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The Amateur
12 hours
When a young woman, a golf prodigy, accidentally kills a caddy with a stray ball at the country club, the investigation of this freak accident reveals a dark and shocking tale of secret affairs, predatory men, and a teenager on trial in this spellbinding novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant.
1978: It is the first Thursday in August and temperatures are flirting with ninety when Mira Winston, eighteen years old, drives a practice ball from her tee with a wooden club. The golf ball, weighing 1.6 ounces, tears through the net, travels 150 miles per hour for fifteen yards and slams, with sickening force, into the forehead of a high school junior named Kenny Foster, causing a traumatic rupture in the frontal lobe of his brain. Kenny brings his right hand to his forehead, then topples to his side. He is dead before the ambulance even arrives.
In the wake of this terrible accident—and everyone, at first, agrees it was an accident—Mira looks for comfort in all the wrong In her lover, Theo Catton, a married man forty years her senior. In her mother, a well-kept woman with secrets of her own. In the dead caddy’s little sisters, girls bewildered by grief. But when Henry Fallows, the golf pro, looks more closely at the torn net, when the detective investigating the case recalls Mira’s history of recklessness, and when Kenny’s father spies Mira with her married lover, the affluent and mannered community turns on this once promising young woman. A gripping story that takes the reader from the sun-soaked greens of a tony Westchester country club to the fluorescent-lit stand of a district courtroom, The Amateur What happens when one small moment—a swing, a ball, a piece of string—changes the course of an entire life?
When a young woman, a golf prodigy, accidentally kills a caddy with a stray ball at the country club, the investigation of this freak accident reveals a dark and shocking tale of secret affairs, predatory men, and a teenager on trial in this spellbinding novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant.
1978: It is the first Thursday in August and temperatures are flirting with ninety when Mira Winston, eighteen years old, drives a practice ball from her tee with a wooden club. The golf ball, weighing 1.6 ounces, tears through the net, travels 150 miles per hour for fifteen yards and slams, with sickening force, into the forehead of a high school junior named Kenny Foster, causing a traumatic rupture in the frontal lobe of his brain. Kenny brings his right hand to his forehead, then topples to his side. He is dead before the ambulance even arrives.
In the wake of this terrible accident—and everyone, at first, agrees it was an accident—Mira looks for comfort in all the wrong In her lover, Theo Catton, a married man forty years her senior. In her mother, a well-kept woman with secrets of her own. In the dead caddy’s little sisters, girls bewildered by grief. But when Henry Fallows, the golf pro, looks more closely at the torn net, when the detective investigating the case recalls Mira’s history of recklessness, and when Kenny’s father spies Mira with her married lover, the affluent and mannered community turns on this once promising young woman. A gripping story that takes the reader from the sun-soaked greens of a tony Westchester country club to the fluorescent-lit stand of a district courtroom, The Amateur What happens when one small moment—a swing, a ball, a piece of string—changes the course of an entire life?
Audiobook
First published August 4, 2026
About the author
Chris Bohjalian
46 books13.6k followersChris Bohjalian is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 26 books. His latest novel is THE AMATEUR. He writes literary fiction, historical fiction, thrillers, and (on occasion) ghost stories. His goal is never to write the same book twice. He has published somewhere in the neighborhood of 3.7 million words.
His work has been translated into 35 languages and become three movies (MIDWIVES, SECRETS OF EDEN, and PAST THE BLEACHERS) and an Emmy-winning TV series (THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT). He has two other novels in development for TV series as well.
He is also a playwright, including THE CLUB in 2024; MIDWIVES in 2020; and GROUNDED (now WINGSPAN) in 2018.
His books have been chosen as Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Hartford Courant, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Bookpage, and Salon.
His awards include the Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts; the Sarah Josefa Hale Award; the ANCA Freedom Award for his work educating Americans about the Armenian Genocide; the ANCA Arts and Letters Award for THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS, as well as the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal; the New England Society Book Award for THE NIGHT STRANGERS; the New England Book Award; Russia’s Soglasie (Concord) Award for THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS; a Boston Public Library Literary Light; a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for TRANS-SISTER RADIO; a Best Lifestyle Column for “Idyll Banter” from the Vermont Press Association; and the Anahid Literary Award. His short story, SLOT MACHINE FEVER DREAMS was a finalist for Best Short Story from the International Thriller Writers Association and the audio production was an Audie Finalist. His novel, MIDWVES was a selection of Oprah’s Book Club, and his novel, HOUR OF THE WITCH, was a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. He is a Fellow of the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences.
He has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest, and The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. He was a weekly columnist in Vermont for The Burlington Free Press from 1992 through 2015.
Chris graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Amherst College. He has been awarded Honorary Degrees as well from Amherst, Champlain College, and Castleton University.
He lives in Vermont with his wife, the photographer Victoria Blewer.
His work has been translated into 35 languages and become three movies (MIDWIVES, SECRETS OF EDEN, and PAST THE BLEACHERS) and an Emmy-winning TV series (THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT). He has two other novels in development for TV series as well.
He is also a playwright, including THE CLUB in 2024; MIDWIVES in 2020; and GROUNDED (now WINGSPAN) in 2018.
His books have been chosen as Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Hartford Courant, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Bookpage, and Salon.
His awards include the Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts; the Sarah Josefa Hale Award; the ANCA Freedom Award for his work educating Americans about the Armenian Genocide; the ANCA Arts and Letters Award for THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS, as well as the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal; the New England Society Book Award for THE NIGHT STRANGERS; the New England Book Award; Russia’s Soglasie (Concord) Award for THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS; a Boston Public Library Literary Light; a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for TRANS-SISTER RADIO; a Best Lifestyle Column for “Idyll Banter” from the Vermont Press Association; and the Anahid Literary Award. His short story, SLOT MACHINE FEVER DREAMS was a finalist for Best Short Story from the International Thriller Writers Association and the audio production was an Audie Finalist. His novel, MIDWVES was a selection of Oprah’s Book Club, and his novel, HOUR OF THE WITCH, was a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. He is a Fellow of the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences.
He has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest, and The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. He was a weekly columnist in Vermont for The Burlington Free Press from 1992 through 2015.
Chris graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Amherst College. He has been awarded Honorary Degrees as well from Amherst, Champlain College, and Castleton University.
He lives in Vermont with his wife, the photographer Victoria Blewer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,428 reviews
August 16, 2026
loved this!! it’s so fun and exciting when you find a new-to-you author that you just can’t get enough of. this book is written memoir-style and it’s about Mira who’s life is completely thrown off track when she’s involved in a freak accident. definitely some heavy subject matter through out, keep that in mind if any tws pertain to you! i loved the narrator, her wit, and also her ability to see her own flaws. if you’re interested in the audiobook, it’s narrated by the ever-talented Jan Levinson-Gould (minus the Gould 😉) ((Melora Hardin!))
August 14, 2026
The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian
Narrated by Melora Hardin
This story was so difficult to take in because even before eighteen year old golf prodigy, Mira Winston, killed Kenny Foster after hitting a golf ball into the club net, meant for just what Mira was doing, she was on a fast train to ruin and disaster. Having started sleeping with a man old enough to be her grandfather when she was fifteen and already drinking and drugging heavily, Mira thinks everything has been her choice and her fault. And she really doesn't plan to stop what she is doing (sleeping with men two or more times her age) and working up to more and stronger drugs. But she does not plan to kill anyone by golfing anymore because the day Mira killed Kenny Foster is the day she gave up golf.
Mira is wrapped in guilt, guilt that shouldn't be hers to take on, guilt for knowing somewhere under her skin that what she is doing is damaging her in so very many ways, and guilt for not noticing Kenny more before she killed him. She was wrapped up in a life of having just about anything she wanted, even things she should never have gotten, of having barely any limitations of getting to do what she wanted because no one was really watching her to stop her, and even before she killed Kenny, Mira was wrapped up in trying to make the inner hurts go away. Mira was not only into drugs and spending time in bed with a man forty years older than her, but she was wrapped up in doing things that made her feel good, or feel less, actually.
We are going to spend decades with Mira and by the end of the book, I do feel so much better about her than when the book started. She is going to be navigating a mind field and she is going to be doing what she did before, the harmful things she did before, a lot more before she finally sees the past for what it is and before she is able to grow enough to grab that which is really good and let go of that which is so very destructive. Along the way Mira will meet someone who will be her biggest supporter and that person will be a part of Mira's growth and eye opening. Watching Mira realize how much she was being harmed by adults, how much she was taught to think was her fault, and just how much she was really hurting inside, was an very emotional journey for me.
As I was listening to this book, I wasn't sure I wanted to go on. But getting to the end was worth it, Mira almost was not okay at all, but in the end, she had more to live for than to die for and seeing her want to live for the good stuff in life and for what she could really accomplish, made the hard parts worth the reading/hearing. The side characters in this story are important and I'm glad we got to know them and listen to them, whether what they said was true or right.
Published August 4, 2026
Thanks to my library and Libby for this audiobook
Narrated by Melora Hardin
This story was so difficult to take in because even before eighteen year old golf prodigy, Mira Winston, killed Kenny Foster after hitting a golf ball into the club net, meant for just what Mira was doing, she was on a fast train to ruin and disaster. Having started sleeping with a man old enough to be her grandfather when she was fifteen and already drinking and drugging heavily, Mira thinks everything has been her choice and her fault. And she really doesn't plan to stop what she is doing (sleeping with men two or more times her age) and working up to more and stronger drugs. But she does not plan to kill anyone by golfing anymore because the day Mira killed Kenny Foster is the day she gave up golf.
Mira is wrapped in guilt, guilt that shouldn't be hers to take on, guilt for knowing somewhere under her skin that what she is doing is damaging her in so very many ways, and guilt for not noticing Kenny more before she killed him. She was wrapped up in a life of having just about anything she wanted, even things she should never have gotten, of having barely any limitations of getting to do what she wanted because no one was really watching her to stop her, and even before she killed Kenny, Mira was wrapped up in trying to make the inner hurts go away. Mira was not only into drugs and spending time in bed with a man forty years older than her, but she was wrapped up in doing things that made her feel good, or feel less, actually.
We are going to spend decades with Mira and by the end of the book, I do feel so much better about her than when the book started. She is going to be navigating a mind field and she is going to be doing what she did before, the harmful things she did before, a lot more before she finally sees the past for what it is and before she is able to grow enough to grab that which is really good and let go of that which is so very destructive. Along the way Mira will meet someone who will be her biggest supporter and that person will be a part of Mira's growth and eye opening. Watching Mira realize how much she was being harmed by adults, how much she was taught to think was her fault, and just how much she was really hurting inside, was an very emotional journey for me.
As I was listening to this book, I wasn't sure I wanted to go on. But getting to the end was worth it, Mira almost was not okay at all, but in the end, she had more to live for than to die for and seeing her want to live for the good stuff in life and for what she could really accomplish, made the hard parts worth the reading/hearing. The side characters in this story are important and I'm glad we got to know them and listen to them, whether what they said was true or right.
Published August 4, 2026
Thanks to my library and Libby for this audiobook
August 8, 2026
Wow! Any book that leaves me in tears is most likely going to end up being a five-star read. And this book did just that. While not a thriller (although it has psychological thriller components, it’s very much a genre-blend heavy on the lit fiction part), I was completely captivated by the story of Mira and Kenny, and how just one small moment altered the course of their lives and those around them.
I loved the format. It breaks the fourth wall as a “memoir” of sorts, which makes it feel both more formal and more casual at the same time. And I loved the inclusion of court procedural, which ups the ante as we near the conclusion that incorporates one fantastic twist.
“You took advantage of my disadvantage” is a central theme throughout the story. Set in the late 1970s, Chris Bohjalian does a remarkable job of showcasing just how marginalized young women were both in and out of sports. It was painful to read about Mira’s young adulthood, but watching her unravel following the accident is almost unbearable.
🎧 The Amateur is also fantastic on audio, narrated by Melora Hardin, who adds a sense of emotional laissez-faire that works so well with Mira’s character. I chose to do an immersive read to be able to enjoy both formats and they compliment each other perfectly. I highly recommend it if you can.
Thank you Doubleday Books and PRH Audio for the advanced copies.
I loved the format. It breaks the fourth wall as a “memoir” of sorts, which makes it feel both more formal and more casual at the same time. And I loved the inclusion of court procedural, which ups the ante as we near the conclusion that incorporates one fantastic twist.
“You took advantage of my disadvantage” is a central theme throughout the story. Set in the late 1970s, Chris Bohjalian does a remarkable job of showcasing just how marginalized young women were both in and out of sports. It was painful to read about Mira’s young adulthood, but watching her unravel following the accident is almost unbearable.
🎧 The Amateur is also fantastic on audio, narrated by Melora Hardin, who adds a sense of emotional laissez-faire that works so well with Mira’s character. I chose to do an immersive read to be able to enjoy both formats and they compliment each other perfectly. I highly recommend it if you can.
Thank you Doubleday Books and PRH Audio for the advanced copies.
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September 12, 2026
Long before Mira Winston becomes a highly acclaimed novelist, 18-year-old Mira is a golf prodigy who gains notoreity when she accidentally kills a young caddy with a 150 mph drive that slices right through a practice net.
Initially deemed a tragic and freak accident at the tony country club in an affluent suburb north of New York City, Mira knows differently: she believes the universe is punishing her for her years-long affair with Theo Catton.
Oh, did I mention that Theo, a member of the club, is 47 and married?
Uh huh.
Cosmic punishment notwithstanding...
When police execute a search warrant and find a leather target in Mira’s golf bag that has been removed from the club's practice net, a civil lawsuit gets transformed into a criminal involuntary manslaughter charge.
Prosecutors claim that Mira tampered with the equipment prior to the accident.
Mira insists she never touched the practice net.
Decades later, 56-year-old Mira is narrating her memoir (aka The Amateur by bestselling author Chris Bohjalian).
I love that Bohjalian chose to frame his latest novel as a memoir told not only with 20/20 hindsight of the incident but also the wisdom and life experience that four decades afford Mira.
The events of 1978–1980 echo throughout Mira’s life, shaping her friendships, career, and marriage.
Of course nobody in 1978 even suggests a traumatized teenager might benefit from therapy.
Nor does anyone question why equipment intended for a suburban backyard is set up directly in front of the workers the country club values least (ie. the lowly caddies).
Anywho...
I thoroughly enjoyed the build up to the eventual courtroom drama. Felt like I was present at the high-stakes trial. Bravo, Bohjalian!
But, perhaps even better: Mira's eventual confrontation with Theo.
It's 40 years coming and, boy, is it worth the wait. Yee haw!
Fans of Bohjalian already know that his work frequently places ordinary people in extraordinary moral crucibles.
The Amateur blends psychological depth with the pacing of a thriller. Strongly recommend.
August 10, 2026
4.5 stars, rounded up
Chris Bohjalian is known for writing disturbing stories. He lives up to that reputation with The Amateur. The premise is that a young golfer is practicing her drives at the country club when a ball gets through the safety net and kills a caddy. Initially, everyone says it was just a tragic, freak accident. But things have a way of snowballing because society always wants someone to blame. And who easier to blame than an 18 year old girl unaware of how society can eat you up and spit you out?
Mira was messed up well before that accident. An incident of sexual assault caused her to seek her own sort of justice. In fact, her whole family is a hot mess. Her parents treat her as an also ran compared to her older brother. They drink excessively, they have affairs.
The book is written as if an older Mira has written a memoir. She tells her reader she is a “reliable narrator”. There are parts of the story that are definitely difficult to read especially as it pertains to her “affair” with a 47 year old married man that began when she was 15. Decades before the #MeToo movement, Mira doesn’t blame him for taking advantage of her and sees herself as a willing participant. The book has lots to say about guilt and “karma”. Mira believes she deserves all the bad things that happen to her.
The book also delves into social entitlement and mental health issues. Yes, it’s a legal thriller but it’s also historic and social commentary. It’d be easy to say this was 1978 and things have changed. The question is how much have they really. Bohjalian also gets his digs in about readers’ opinions on unlikeable main characters.
I listened to this and Melora Hardin did a great job as the narrator.
Chris Bohjalian is known for writing disturbing stories. He lives up to that reputation with The Amateur. The premise is that a young golfer is practicing her drives at the country club when a ball gets through the safety net and kills a caddy. Initially, everyone says it was just a tragic, freak accident. But things have a way of snowballing because society always wants someone to blame. And who easier to blame than an 18 year old girl unaware of how society can eat you up and spit you out?
Mira was messed up well before that accident. An incident of sexual assault caused her to seek her own sort of justice. In fact, her whole family is a hot mess. Her parents treat her as an also ran compared to her older brother. They drink excessively, they have affairs.
The book is written as if an older Mira has written a memoir. She tells her reader she is a “reliable narrator”. There are parts of the story that are definitely difficult to read especially as it pertains to her “affair” with a 47 year old married man that began when she was 15. Decades before the #MeToo movement, Mira doesn’t blame him for taking advantage of her and sees herself as a willing participant. The book has lots to say about guilt and “karma”. Mira believes she deserves all the bad things that happen to her.
The book also delves into social entitlement and mental health issues. Yes, it’s a legal thriller but it’s also historic and social commentary. It’d be easy to say this was 1978 and things have changed. The question is how much have they really. Bohjalian also gets his digs in about readers’ opinions on unlikeable main characters.
I listened to this and Melora Hardin did a great job as the narrator.
August 16, 2026
It pains me to say this because I really wanted to like this book, especially after enjoying other books by the Chris, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. The first half felt incredibly slow and repetitive, with so much detail about golf that I found myself losing interest, and although things picked up a little towards the end, it was far too late for me. I also found the way Mira was written really difficult to connect with, and I struggled with how she spoke and viewed some of the situations she was in. The biggest problem for me was that I figured out very early on what had happened, so there was never really that mystery or suspense I was hoping for. I ended up trudging through the book just because I needed to know how it finished, but honestly, I wish I had given myself permission to DNF it.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
You took advantage of my disadvantage~Mira Winston's tattoo (a Lolita quote)
I'm not going to lie. It took me a few chapters to get into this one.
Our narrator is not easy to love and the way the men in her life treated her turned my stomach.
BUT I wanted to find out how she went from that horrible moment of death on the golf course to a place where she is a best-selling author.
But you know me from twenty-five novels, the TV series and movies adapted from those novels, and three plays.
That Chris Bohjalian storytelling magic got me again!
Here are some noteworthy bits:
🏌Mara Winston is our narrator and the star of the book. Her experiences in the late 70's as a teenager and young adult were so foreign to me. At one point she says: A person can take only so much bad news before they collapse like a bridge.
📚Chris Bohjalian tells quite a story!
Arguably, I should have built my writing career on romance and fantasy, rather than on bicyclists who are raped and flight attendants who are drunks. Mic drop!
🤔Mara's experiences were thought-provoking. What would we do were we in her golf shoes?
There's a truism that has been attributed to lots of observers of the human psyche over the centuries, but it's essentially this: it's a tragedy when it happens to you and it's comedy when it happens to somebody else.
🐶Harvey the Winston family dog is my vote for best supporting characters. What a sweet and faithful pet. While writing this novel, Chris Bohjalian enjoyed some puppy therapy while spending time with an attorney for research.
I found this to be a riveting read in the end. While not my favorite from the author, I definitely found much food for thought.
This is, pure and simple, the story of just another amateur, a person who tried once too often to play above her game. I flew too close to the sun--like so many others before me-- believing I could escape that sort of flight unscathed.
Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Available on August 4, 2026.
I'm not going to lie. It took me a few chapters to get into this one.
Our narrator is not easy to love and the way the men in her life treated her turned my stomach.
BUT I wanted to find out how she went from that horrible moment of death on the golf course to a place where she is a best-selling author.
But you know me from twenty-five novels, the TV series and movies adapted from those novels, and three plays.
That Chris Bohjalian storytelling magic got me again!
Here are some noteworthy bits:
🏌Mara Winston is our narrator and the star of the book. Her experiences in the late 70's as a teenager and young adult were so foreign to me. At one point she says: A person can take only so much bad news before they collapse like a bridge.
📚Chris Bohjalian tells quite a story!
Arguably, I should have built my writing career on romance and fantasy, rather than on bicyclists who are raped and flight attendants who are drunks. Mic drop!
🤔Mara's experiences were thought-provoking. What would we do were we in her golf shoes?
There's a truism that has been attributed to lots of observers of the human psyche over the centuries, but it's essentially this: it's a tragedy when it happens to you and it's comedy when it happens to somebody else.
🐶Harvey the Winston family dog is my vote for best supporting characters. What a sweet and faithful pet. While writing this novel, Chris Bohjalian enjoyed some puppy therapy while spending time with an attorney for research.
I found this to be a riveting read in the end. While not my favorite from the author, I definitely found much food for thought.
This is, pure and simple, the story of just another amateur, a person who tried once too often to play above her game. I flew too close to the sun--like so many others before me-- believing I could escape that sort of flight unscathed.
Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Available on August 4, 2026.
August 14, 2026
4.5
Audiobook was PHENOMENALLY done. Highly recommend going that route!
This is a unique story mainly because the story is told to you as the reader from the main character. The main character is sharing the horrible story that happened in her teenage years by accidently killing a boy while swinging her driver and the ball hit his head and killed him instantly. The story is hard to hear because the trauma of that experience was extremely difficult for her and she coped through sex, drugs, and even had a suicide attempt. We reach the end in part 3 with the court procedure finding blame with either Mira, the golf course, or the net manufacturer.
By the end, I felt very immersed in the storytelling and found Chris Bohjalian's writing to be absolutely impressive and sharp in details.
Audiobook was PHENOMENALLY done. Highly recommend going that route!
This is a unique story mainly because the story is told to you as the reader from the main character. The main character is sharing the horrible story that happened in her teenage years by accidently killing a boy while swinging her driver and the ball hit his head and killed him instantly. The story is hard to hear because the trauma of that experience was extremely difficult for her and she coped through sex, drugs, and even had a suicide attempt. We reach the end in part 3 with the court procedure finding blame with either Mira, the golf course, or the net manufacturer.
By the end, I felt very immersed in the storytelling and found Chris Bohjalian's writing to be absolutely impressive and sharp in details.
September 26, 2026
A tragic accident? Or something worse?
Still a teenager, Mira is touted as a golf prodigy. She spends all her time at the country club, practicing her swing or playing a full round of golf. But one quiet afternoon, while practicing her drives into a net, her life will change forever.
Against all odds, one golf ball slips through the net and strikes one of the caddies in the head. Killing him almost instantly.
Mira will never be the same. Her life and her choices in life are now scrutinized by everyone.
Had she been reckless? Was she actually to blame for the death? Can Mira move on with her life, or will this always hang over her head?
I have to admit, Mira was not the most likable character. But at the same time my heart went out to her.😢
This may not have been the fast- paced thriller I was expecting, but still very suspenseful with a surprising ending!
✍️ Chris Bohjalian
📄 336 pages
🗓️ Available Now
📈 4/5🌟🌟🌟🌟
👉 Thriller, suspense, family drama
Still a teenager, Mira is touted as a golf prodigy. She spends all her time at the country club, practicing her swing or playing a full round of golf. But one quiet afternoon, while practicing her drives into a net, her life will change forever.
Against all odds, one golf ball slips through the net and strikes one of the caddies in the head. Killing him almost instantly.
Mira will never be the same. Her life and her choices in life are now scrutinized by everyone.
Had she been reckless? Was she actually to blame for the death? Can Mira move on with her life, or will this always hang over her head?
I have to admit, Mira was not the most likable character. But at the same time my heart went out to her.😢
This may not have been the fast- paced thriller I was expecting, but still very suspenseful with a surprising ending!
✍️ Chris Bohjalian
📄 336 pages
🗓️ Available Now
📈 4/5🌟🌟🌟🌟
👉 Thriller, suspense, family drama
August 27, 2026
3.75-
"You took advantage of my disadvantage"—Mira's tattoo serves as a poignant reminder of this book's core message.
Set in 1978, this fictional memoir follows the aftermath of a devastating accident on a golf course that changes the trajectory of Mira's life forever. The storyline explores the deep ripple effects of trauma and grief as Mira grows up and ultimately channels her experiences into writing fiction.
The audio narration is great, though the story deals with heavy themes—including trauma, mental health, pedophilia, drug abuse, and sexual abuse—underscoring the critical need to protect young girls. Very well written, but definitely a darker, more somber read.
"You took advantage of my disadvantage"—Mira's tattoo serves as a poignant reminder of this book's core message.
Set in 1978, this fictional memoir follows the aftermath of a devastating accident on a golf course that changes the trajectory of Mira's life forever. The storyline explores the deep ripple effects of trauma and grief as Mira grows up and ultimately channels her experiences into writing fiction.
The audio narration is great, though the story deals with heavy themes—including trauma, mental health, pedophilia, drug abuse, and sexual abuse—underscoring the critical need to protect young girls. Very well written, but definitely a darker, more somber read.
October 18, 2026
I’m sorry, but this was very boring.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Not to mix sports in my metaphors, but a home run by Chris Bohjalian. I read this in the middle of medical issues that limited my reading, which forced me to read just a few pages a day. Otherwise, I'm positive I would have sped through it in a day or two. The premise is fantastic; a golf prodigy whose powerful practice drive tears through the (defective?) net and ends up killing a nearby caddy. It sets up both a mystery (what or who caused the net to tear?) and psychologically astute coming-of-age drama for Mira, the teen golfer who blames herself and can never unsee that moment of her drive killing a fellow high school student. There's a lot of Chris Bohjalian in this novel, which is written as a memoir by Mira. The writer in me kind of hates Chris Bohjalian for having written this novel in just a few months (lol) but I also think he's been writing this story for much of his life. And the reader/fan in me thinks this may be Chris Bohjalian's best work yet!
August 5, 2026
As I skimmed some of the reviews, I kept seeing people say that Mira was an unlikeable character, I completely disagree. She went through a lot of bad stuff and is telling her story with candor... not excusing her behavior or playing the victim (though she absolutely is one). To me, that makes her honest, vulnerable, and understandable.
This was my first book by Chris Bohjalian, and while I'm not sure his writing style is for me, that's not going to stop me from picking up another book by him. 4.5 stars rounded up!
This was my first book by Chris Bohjalian, and while I'm not sure his writing style is for me, that's not going to stop me from picking up another book by him. 4.5 stars rounded up!
August 7, 2026
The Amateur is set in 1978 and follows our protagonist and narrator, Mira, an up-and-coming golfer and LPGA hopeful who is preparing to start at Yale in the fall. Early in the book, she does the unthinkable: she hits a golf ball that, against a one-in-a-million chance, strikes a 17-year-old caddy in the head, resulting in his death.
While the premise is super intriguing, the novel is ultimately a coming-of-age story about Mira coping with the tragedy while navigating an illicit relationship with a much older man. At its core, the book explores how manipulative, abusive men take advantage of young women, and the journey of overcoming that trauma.
My main issue with the book was Mira's point of view. Written as a memoir where she looks back to come to terms with her past, I simply could not stand Mira at times. She often came across as completely insensitive, your classic young, rich, spoiled brat.
Additionally, I wish the book had truly immersed us in 1978. Instead, it relied too much on a modern lens as she tells the story, which ultimately made Mira rather unlikable.
Overall, a decent book, one that should be read in a day.
While the premise is super intriguing, the novel is ultimately a coming-of-age story about Mira coping with the tragedy while navigating an illicit relationship with a much older man. At its core, the book explores how manipulative, abusive men take advantage of young women, and the journey of overcoming that trauma.
My main issue with the book was Mira's point of view. Written as a memoir where she looks back to come to terms with her past, I simply could not stand Mira at times. She often came across as completely insensitive, your classic young, rich, spoiled brat.
Additionally, I wish the book had truly immersed us in 1978. Instead, it relied too much on a modern lens as she tells the story, which ultimately made Mira rather unlikable.
Overall, a decent book, one that should be read in a day.
October 13, 2026
In this story, fiftysomething novelist Mira Winston is writing a memoir about the time she was a gifted amateur golfer, perhaps on her way to the LPGA, and a golf drive changed her life forever.
The fateful incident occurs in the summer of 1978, when Mira is an 18-year-old high school graduate. Mira's family lives in the wealthy suburb of Tallmadge, 35 minutes from New York City, and Mira - a golf prodigy - plays at Tallmadge Country Club. Mira's set to start at Yale University in a month, and has already met with the coach of the women's golf team.
On August 3, Mira is warming up near the first tee at the country club. She's on a green that has a small practice net where members can work on their swing, and a pergola for caddies waiting to be called for a loop. Mira finishes her follow through, and the golf ball zooms through a small hole in the net, hits a 17-year-old caddy named Kenny Foster in the head, and kills him.
Mira admits, "I didn't go to Yale because, in part, I no longer wanted anything to do with golf, and I associated my acceptance there with the sport...Besides, after Kenny Foster's death, I was in no condition to study anywhere."
Kenny's tragic death devastates his family, and - like a pebble thrown into a pond - causes ripples.
❂ Prior to the accident, the practice net had a target that Mira disliked because it facilitated bad habits.
Mira asked the golf-pro to remove the target, but he refused. On the day Kenny died, the target was gone, and investigators later discover the net was damaged. No one admits to snipping off the target, and Kenny's grieving parents plan to sue the country club, the net manufacturer, and Mira. If Mira is held liable, her parents will have to pay hefty damages.
❂ Kenny's death leads to the exposure of Mira's affair with a 47-year-old married man named Theo Catton, that started when Mira was fifteen. The revelation breaks up Theo's family and makes Mira the talk of the town.
On top of that, Mira sees Kenny's death as punishment for having sex with Theo, and her drinking and drug use escalates exponentially. Contrary to common sense, Mira also continues to seek out older men for sex.
❂ The district attorney considers the removal of the target to be criminal negligence, and plans to level a criminal charge.
Mira knows her youthful misbehavior will be viewed in a negative light. She grew up privileged, in an upscale community, went to good schools, and had supportive parents. So why the drinking and drug use? Why the older men?
Looking back from her mature years, Mira knows she had issues.
❂ Mira's parents, Peter and Alexis, drank heavily, and were borderline alcoholics. When Mira still lived at home, she watered down their bottles of scotch.
Mira was also aware her mother Alexis was having an affair with a married neighbor called Sam Stetson, though Alexis was friends with Sam's wife.
❂ Mira thought her father loved her older brother Spencer more than he loved her, even after Mira took up golf to please her dad.
The suspense part of the novel revolves around the potential lawsuits and criminal charges. Mira's father hires a lawyer named Cleon Barker to represent Mira in any proceedings that might arise, and this is a central aspect of the book.
The story also addresses the issue of pedophilia. If a girl sees herself as a willing participant, is the older man still a pedophile? As a mature woman, Mira says yes.
It's hard to like young Mira as a character. As she herself admits, Mira grew up with advantages, and her constant drinking and cocaine use - as well as other behavior - is jarring. That said, teenage Mira had a good heart and was kind to people.
This is an engaging novel that would appeal to many suspense fans.
Thanks to Netgalley, Chris Bohjalian, and Doubleday for an ARC of the book.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
April 23, 2026
Never in my life did I think I would love a book about an unlikable teenage golfer but I was completely wrong. This book is fantastic! The author has created a story about a spoiled girl from a wealthy family and the reader actually cares deeply about her.
Mira, an 18 year old golf prodigy, drives practice balls at the country club she has played golf at since she was a child. One golf ball goes through the practice net and accidentally strikes a teenage caddy in the head killing him. This tragedy reveals secrets that destroy Mira’s life.
The Amateur is an outstanding, well written, thought provoking novel. One doesn’t need to play golf or even understand the game in order to enjoy this book. Highly recommend to readers everywhere. It’s a winner.
Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
Mira, an 18 year old golf prodigy, drives practice balls at the country club she has played golf at since she was a child. One golf ball goes through the practice net and accidentally strikes a teenage caddy in the head killing him. This tragedy reveals secrets that destroy Mira’s life.
The Amateur is an outstanding, well written, thought provoking novel. One doesn’t need to play golf or even understand the game in order to enjoy this book. Highly recommend to readers everywhere. It’s a winner.
Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
August 9, 2026
If you already know how unfair the world is to teenage girls, you don’t need this book. In The Amateur, posh kid Mira Winston accidentally kills a young caddy due to a faulty net at the driving range. The fallout from the incident exposes the secrets of her WASPy upstate New York town. When I say secrets, I mean, only two or three. Mainly Mira’s affair with a much older married man.
The plot unfolds so slowly it takes over half the book for Mira (as an adult narrator) to note she wasn’t drawn to older men, wait for it, middle-aged creeps are drawn to young girls. Not much of a revelation when the narrator has been referencing Lolita's "you took advantage of my disadvantage" since chapter one.
Mira worries her readers don’t like her, and some of the Goodreads reviews here call her unlikeable. Damn, what are the standards like for acceptable female leads with some of you folks???
As a narrator, Mira is level headed and almost too passive. In terms of driving the plot, she doesn’t do anything all that crazy; a bit of drugs, trashing a rapist’s car. All of which is disclosed in the opening paragraphs and mentioned so many times it loses its power.
She’s a perfectly average sister, daughter, and friend. So much so that this book becomes boring. Mira does us a solid and explains early on: "Hey, I’m not one of those unreliable narrators so don’t expect some kind of big character reveal." I appreciated the heads-up.
This book is billed as a mystery, but it's more of an exploration of how trauma and shitty men can derail your personal growth. We don’t get to the trial concerning the golfing accident until 80% into the novel. Mira’s (Bohjalian's??) confident assertion that rich people who lie aren’t likely to get a fair shake in the justice system was worth a chuckle. You'll probably guess what actually happened that day on the driving range before it's revealed.
Ultimately The Amateur is about a decent young woman with above-average golf skills who is sad for understandable reasons. Every character in this book will vanish from your mind the minute you close it.
The plot unfolds so slowly it takes over half the book for Mira (as an adult narrator) to note she wasn’t drawn to older men, wait for it, middle-aged creeps are drawn to young girls. Not much of a revelation when the narrator has been referencing Lolita's "you took advantage of my disadvantage" since chapter one.
Mira worries her readers don’t like her, and some of the Goodreads reviews here call her unlikeable. Damn, what are the standards like for acceptable female leads with some of you folks???
As a narrator, Mira is level headed and almost too passive. In terms of driving the plot, she doesn’t do anything all that crazy; a bit of drugs, trashing a rapist’s car. All of which is disclosed in the opening paragraphs and mentioned so many times it loses its power.
She’s a perfectly average sister, daughter, and friend. So much so that this book becomes boring. Mira does us a solid and explains early on: "Hey, I’m not one of those unreliable narrators so don’t expect some kind of big character reveal." I appreciated the heads-up.
This book is billed as a mystery, but it's more of an exploration of how trauma and shitty men can derail your personal growth. We don’t get to the trial concerning the golfing accident until 80% into the novel. Mira’s (Bohjalian's??) confident assertion that rich people who lie aren’t likely to get a fair shake in the justice system was worth a chuckle. You'll probably guess what actually happened that day on the driving range before it's revealed.
Ultimately The Amateur is about a decent young woman with above-average golf skills who is sad for understandable reasons. Every character in this book will vanish from your mind the minute you close it.
October 10, 2026
This was not an easy book to read. The writing is excellent, the content is explicit and horribly upsetting. I personally like to read about difficult topics because I feel like I can learn from them and be a better person, and maybe even be an advocate for people who are in dangerous situations. I do think because of this content people will be turned off by this book. It’s about a female child having sex with older predatory men, and in its telling, is told in the form of a memoir by the victim herself as an older woman years and years later. I think that in and of itself will be hard for people, and I think also, that because it’s written by a man will also be hard for people… both are fair and valid points. For me… I appreciate the dialogue. The journey of the book was not easy, but to me, the end message justifies the difficult voyage.
So… with that being said. Mira is a writer, and essentially we are reading her memoir from her time as a young girl, and an up and coming golf prodigy. Mira, now in her 60s (I’m guessing) tells the story from when she was 18, and accidentally kills a 17 year old caddy with a golf ball when she’s taking practice swings into a practice net that has failed. With this tragic accident, her secret life which includes sleeping with a married man 30 years her senior (since she was 15) is exposed. Mira is forced to face the world of predatory men, failed support systems, and self doubt and shame as she also grapples with the guilt she assigns herself after the accident at the golf club.
This is haunting, tragic, thought provoking and if it’s not eye opening, then in my opinion… that’s a huge problem and is horrifying to me.
So… with that being said. Mira is a writer, and essentially we are reading her memoir from her time as a young girl, and an up and coming golf prodigy. Mira, now in her 60s (I’m guessing) tells the story from when she was 18, and accidentally kills a 17 year old caddy with a golf ball when she’s taking practice swings into a practice net that has failed. With this tragic accident, her secret life which includes sleeping with a married man 30 years her senior (since she was 15) is exposed. Mira is forced to face the world of predatory men, failed support systems, and self doubt and shame as she also grapples with the guilt she assigns herself after the accident at the golf club.
This is haunting, tragic, thought provoking and if it’s not eye opening, then in my opinion… that’s a huge problem and is horrifying to me.
August 8, 2026
I picked this up after seeing a piece in the NYT calling it one of the best thrillers of the summer. Unfortunately it wouldn’t make my personal list; in fact, I’m not sure I’d call it a thriller.
The big inciting incident is when Mira, a high school golf prodigy, hits a drive into a practice net and it goes right through and hits a caddy in the head, killing him. There is, at worst, some potential minor negligence here. Even low grade manslaughter seems like a reach. But that’s what the entire book revolves around. Or at least what the flap copy claims it revolves around.
The bulk of the book is written from Mira’s perspective, looking back from years later, as she pontificates about the rogue drive incident, and also about how many drugs she was taking back then and how many older men she was sleeping with.
In fact, in my reading, Mira’s affairs with older men—one of which started when she was 15 and lasted for nearly four years—are the real heart of the book. She writes at length about how much she liked screwing these older men and how she fully consented to everything, and how boys her age were the ones who took advantage of her, and she was too mature for them.
It’s a strange theme to build a book around, and when I realized that the author is in fact an older man, it gave me an icky feeling.
The insight into this troubled main character is not bad, but it’s not good enough to overcome that icky feeling.
Likewise, the question of which way the jury will find in the eventual trial is well-crafted—I could see them going either way—but that doesn’t save the book from its terribly low stakes. It just doesn’t really matter, largely because we know the MC is writing this herself, after a long and fulfilling life.the melodramatic ending also doesn’t help
The big inciting incident is when Mira, a high school golf prodigy, hits a drive into a practice net and it goes right through and hits a caddy in the head, killing him. There is, at worst, some potential minor negligence here. Even low grade manslaughter seems like a reach. But that’s what the entire book revolves around. Or at least what the flap copy claims it revolves around.
The bulk of the book is written from Mira’s perspective, looking back from years later, as she pontificates about the rogue drive incident, and also about how many drugs she was taking back then and how many older men she was sleeping with.
In fact, in my reading, Mira’s affairs with older men—one of which started when she was 15 and lasted for nearly four years—are the real heart of the book. She writes at length about how much she liked screwing these older men and how she fully consented to everything, and how boys her age were the ones who took advantage of her, and she was too mature for them.
It’s a strange theme to build a book around, and when I realized that the author is in fact an older man, it gave me an icky feeling.
The insight into this troubled main character is not bad, but it’s not good enough to overcome that icky feeling.
Likewise, the question of which way the jury will find in the eventual trial is well-crafted—I could see them going either way—but that doesn’t save the book from its terribly low stakes. It just doesn’t really matter, largely because we know the MC is writing this herself, after a long and fulfilling life.the melodramatic ending also doesn’t help
October 25, 2026
The prolific Chris Bohjalian, a Vermont novelist with twenty-six books, has composed a memoir for an invented woman. The Amateur poses as the first memoir of Mira Winston, a fictional novelist in her sixties, looking back on the summer of 1978. The pretense lets Bohjalian deliver a courtroom thriller as a testimony narrated by a woman forever interrupting the story to insist she is a reliable witness.
The events occur in Tallmadge, an invented, affluent village in Westchester County, thirty-five minutes by commuter train from Manhattan. Its country club hires teenage caddies, boys paid to carry a golfer's bag, then advise on clubs. They wait in a shaded pergola beside a practice net. One August afternoon, Mira, eighteen, a golf prodigy bound for Yale, hits a ball through a tear in that net. It strikes Kenny Foster, seventeen, a newcomer from Florida, reading a book as he waits for a job. He dies. The prologue discloses this in its closing lines, so the book's tension lies elsewhere.
Mira carries a second fact. Since fifteen she has slept with Theo Catton, a married club member in his forties, a neighbor. The affair surfaces within weeks. A wrongful-death lawsuit, depositions, then a criminal trial follow, organized around a leather target gone missing from the net.
Bohjalian opens by dismissing the cosmos. The stars, the prologue informs us, are "little more than hot air." The narrator's creed is "It is chance that pulls the strings." Mira, reluctant to accept luck, builds a private cosmology, her affair the cause of the boy's death. The book therefore stages a duel between two superstitions, cosmic randomness against cosmic punishment, siding with the first. The adults around Mira hurry to confirm the death was an accident.
[image error]
Class is the second subject. Tallmadge regards open mourning as bad manners. Caddies use the bathroom off the kitchen. Mondays bring Caddy Day, a free round for caddies on a closed course, "an august celebration of the help." The prosecution later frames the case as a rich girl against a poor boy with promise, a framing Mira concedes. The acknowledgments reveal Bohjalian caddied for two summers, a history visible in the book's sympathies.
The title is a golf term for an unpaid player. Mira defines her memoir as the story of "a person who tried once too often to play above her game." The professionals around her, lawyers, a club pro, detectives, perform competence.
The epigraphs frame the stakes. Jack Nicklaus, the golf legend, offers "A perfectly straight shot with a big club is a fluke." Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, the Puritan tale of a woman branded for adultery, offers the second. Westchester brands Mira with gossip in a politer typeface. At nineteen she tattoos a line from Lolita on her forearm, Vladimir Nabokov's novel of a middle-aged predator, Humbert Humbert, plus the twelve-year-old girl in his custody. The line belongs to the girl, addressed to him. "You took advantage of my disadvantage."
The 1970s include a jukebox set list, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Merv Griffin,add spice and stamp a date. Bohjalian tees up quaaludes as "disco biscuits," and a human-sexuality course becomes "holes and poles.” A parade of older men, cocaine, and sex, restates a thesis the opening chapters established, namely that predators select girls like Mira.
The courtroom chapters move quickly. Her lawyer recites the elements of negligence in four words, "Duty. Breach. Causation. Damages." The book extends this catechism to people far outside a courtroom. The title promises an amateur, yet the construction belongs to a professional, a distinction apt for a story about credit for skill, charges for luck.
My final opinion comes with a bogey and a birdie. The book is compulsive reading, built like a dogleg, the fairway bending out of sight as the narrator lines up her next shot. Yet Kenny, the dead boy at the center, gets sketched through a bookshelf, a closet of leisure suits, plus a family's recollections. The corpse shares fewer lines than the cocktail party.
The book keeps pointing at a felony, then waves the traffic along. Theo Catton, a grown neighbor, took Mira to bed at fifteen. The narrator concedes it in one breath, softens it in the next by noting she looked older, then corrects course with "I looked eighteen, but I was fifteen." One passage does name the act as rape, yet the judgment comes in installments, some days condemning Theo, other days merely grading him exploitive.
The bartender and professors after him are logged as "another in my litany of older men," a phrase brisker than the acts deserve. Mira's lie about her age steers the law away from him, the lawyers fret over a missing target, and Theo's conduct draws a punch in a driveway, then silence.
The book adopts a golfer's stance, eyes on the ball, here the boy's death, leaving the abuse to peripheral vision. A narrator so fluent in golf's rules could have assessed the penalty. Instead the abuse sits in the rough, and the story plays the next hole.
[image error]
❤️ 🇮🇱
The events occur in Tallmadge, an invented, affluent village in Westchester County, thirty-five minutes by commuter train from Manhattan. Its country club hires teenage caddies, boys paid to carry a golfer's bag, then advise on clubs. They wait in a shaded pergola beside a practice net. One August afternoon, Mira, eighteen, a golf prodigy bound for Yale, hits a ball through a tear in that net. It strikes Kenny Foster, seventeen, a newcomer from Florida, reading a book as he waits for a job. He dies. The prologue discloses this in its closing lines, so the book's tension lies elsewhere.
Mira carries a second fact. Since fifteen she has slept with Theo Catton, a married club member in his forties, a neighbor. The affair surfaces within weeks. A wrongful-death lawsuit, depositions, then a criminal trial follow, organized around a leather target gone missing from the net.
Bohjalian opens by dismissing the cosmos. The stars, the prologue informs us, are "little more than hot air." The narrator's creed is "It is chance that pulls the strings." Mira, reluctant to accept luck, builds a private cosmology, her affair the cause of the boy's death. The book therefore stages a duel between two superstitions, cosmic randomness against cosmic punishment, siding with the first. The adults around Mira hurry to confirm the death was an accident.
[image error]
Class is the second subject. Tallmadge regards open mourning as bad manners. Caddies use the bathroom off the kitchen. Mondays bring Caddy Day, a free round for caddies on a closed course, "an august celebration of the help." The prosecution later frames the case as a rich girl against a poor boy with promise, a framing Mira concedes. The acknowledgments reveal Bohjalian caddied for two summers, a history visible in the book's sympathies.
The title is a golf term for an unpaid player. Mira defines her memoir as the story of "a person who tried once too often to play above her game." The professionals around her, lawyers, a club pro, detectives, perform competence.
The epigraphs frame the stakes. Jack Nicklaus, the golf legend, offers "A perfectly straight shot with a big club is a fluke." Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, the Puritan tale of a woman branded for adultery, offers the second. Westchester brands Mira with gossip in a politer typeface. At nineteen she tattoos a line from Lolita on her forearm, Vladimir Nabokov's novel of a middle-aged predator, Humbert Humbert, plus the twelve-year-old girl in his custody. The line belongs to the girl, addressed to him. "You took advantage of my disadvantage."
The 1970s include a jukebox set list, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Merv Griffin,add spice and stamp a date. Bohjalian tees up quaaludes as "disco biscuits," and a human-sexuality course becomes "holes and poles.” A parade of older men, cocaine, and sex, restates a thesis the opening chapters established, namely that predators select girls like Mira.
The courtroom chapters move quickly. Her lawyer recites the elements of negligence in four words, "Duty. Breach. Causation. Damages." The book extends this catechism to people far outside a courtroom. The title promises an amateur, yet the construction belongs to a professional, a distinction apt for a story about credit for skill, charges for luck.
My final opinion comes with a bogey and a birdie. The book is compulsive reading, built like a dogleg, the fairway bending out of sight as the narrator lines up her next shot. Yet Kenny, the dead boy at the center, gets sketched through a bookshelf, a closet of leisure suits, plus a family's recollections. The corpse shares fewer lines than the cocktail party.
The book keeps pointing at a felony, then waves the traffic along. Theo Catton, a grown neighbor, took Mira to bed at fifteen. The narrator concedes it in one breath, softens it in the next by noting she looked older, then corrects course with "I looked eighteen, but I was fifteen." One passage does name the act as rape, yet the judgment comes in installments, some days condemning Theo, other days merely grading him exploitive.
The bartender and professors after him are logged as "another in my litany of older men," a phrase brisker than the acts deserve. Mira's lie about her age steers the law away from him, the lawyers fret over a missing target, and Theo's conduct draws a punch in a driveway, then silence.
The book adopts a golfer's stance, eyes on the ball, here the boy's death, leaving the abuse to peripheral vision. A narrator so fluent in golf's rules could have assessed the penalty. Instead the abuse sits in the rough, and the story plays the next hole.
[image error]
❤️ 🇮🇱
March 6, 2026
I’m a longtime Chris Bohjalian fan, so it was no surprise that I was instantly hooked with this story of a young woman who accidentally killed a caddy while hitting balls at a golf course. However, two things about this multifaceted story did surprise me. First, that the author was somehow skilled at telling a story centered around a golf prodigy, and that such a story was somehow captivating to a person like myself, who has absolutely no interest (or basic knowledge) in the area of golf. Don’t let the premise or the description of this novel fool you— it is so much more than just a golf story. The reader quickly discovers that the golf course is merely the backdrop for the incident that shapes the story, which already began to unfold before the incident occurred, as Mira grew up in this small and somewhat exclusive community..
The real story lies in the heartbreaking but somehow relatable series of events that the main character, Mira, experiences in her formative years as a young woman who is planning to enter college before her life gets derailed. Which brings me to my second surprise: Chris Bohjalian is somehow incredibly skilled at writing from the voice of a young woman. There is an art to this, as your stereotypical country club brat is not typically the most likable individual. But just like the multi-layered story, there are layers to our protagonist, and the reader quickly discovers that she’s got issues and she’s been taken advantage of and she’s not just an entitled golf star.
As with the best mysteries, we are thrown a shocking turn of events, but not before we begin to understand Mira more deeply. This is a story of suspense, but there are other themes at play through the entirety of the novel, which are difficult to touch on without spoiling some of the best parts. Just know that this is the 70s, and times, they were different.
I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy crime and suspense fiction works, And if you’re like me and don’t particularly care for golf, don’t let that discourage you from giving this book a chance. It’s so much more than what it may appear. Just like Mira. If you’re like me, it will have you thinking about how a single brief moment in time can completely change one’s life, for good or for bad. And how every action has an equal and opposite reaction,
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel in advance of its publication
The real story lies in the heartbreaking but somehow relatable series of events that the main character, Mira, experiences in her formative years as a young woman who is planning to enter college before her life gets derailed. Which brings me to my second surprise: Chris Bohjalian is somehow incredibly skilled at writing from the voice of a young woman. There is an art to this, as your stereotypical country club brat is not typically the most likable individual. But just like the multi-layered story, there are layers to our protagonist, and the reader quickly discovers that she’s got issues and she’s been taken advantage of and she’s not just an entitled golf star.
As with the best mysteries, we are thrown a shocking turn of events, but not before we begin to understand Mira more deeply. This is a story of suspense, but there are other themes at play through the entirety of the novel, which are difficult to touch on without spoiling some of the best parts. Just know that this is the 70s, and times, they were different.
I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy crime and suspense fiction works, And if you’re like me and don’t particularly care for golf, don’t let that discourage you from giving this book a chance. It’s so much more than what it may appear. Just like Mira. If you’re like me, it will have you thinking about how a single brief moment in time can completely change one’s life, for good or for bad. And how every action has an equal and opposite reaction,
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel in advance of its publication
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I thought at first I wasn't going to enjoy this book: there's a surprising amount of f-words used and there's sex between an older married man and a minor. The main character, Mira, the aforementioned minor, is not very likable. It's 1978, she's won the birth lottery, living a privileged life in one of the tony suburbs of NYC with wealthy parents and a perfect older brother. Her main goal it seems is to do something that will make her father proud, make him finally notice her, yet she makes one bad choice after another. She's considered a golf phenom at their local country club until one day she kills a young caddy named Kenny Foster with a drive that slams through the practice net.
It turns out that this is actually a memoir that Mira is writing in her old age. Over the years, she's become a successful writer and wants to share what happened to her as a teen. 'The purpose of a memoir is to share something universal in one's own idiosyncratic experience: something meaningful that's helpful or healing or adds to our understanding of a moment in time.'
This also turns into a courtroom drama as the legal system tries to decide who is responsible for Kenny Foster's death. There's quite an interesting and unexpected twist to the plot.
Golf of course plays a big part in this story, but I don't think you have to be into golf per se to enjoy it. And enjoy it I did in the end. It was interesting to see Mira go through so much, make so many mistakes, and then finally begin to change. Meeting someone with a good moral compass certainly helps.
Chris Bohjalian is definitely one of my favorite writers. Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of his new novel via NetGalley.
It turns out that this is actually a memoir that Mira is writing in her old age. Over the years, she's become a successful writer and wants to share what happened to her as a teen. 'The purpose of a memoir is to share something universal in one's own idiosyncratic experience: something meaningful that's helpful or healing or adds to our understanding of a moment in time.'
This also turns into a courtroom drama as the legal system tries to decide who is responsible for Kenny Foster's death. There's quite an interesting and unexpected twist to the plot.
Golf of course plays a big part in this story, but I don't think you have to be into golf per se to enjoy it. And enjoy it I did in the end. It was interesting to see Mira go through so much, make so many mistakes, and then finally begin to change. Meeting someone with a good moral compass certainly helps.
Chris Bohjalian is definitely one of my favorite writers. Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of his new novel via NetGalley.
August 25, 2026
"When a young woman, a golf prodigy, kills a caddy with a stray ball at the country club, the investigation of this freak accident reveals a dark and shocking tale of secret affairs, predatory men, and a teenager on trial."
Mira Winston is eighteen years old when a net fails and a golf ball moving at 150 mph strikes caddy Kenny Foster in the temple and instantly kills him. At first, it is ruled an accident until Kenny's father sees her with her married lover, thirty years her senior. At this point the community turns on Mira and villanizes her, forcing her to stand trial.
This book is gripping and so thought-provoking. Masterfully written by Chris Bohjalian, it begs the question of culpability. Who was responsible.for the death of Kenny Foster? Was it Mira, the country club, or the net manufacturer? Who is responsible for the demise of Theo Catton's marriage? Is it an eighteen-year-old girl or her middle-aged lover who groomed her at fifteen years old? The story is engaging as it is told in first person as a memoir when Mira is older and has more wisdom. I have read books before that address predators and haven't been able to stomach them. This is tastefully done and shows group behavior. It examines how one moment can erase years of good and change the course of a life. Highly recommend this propulsive read!
The audiobook performance by Melora Hardin (9 hours 58 minutes) is perfection! She brings all the characters to life and her skill at distinct voices for male and female characters is top notch!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Doubleday Books, PRH Audio and Chris Bohjalian for the gifted advance reader's copy, advance listening copy and finished copy. All opinions are my own. 🎧📚
Mira Winston is eighteen years old when a net fails and a golf ball moving at 150 mph strikes caddy Kenny Foster in the temple and instantly kills him. At first, it is ruled an accident until Kenny's father sees her with her married lover, thirty years her senior. At this point the community turns on Mira and villanizes her, forcing her to stand trial.
This book is gripping and so thought-provoking. Masterfully written by Chris Bohjalian, it begs the question of culpability. Who was responsible.for the death of Kenny Foster? Was it Mira, the country club, or the net manufacturer? Who is responsible for the demise of Theo Catton's marriage? Is it an eighteen-year-old girl or her middle-aged lover who groomed her at fifteen years old? The story is engaging as it is told in first person as a memoir when Mira is older and has more wisdom. I have read books before that address predators and haven't been able to stomach them. This is tastefully done and shows group behavior. It examines how one moment can erase years of good and change the course of a life. Highly recommend this propulsive read!
The audiobook performance by Melora Hardin (9 hours 58 minutes) is perfection! She brings all the characters to life and her skill at distinct voices for male and female characters is top notch!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Doubleday Books, PRH Audio and Chris Bohjalian for the gifted advance reader's copy, advance listening copy and finished copy. All opinions are my own. 🎧📚
September 9, 2026
DNF at 50%
I found this story to be offensive, the predator sex, and a main character who was so mentally incapable of making a good decision. This was truly a ride on a trail headed for suicide.
I am done with this author's books.
I found this story to be offensive, the predator sex, and a main character who was so mentally incapable of making a good decision. This was truly a ride on a trail headed for suicide.
I am done with this author's books.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Chris Bohjalian does it again with THE AMATEUR, a gripping, emotionally rich thriller that begins with a shocking accident and unfolds into a powerful story about fate, privilege, trauma, and reinvention. Kate Elizabeth Russell’s My Dark Vanessa meets Liz Nugent, this one was unlike any of the author’s previous novels and is a total genre blend.
Mira is a deeply flawed yet fascinating protagonist whose voice feels authentic and layered, and Bohjalian once again proves his remarkable ability to reinvent himself. Even if golf isn’t your thing, don’t worry because it isn’t my thing either, but this book is a suspenseful, character-driven story about how one split-second decision can alter the course of a life, and it’s one of Bohjalian’s strongest novels yet. STARS: 4, PUB: 8/4
Mira is a deeply flawed yet fascinating protagonist whose voice feels authentic and layered, and Bohjalian once again proves his remarkable ability to reinvent himself. Even if golf isn’t your thing, don’t worry because it isn’t my thing either, but this book is a suspenseful, character-driven story about how one split-second decision can alter the course of a life, and it’s one of Bohjalian’s strongest novels yet. STARS: 4, PUB: 8/4
September 28, 2026
One of the most thought provoking books that I’ve come across this year!
“THE AMATEUR” kept me thinking…
Don’t let this be.
Do Not let this be!🥺😢
Another unforgettable novel by Chris Bohjalian.
🌺 Read what you love! 🌺
“THE AMATEUR” kept me thinking…
Don’t let this be.
Do Not let this be!🥺😢
Another unforgettable novel by Chris Bohjalian.
🌺 Read what you love! 🌺
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2026
There is no mystery about who killed Kenny Foster, a 17-year-old caddy at the Tallmadge Country Club in August of 1978. It was the fiery 18-year-old LPGA hopeful Mira Winston. She was driving balls into the practice net when a shot blasts through the mesh at about 150 miles per hour and slams into the caddy’s head, killing him.
Mira is devastated. She does not matriculate at Yale like she had planned. Indeed, she never plays golf again. Mira becomes convinced that Kenny’s death is karmic punishment for her multiyear affair with a married 40-something man. Oh—and it seems the girl had a terrible temper, and thus is suspected of sabotaging the practice net herself as she despised its presence. Mira (and her parents) self-medicate with drugs and alcohol.
The drama eventually comes to trial. Is she legally responsible for Kenny’s death? Will a civil suit by Kenny’s family make her pay? The media spins the story as “privileged rich girl with too much attitude recklessly kills a student with so much promise”. There is a stunning 11th-hour twist!
This is a morality tale, a psychological exploration of guilt and its repercussions when girls like Mira were sexualized and judged by everyone, including other women.
Mira is devastated. She does not matriculate at Yale like she had planned. Indeed, she never plays golf again. Mira becomes convinced that Kenny’s death is karmic punishment for her multiyear affair with a married 40-something man. Oh—and it seems the girl had a terrible temper, and thus is suspected of sabotaging the practice net herself as she despised its presence. Mira (and her parents) self-medicate with drugs and alcohol.
The drama eventually comes to trial. Is she legally responsible for Kenny’s death? Will a civil suit by Kenny’s family make her pay? The media spins the story as “privileged rich girl with too much attitude recklessly kills a student with so much promise”. There is a stunning 11th-hour twist!
This is a morality tale, a psychological exploration of guilt and its repercussions when girls like Mira were sexualized and judged by everyone, including other women.
August 12, 2026
I’m sorry but this just didn’t land for me. I wanted it to go in a different direction than it did so it was a little disappointing. This is my first book by this author so maybe it’s my fault for not recognizing their style but the synopsis was originally interesting to me. I also found myself uncomfortable with how the female character viewed her own abuse by older men, specifically because this was written by a man. If this book had been by a woman I think I may have felt differently. Maybe that says more about me than the author but it’s just how I felt. Ended abruptly as well.
Thanks to Doubleday Books and the author for an arc from NetGalley
Thanks to Doubleday Books and the author for an arc from NetGalley
August 20, 2026
The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian is one of those novels that hits hard but never feels heavy‑handed. The subject matter is undeniably harrowing — the kind of real‑world darkness that makes you pause, breathe, and sometimes wince — yet Bohjalian handles every difficult moment with such care, clarity, and surprising humour that you never feel overwhelmed. He knows exactly when to soften the blow, when to let the tension sit, and when to let a sharp, perfectly timed joke cut through the gloom. It’s a delicate balance, and he absolutely nails it.
What really keeps the book grounded is Mira. She makes some genuinely bad life choices — the kind that make you want to reach into the page and say “please don’t do that” — but she’s still deeply likeable. Bohjalian gives her enough vulnerability, wit, and self‑awareness that you end up rooting for her even when she’s spiralling. She’s flawed in a way that feels human rather than frustrating, and her voice carries so much warmth that you stay with her through every misstep.
Despite the tough themes, the novel is strangely uplifting. Bohjalian’s trademark humour threads through the darkest chapters, giving the story a kind of resilience. You feel the weight of what’s happening, but you also feel the author’s compassion — his insistence on seeing people as complicated, funny, hopeful, and worth caring about.
It’s gripping, emotionally sharp, and unexpectedly funny. A tough read handled with real heart.
What really keeps the book grounded is Mira. She makes some genuinely bad life choices — the kind that make you want to reach into the page and say “please don’t do that” — but she’s still deeply likeable. Bohjalian gives her enough vulnerability, wit, and self‑awareness that you end up rooting for her even when she’s spiralling. She’s flawed in a way that feels human rather than frustrating, and her voice carries so much warmth that you stay with her through every misstep.
Despite the tough themes, the novel is strangely uplifting. Bohjalian’s trademark humour threads through the darkest chapters, giving the story a kind of resilience. You feel the weight of what’s happening, but you also feel the author’s compassion — his insistence on seeing people as complicated, funny, hopeful, and worth caring about.
It’s gripping, emotionally sharp, and unexpectedly funny. A tough read handled with real heart.
Did Not Finish
September 24, 2026The writing itself was really good, but I wasn’t drawn into the plot. I put it down, hoping that I would want to come back to it, but unfortunately, I didn’t so moving it to the DNF pile
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