offices and pubs alike.

Codename Villanelle is a sleek, fast-paced international thriller from an exciting new voice in fiction.This article contains Killing Eve spoilers.

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. 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. The breakneck thriller that inspired TV sensation Killing Eve, starring Sandra Oh, 'unlike any other spy drama you've seen' ( Daily Beast).

Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings