I Am Not Who You Think I Am: A Novel

"Eight-year-old Wayland Maynard sees his father kill himself. What the world doesn’t know is that Wayland found a note that reads: “I am not who you think I am.” Eight years later, he’s convinced the note is the key to unlocking a past rife with secrets that others want to keep buried. The story is a dark search for truth praised for its elegant prose and captivating twists. Absolutely. They’re all stellar and I encourage any lover of suspense and twisty thrillers to treat themselves to these award-winners. S.A. Cosby also took the prize for Razorblade Tears in the ‘best audiobook’ category. High praise once again for Cosby’s superb storytelling and actor Adam Lazarre-White’s amazing narration. A perfect, winning combination. Sri Lankan author Amanda Jayatissa took home the prize for the best first novel for My Sweet Girl —a dark, twisty story about Paloma, adopted from a Sri Lankan orphanage to privilege… only to find years later that some secrets never die. Jess Lourey took home the prize for the best paperback original novel for her inspired-by-real-events book, Bloodline , in which pregnant journalist Joan Harken follows her fiancé back to his Minnesota hometown only to find that all is not exactly as it seems. Scott Loring Sanders took home the award for the best short story for ‘The Lemonade Stand,’ in which a young girl is abducted. She returns from the ordeal unharmed… but now her father is ready to exact revenge. E.J. Findorff took home the award for the best e-book original novel for Blood Parish, in which Angel Blondeaux leaves home—and her organized crime family—for a career with the FBI. After the death of her aunt, Angel returns home to investigate a 30-year-old mystery buried in secrets, not knowing whom she can trust. Get the weekly Five Books newsletter Courtney Summers took home the prize for the best young adult novel for The Project , a story of two sisters who lose their parents in a tragic accident. When Bea joins a community called The Unity Project, Lo spends six years trying to reconnect with her sister, only to find her own life in danger. Every one of these novels—along with the finalists in each of the seven categories —captivated our judges and, I know, will continue to accrue new fans for each of the authors and the thriller genre as a whole. Looking ahead to 2023, we are excited to see who will join the list of International Thriller Writers’ award winners. Part of our best books of 2022 series."