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.

‘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

• About the Author
• 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.