The Winner
Published on 6. June 2024
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-0-00-865615-7 (ISBN)
Description
'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 divorcee 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 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??' ?????
'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 divorcee 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 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??' ?????
Reviews / Votes
'A lean, careening thrill of a book that kept me awake half the night and away from work the following day ... Exhilarating, cutting, and funny, The Winner is already one of my favourite books of the year' Megan Nolan, author of Ordinary Human Failings'A timely, topical novel that still somehow feels like a classic' Liz Moore, bestselling author of Long Bright River
'A riveting novel about how to have the rich and eat them, too. Sexy, breathless, and brutal' Julia May Jonas, author of Vladimir
'A gripping, provocative, and delightfully shocking novel' Nathan Hill, bestselling author of The Nix
'A sexy, darkly comic thriller ... Wayne's writing is at once breezy and sharp as Conor gradually transforms from a sympathetic scholarship kid to a junior Patrick Bateman' New York Post
'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
'No one writes male characters (and their flaws) like Teddy Wayne' LitHub
'Buckle up for this expertly crafted American thriller, a delicious cocktail of steamy sex, comedy and psychological noir' Daily Mail
'Still not over Succession? ... The Winner takes a look at the uber-wealthy through the eyes of a young tennis coach' Sunday Times Style
'Mesmerising' The Herald
'Irresistible ... A page-turning story of sex, power, and money' Vogue, Best Books of 2024 So Far
'Thoughtful, reflective and page-turningly tense... Easily one of my favourite novels of the year' B.P. Walter
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 159 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
520 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-865615-7 (9780008656157)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Teddy Wayne is the winner of a Whiting Writer's Award and an NEA Writing Fellowship, among other honours. He's a former New York Times columnist and is a regular contributor to the New Yorker. He lives in Brooklyn with his family.