Children of Wolves: A Novel

by Lawrence Osborne

Never fall for your prey.... A thrilling tale of manipulation and deceit about an American private investigator who travels to Turkey to track down the daughter of a wealthy family, unwittingly setting off a sinister plot. Four children from wealthy families are sent to a strict prestigious boarding school for troubled teenagers. Haunted by the horrors they experience, they vow to disrupt the status quo by all means necessary. Years later, Tyler is a private investigator with a failing career who has been hired by petrochemical billionaire James Arthur Knight Jr. to find his run-away daughter, Chana. At a seaside hotel in Turkey, he finds Chana lounging with her three wealthy friends and living with a fake name. Enthralled by Chana’s shyness and elegance, Tyler decides to keep his discovery to himself, accepting Mr. Knight’s payments while feeding him elusive information and partying with Chana and her friends over wine and raki. One night, when Tyler lets slip his relationship with the American consul, Chana lights up with interest and asks if he can orchestrate a meeting. With a backdrop of of glitzy ex-pat parties, diplomatic galas, and the gritty underworld of Istanbul, Chana conjures a plot involving the consul that sets into motion a dark chain of events.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 25, 2026

About the author

Lawrence Osborne is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels, including The Forgiven (now a major motion picture starring Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain), and Only to Sleep: A Philip Marlowe Novel, a New York Times Notable Book and nominated for an Edgar Award, as well as six books of nonfiction, including Bangkok Days. He has led a nomadic life, living in Paris, New York, Mexico, and Istanbul, and he currently resides in Bangkok.

Reviews

[Mackenzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was... boring to say the least. For most of the book, you really don't see a point, and the last half its like "oh, so this is what's happening?" And I really hated that, I needed more to happen throughout the story. To make matters worse, I didn't really like any of the characters either.
Maybe it just wasn't my type of thriller and thats okay!
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster | S&S/Summit Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, I don't have much to say about this book. It is a story about the adventures of 4 privileged rich kids and a private investigator trying to uncover one of their secrets. Ironically, it felt mundane to me - but perhaps I am missing some critical component. 

80% of the novel felt slow, then suddenly we are given insight as to what is actually going on between the four of them. It felt underwhelming, and I feel as though the author wants us to root for them. I didn't, but perhaps I couldn't relate to them at all. 

To note to fellow thriller lovers out there, this isn't a typical thriller but more so an analysis of who each character is. This didn't land for me, but perhaps another may enjoy this more!

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, and Lawrence Osborne for sending over this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Shannon A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well crafted twisting tale of a man hired to track down a rich man’s daughter that has all the glitz and glamour of traveling the world to escape something or someone…once the daughter is located; the job complete, you’d think it would be all over…
A book I read in a day.

[Lewis Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this, an excellent novel.