here’s a solid mix—sharp female leads, top of their field, no romance subplot dragging the story:
– **The Power of the Dog** by Don Winslow (Nora is a cold, calculating DEA boss)
not the *main* protagonist but she runs the game when she shows up—gritty, no fluff
– **Company** by Max Barry
satire with a mysterious CEO character—female, competent, sharp
funny and layered without falling into rom-com territory
– **Lean In** by Sheryl Sandberg
technically nonfiction, but if you’re cool with that, it’s full of real CEO-level female power moves
good mindset fuel
– **The Partner Track** by Helen Wan
young corporate lawyer aiming for partner, not CEO, but the same energy
focused on ambition, politics, and pushing through
(no real romance angle unless you count office tension)
also consider diving into **biographies/memoirs** of real women execs—less common in fiction, but the real stories hit just as hard
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Anna Bright is Hiding Something
Snake Oil
You’re Safe Here
All are about shady female executives
here’s a solid mix—sharp female leads, top of their field, no romance subplot dragging the story:
– **The Power of the Dog** by Don Winslow (Nora is a cold, calculating DEA boss)
not the *main* protagonist but she runs the game when she shows up—gritty, no fluff
– **Company** by Max Barry
satire with a mysterious CEO character—female, competent, sharp
funny and layered without falling into rom-com territory
– **Lean In** by Sheryl Sandberg
technically nonfiction, but if you’re cool with that, it’s full of real CEO-level female power moves
good mindset fuel
– **The Partner Track** by Helen Wan
young corporate lawyer aiming for partner, not CEO, but the same energy
focused on ambition, politics, and pushing through
(no real romance angle unless you count office tension)
also consider diving into **biographies/memoirs** of real women execs—less common in fiction, but the real stories hit just as hard