A sharp, unsettling literary thriller about guilt, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves — inspired by one of the most infamous real-life cases of our time.
 
When 21-year-old American student Lily Hayes is accused of murdering her roommate while studying abroad in Buenos Aires, her world — and her family’s — collapses under the glare of global scrutiny. As the investigation unfolds, truth and perception blur, leaving readers to question not just Lily’s innocence, but the motives and morality of everyone involved.
 
In Cartwheel, Jennifer duBois (A Partial History of Lost Causes) reimagines a case strikingly similar to the Amanda Knox story, transforming it into a haunting exploration of privilege, justice, and cultural misunderstanding.
Told through multiple perspectives — Lily’s, her parents’, and the prosecutor’s — the novel peels back the layers of human behavior and the ways guilt can exist even without a crime. duBois’s prose is elegant, precise, and psychologically rich, elevating this from a crime story to a profound meditation on empathy and judgment.
 
Cartwheel is both a gripping courtroom mystery and a chilling portrait of how truth becomes distorted through media, memory, and emotion — a modern masterpiece that lingers long after the last page.
 
💖 Why You’ll Love It
A literary, psychologically complex thriller inspired by real events.
Explores morality, justice, and cultural bias with nuance.
Beautifully written with layered, multidimensional characters.
Perfect for readers who love cerebral suspense and moral tension.
Praised by critics as a “brilliant, sly meditation on guilt and innocence.”
 
🌟 Perfect For
Fans of Gone Girl, The Secret History, and If We Were Villains.
Readers who enjoy psychological and moral complexity.
Book clubs discussing perception, media, and personal truth.
Anyone drawn to smart, literary crime fiction.
 
❤️ Fans Also Liked
If you enjoyed Cartwheel, you might also like:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt — brilliance, guilt, and obsession.
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll — trauma and reinvention.
A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight — layered domestic suspense.