The Winner

A lean, careening thrill … one of my favourite books of the year Megan Nolan

Riveting reading The Times

Irresistible … A page-turning story of sex, power, and money Vogue, Best Books of 2024 So Far

A razor-sharp novel that skewers the life of the uber-rich in the vein of The White Lotus, with shades of The Talented Mr Ripley and The Graduate

Conor is a recent graduate from a law school no one has heard of. Without any job prospects and needing to support his chronically ill mother, he takes a summer job teaching tennis at the affluent gated community of Cutters Neck, Massachusetts. One of his first students is Catherine, a magnetic divorcée keen to hire him for more than advice on her serve. What begins as a transactional arrangement soon develops into an intoxicating sexual relationship.

Things become even more complicated when Conor encounters Emily, with whom he has his first taste of real intimacy. Against his better judgment, he soon finds himself living a double life that inevitably leads to disaster.

Conor knows how hard it is to win against those with money and power. In his fight for survival, he has to put emotion aside and play with only his wits – after all, in tennis, love means nothing.

TOP OF THE LIST ON THE NEW YORK TIMES' BEST THRILLERS OF 2024 SO FAR

Wayne’s plot was made to gallop, and it does not disappoint New York Times

Terrific Wall Street Journal

Well-paced, smart … A savvy take on sex, money and power … A movie-ready page turner Washington Post

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING…

Wow, talk about a can’t-put-down book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aced it! An absolute page turner! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I had a hard time going to sleep at night because I was so engaged and couldn’t stop reading ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Where in the world have I been that I have never discovered this writer before?? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐