The plot

A failed writer becomes a bestseller with a story stolen from an arrogant student. What could possibly go wrong? The plot is an ingenious psychological thriller about a book too good not to be published.

Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist, with a first book published by a reputable publisher. Today, he teaches creative writing in a low-key program and struggles to maintain what remains of his self-respect. He hasn't written—much less published—anything worthwhile in years. When Evan Parker, his most arrogant student, announces that he doesn't need Jacob's help because the plot of the book he's writing is guaranteed to be a hit, the professor's first impulse is to dismiss the statement as a typical narcissistic outburst. But then... he hears the plot.

Jacob returns to his own downward trajectory and prepares for the explosive publication of Evan Parker's first novel, but it never happens. When Jacob discovers that his former student died without finishing the book, he does what any self-respecting writer would do with a story like this—a story that needs to be told no matter what. He steals the idea.

Within a few years, all of Evan Parker's predictions came true, but it was Jacob, the author, who rode the wave. He was now rich, famous, praised, and read worldwide. However, at the height of his glorious new life, an email arrived, the first in a series of terrifying, anonymous attacks: "You're a thief," the email read.

In an attempt to discover who is threatening him and hide the truth from his readers and publishers, Jacob begins investigating and learning more about his deceased student—and what he discovers surprises and terrifies him. Who was Evan Parker, and how did he come up with the idea for that novel? What is the real story behind this plot? Who stole from whom?

“The plot of The Plot — the year’s best thriller — is too good to reveal.” — The Washington Post

" The plot is one of the best books I've ever read about writers and writing. It's also one of those thrillers you devour, with the suspense level sky-high. Extraordinary." — Stephen King

“Fascinating and utterly disturbing. It will fly off the shelves.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Ingenious, tense, fascinating. I finished it in five hours.” — Lisa Jewell

“What a fantastic book. Besides being a perfectly told mystery, it's also a particularly skillful satire of the literary scene.” — Malcolm Gladwell

“Korelitz’s plot is devilishly clever, and herein lies the greatest twist of all: that a book about a writer can be so suspenseful and so entertaining.” — People

“It leaves you wondering, guessing, and also wondering about ambition, fame, and intellectual property.” — The New York Times Book Review

“Wickedly funny and frighteningly dark... It deserves all the praise.” — The Wall Street Journal

“Korelitz deserves applause for his own perfect plot.” — Publishers Weekly

“A diabolically irresistible story of unbridled ambition.” — Oprah Daily