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 comes from nothing, but he knows how to win.
Tennis has taught him how to be relentless. How to work hard and stay patient, even when your opponent has every advantage.
Tennis is what takes Conor to a gated community for the summer, where he can give overpriced lessons to the super-rich. It brings him to Catherine, a bored but intoxicating divorcee twice his age. And to Emily, a girl he might actually love.
As the summer heats up, Conor finds himself not just playing a game, but fighting for survival. Will he put his emotions aside for a greater prize? After all, in tennis, love means nothing.
TOP OF THE LIST ON THE NEW YORK TIMES‘ BEST THRILLERS OF 2024
‘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??’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'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 -