Kills Well with Others Summary, Characters and Themes
Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn is a dark, thrilling narrative that follows a team of highly skilled female operatives as they navigate covert operations, dangerous missions, and complex interpersonal dynamics. Set against the backdrop of the 1980s, the story centers on Billie, a woman working undercover in high-stakes situations, often at odds with her own identity and emotions.
As she is thrust into a world of assassination and deception, Billie must navigate professional and personal conflicts, questioning her role in a world that demands loyalty, precision, and secrecy. This story is filled with tension, intrigue, and unexpected twists that keep readers on edge as the characters struggle with moral ambiguity, loyalty, and survival.
Summary
The story begins by introducing Billie, a skilled operative working undercover at the Playboy Club in Chicago in 1982. Alongside other women like Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie, Billie is part of an operation to infiltrate the club and eliminate a criminal figure.
They are tasked with taking down a dangerous individual connected to the criminal underworld, particularly the nephew of a Toronto gangster. While they masquerade as Bunnies, the women face the frustration of balancing their roles as sex objects with their personal values, which only deepens Billie’s internal conflict.
Billie, who is especially disillusioned by her role, is keenly aware of the superficiality of her job and the discomfort of the Bunny costume. As the mission unfolds, she grapples with the moral complexity of assassination, especially when it comes to her target, the gangster’s nephew.
Tensions rise as Billie takes the mission into her own hands, opting to change their original plan when a critical moment goes awry. She tracks the target down to his hotel and carries out the assassination personally.
This marks the beginning of her journey in a world filled with constant tension and emotional turmoil.
In a later mission, Billie and her team attend a birthday party for Cassandra, where they plan another assassination. Disguised as nannies, they blend into the festivities, which include circus performers and lavish entertainment.
Billie, sidelined in a support role due to a previous mistake, is pushed by her mentor, Constance, to remain focused on the mission. This sharp reminder of their professional hierarchy fuels Billie’s resolve.
The team carefully orchestrates the assassination of their target, Isabel Tizón de Rivas, and Billie ends up executing the kill herself in a quiet bathroom with a corkscrew and a knife. The moment is unsettling, highlighting the brutal nature of their work.
Following this, the narrative shifts to a mission aboard a luxury cruise ship, where the team is tasked with surveilling Lazarov, a high-profile target. While observing Lazarov’s movements, they uncover connections to a larger conspiracy.
The operatives must navigate social events and maintain their cover while gathering intelligence. Meanwhile, Lazarov’s bodyguard begins to reveal more about his employer, hinting at his ties to organized crime.
Despite the secrecy surrounding their mission, the psychological toll of their assignments starts to take its toll on the operatives, pushing them into darker emotional territories.
A new twist in the plot arises when a house tied to the team’s former mentor is burned down under suspicious circumstances. This event leads Billie and her team to believe that their enemies are closer than they realized.
As they attempt to survive, the narrative also delves into the growing mistrust within their own ranks, with betrayal seemingly lurking around every corner.
Billie and her team’s journey then takes them to Venice, where they rent an extravagant mini-palazzo for a new mission. The beauty of their surroundings contrasts sharply with Billie’s unease, which grows as she shares a room with Taverner, a man with whom she has unresolved emotional tension.
As the team prepares to investigate a lead on their target, Galina, Billie’s emotional distance from Taverner and other team members becomes a point of focus. Despite the ongoing interpersonal conflicts, the group works together to track down their target, a baritone named Wolfgang Praetorius.
Billie’s internal struggles continue to complicate their mission, as she tries to balance her loyalty to the team with her growing frustration over her role and relationships.
The team’s next move involves investigating Wolfgang further, hoping that he can lead them to Galina. This shift in strategy reveals deeper complexities as Billie and her team confront both external dangers and their personal issues.
The intensity of their missions continues to increase, especially as they begin to realize that the stakes are higher than they initially thought. In Venice, the operatives are forced to navigate not only the criminal underworld but also the emotional fallout from their pasts.
As they prepare for another mission, this time in Montenegro, the operatives find themselves once again in a life-threatening situation. They are tasked with retrieving a stolen painting, part of a larger criminal operation.
The team’s dynamic is put to the test as they attempt to track down Galina, who is after the painting. The plot becomes even more complex when they discover a headless body in a train compartment, revealing the brutal nature of Galina’s pursuit.
The situation intensifies as the operatives scramble to avoid border checks and confront multiple threats. Along the way, they uncover the connection between Galina’s heist and a valuable Raphael painting, lost during the Nazi looting.
Despite the chaos and exhaustion, the team bonds over the mission, using quick thinking and sharp wit to survive. As they near the outskirts of Podgorica, the mission becomes personal, not only due to the dangerous people involved but also because of the emotional scars the team members carry from their past assignments.
The story concludes with the team returning to Venice, where they face the consequences of their actions. The stolen painting is entrusted to a Provenance agent for repatriation, but the operatives are left to deal with the unresolved tensions and personal conflicts that have followed them throughout their journey.
The novel ends on a bittersweet note, with the team members forced to reconcile with their choices and the emotional weight of their lives in the shadows. The story speaks to themes of loyalty, personal sacrifice, and the moral gray areas that come with living a life of secrecy and covert operations.
Characters
Billie
Billie is the central character in Kills Well with Others, a woman navigating the treacherous waters of covert operations, personal conflicts, and complex relationships. Her role as an undercover operative working in the high-stakes world of assassination is deeply intertwined with her personal turmoil, making her both a skilled agent and a woman struggling with moral ambiguity.
Billie is often caught between her professional identity as a Bunny at the Playboy Club and her deeper desires for genuine emotional connections, which often puts her in conflict with the brutal realities of her job. Her physical discomfort in the corseted costumes, as well as her emotional discomfort in the role she’s playing, highlights her internal struggle to reconcile her professional duties with her personal identity.
Billie’s frustration with the objectification inherent in her work is palpable, as she often feels trapped by the expectations placed on her by society and the covert operation she is part of.
Billie’s interactions with her colleagues, especially her mentor Constance, reveal a deeper layer to her character. While she respects Constance’s expertise, she is also emotionally scarred by their strained relationship and the lessons she has learned from past mistakes.
The complexities of Billie’s character are further explored as she navigates the blurred lines between loyalty to her team and the personal stakes involved in the missions they undertake. Her internal conflict, particularly her struggle to suppress personal emotions in favor of the mission, often leads her to take actions that reveal her growing disillusionment with her role.
Billie is a character torn between duty and desire, and her development throughout the narrative is marked by a gradual shift from passive participant to active agent of change, driven by the need to reclaim her autonomy.
Constance
Constance serves as both a mentor and a stark reminder of the ruthlessness required in the world of covert operations. Her relationship with Billie is one of both admiration and tension, as Constance often appears distant and focused, expecting complete loyalty and discipline from Billie, even when it comes at a personal cost.
Constance’s sharp, no-nonsense demeanor contrasts with Billie’s more emotionally driven approach, leading to friction between them. Yet, this dynamic also reveals Constance’s own vulnerabilities, especially when she shows signs of distress after a mission.
Although she remains largely composed, her rare moments of vulnerability humanize her, adding depth to her character. Constance embodies the cold pragmatism of the world they inhabit, but her moments of weakness hint at a more complex emotional landscape beneath her hardened exterior.
Throughout the narrative, Constance’s actions drive much of the plot, often pushing Billie to confront her own limitations. She is a character shaped by experience and survival in a world where trust is scarce and loyalty is paramount.
Her stoic exterior hides a deep understanding of the cost of their work, and as the story unfolds, her loyalty to the cause is tested. Despite her mentorship, Constance is not infallible, and her flaws become more apparent as the narrative progresses, especially as the consequences of her decisions take a toll on those around her.
Taverner
Taverner is a complex character whose relationship with Billie is fraught with unresolved tension and unspoken emotions. As an operative with a shared history with Billie, he represents both a source of support and a point of conflict.
Their strained relationship, marked by a past mistake, reveals the vulnerability in both characters, though Taverner is less willing to confront the emotional complexity of their dynamic. He is a skilled operative, calm under pressure, and capable of taking charge when necessary, which makes him a valuable asset to the team.
However, his inability or unwillingness to address the emotional weight of his past with Billie creates a barrier between them, preventing them from fully connecting.
Taverner’s role in the narrative is defined by his quiet strength and competence, yet his interactions with Billie reveal the deep emotional currents that run beneath his stoic surface. Despite their shared history, Taverner is often placed in the position of supporting Billie, whether by offering help in the field or attempting to bridge the gap between them.
However, his reluctance to engage in meaningful communication only deepens the emotional divide between them, making him a key figure in Billie’s journey of self-discovery. Taverner’s eventual actions, particularly his willingness to assist Billie in moments of crisis, suggest that despite his emotional reticence, he is still committed to their shared mission and, perhaps, to her.
Mary Alice
Mary Alice stands out as a more pragmatic, straightforward character within the group. Her no-nonsense approach to the mission contrasts with the more emotionally charged dynamics between the other team members, especially Billie and Constance.
Mary Alice is driven by the mission’s objectives, and her practicality often brings a sense of balance to the group. While she isn’t as emotionally entangled in the complexities that define Billie and Constance’s relationship, Mary Alice still plays an important role in the team’s cohesion.
She is sharp, observant, and always looking for the next lead to advance their goals. Her interactions with Billie reveal her understanding of the emotional undercurrents at play, especially when she presses Billie about her unresolved issues with Taverner.
Mary Alice’s role as a source of stability for the team makes her a reliable character, someone who can be counted on to handle practical matters with efficiency and clarity. Her focus on the mission allows her to remain somewhat detached from the personal drama that unfolds around her, yet her keen observations and occasional emotional insights show that she is not without her own depth.
In a group filled with emotional complexity, Mary Alice serves as a reminder that sometimes the best way forward is to focus on the task at hand and leave the emotional entanglements behind.
Helen
Helen is another key member of the team, one whose personal connections and past with Billie add an emotional layer to the story. While she plays a significant role in the operation, it is her strained relationship with Billie that forms an important part of her character development.
Helen is often caught in the crossfire of Billie’s emotional turmoil, yet she remains a steady presence, providing support when needed. The tension between the two women is palpable, particularly as Billie’s unresolved feelings come to the surface.
Helen’s quiet strength contrasts with Billie’s more outwardly conflicted nature, making her a stabilizing force in their partnership. Though Helen is not the focal point of the narrative, her interactions with Billie demonstrate her loyalty and her willingness to stand by her, despite the complexities of their relationship.
Themes
Identity and Disguise
The theme of identity and disguise runs deeply throughout Kills Well with Others, particularly as the characters are forced to adopt false personas in order to carry out their covert missions. These women, including Billie, Mary Alice, and Helen, are not merely pretending to be someone else; they are constructing layers of identity, masking their true selves for survival and success.
This duality is most evident in how they operate within the Playboy Club, where their outwardly charming personas as Bunnies serve as a stark contrast to their inner lives. The outward appearances they maintain—charming, seductive, and harmless—mask the intense emotional and moral struggles they endure behind the scenes.
Their ability to slip into roles so seamlessly is both a survival mechanism and a means of protecting themselves from the vulnerabilities of their true selves. These false identities are constantly at odds with their inner needs and desires, creating a continuous tension between their public and private lives.
For Billie, this tension becomes even more complicated when her personal feelings for her mentor, Taverner, surface, making it harder for her to stay emotionally detached from the situations she faces. This exploration of identity emphasizes the emotional and psychological toll of living in a world where trust is limited, and emotional connections are fraught with danger.
Loyalty and Betrayal
Throughout Kills Well with Others, the tension between loyalty and betrayal is a recurring theme, one that shapes the relationships between the characters and dictates their actions. Billie’s complicated relationship with Constance, her mentor, reflects this dynamic as the two women struggle with their past mistakes and the burden of their roles in covert operations.
Loyalty in this context is not just about professional allegiance but about personal sacrifice. Billie’s willingness to support Constance despite the latter’s obvious distress after a mission shows the deep emotional complexity involved in maintaining loyalty in such a cutthroat environment.
However, betrayal is never far behind. The team’s shifting allegiances, as well as the presence of enemies within their ranks, add a layer of paranoia that makes it difficult to discern true loyalty from self-preservation.
As the characters face increasingly dangerous situations, the stakes of betrayal grow higher. This theme is compounded when the operatives must make decisions that may put their lives at risk in order to honor their loyalty to one another, showcasing the deep, often painful, personal costs of maintaining allegiance in a world where trust is fleeting.
Morality and Violence
Kills Well with Others is a study in the ethical complexities of assassination and violence. The characters, particularly Billie, are forced to perform morally dubious acts as part of their mission, which consistently challenges their sense of right and wrong.
While they may be justified in their actions by the moral codes of their organization, the violence they engage in comes at a great personal cost. For Billie, each kill seems to deepen her disillusionment with her role and the person she is becoming.
This internal conflict is most evident when she must abandon a planned mission and improvise, ultimately taking matters into her own hands. Her decision to kill using a corkscrew and knife, though efficient, is a brutal reminder of the cold, clinical nature of her work.
This theme questions the price of survival and success in a world where violence is the norm. As the narrative unfolds, the psychological toll of this violence becomes more evident, especially when the operatives begin to question whether their mission is worth the bloodshed.
The theme highlights the moral gray areas that the characters navigate, forcing them to confront their actions and the consequences of living in a world where violence often feels like the only option.
The Burden of the Past
The theme of the past, particularly unresolved guilt and personal history, plays a pivotal role in shaping the characters’ present lives in Kills Well with Others. Billie’s ongoing emotional struggle with Taverner, and her internal reflection on their strained relationship, exemplifies how the past continuously impacts the characters’ ability to move forward.
Despite their professional success, the characters are burdened by memories of past mistakes, failed missions, and personal losses that influence their decisions in the present. Billie’s reflections, especially on her past relationships and the choices she made, reveal the weight of unresolved emotions that follow her throughout her missions.
This theme is further explored through the dynamic between Billie and her team members, especially when tensions rise over old wounds and disagreements. The past is something they cannot escape, and it influences their behavior, shaping how they interact with others and making it difficult to trust even their closest allies.
The story paints a picture of how individuals carry the consequences of their past actions, sometimes leading to a cycle of regret and self-doubt. Despite their ability to compartmentalize their emotions for the sake of their work, the past remains a constant presence, challenging the characters to reconcile their former selves with their current realities.
Survival and Sacrifice
Survival and sacrifice are central themes in Kills Well with Others, as the characters constantly navigate a dangerous world where personal sacrifice is often necessary for the greater good. The operatives, including Billie, Mary Alice, and Helen, must weigh the cost of each action and decide how far they are willing to go to ensure their survival.
Survival, in this context, is not just about staying alive physically but about maintaining one’s sense of identity and purpose in an unforgiving environment. The characters must make sacrifices, both personal and professional, often sacrificing their emotional well-being, relationships, and moral compass to complete their missions.
Billie’s decision to help Constance despite her personal misgivings is a clear example of how survival sometimes requires putting others’ needs before one’s own. The theme explores the difficult choices the characters make when they are faced with life-threatening situations, emphasizing that in the world they inhabit, survival often comes at a high price.
The emotional and psychological toll of their decisions is not easily quantifiable, and the sacrifices they make leave lasting scars, showing that survival in this dangerous world is a complex, multi-faceted endeavor.