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"The Secret Dinner" | Reviewed by Pat Sainz
“The Secret Dinner,” by Brazilian crime writer Raphael Montes, is a chilling thriller exposing the human condition at its least appealing. Some moments of compassion and love are woven into, what one hopes is a very unlikely scenario.
Dante narrates the story of him and his three boyhood friends who leave their tiny town in southern Brazil for Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro in 2018. With the help of Dante’s mother, the young adults rent a large, beautiful apartment that easily sleeps the four friends.
Four years later, the young adults are still together in the apartment. Dante is content with his work at a bookstore. Piglet (nickname) works from home doing deep-dives into the internet; Hugo is a chef; and Miguel, a doctor at a local hospital. They find out they are to lose their apartment due to financial mismanagement by one of the friends. Desperate for money, they come up with a plan that reverses their fortunes.
Their plan to serve a gourmet dinner for 10 at their home, modeled after popular cooking shows. The young men know that their dinner must offer something unparalleled; something for which strangers would pay hundreds of dollars.
Invitations are sent to very wealthy businessmen and women, heirs and heiresses, corrupt politicians and the nouveau riche, thanks to Piglet’s ability to scour the internet. He targets likely candidates who might be looking for something new based on their internet history, which Piglet can track.
The roommates garner $30,000 within hours of sending the email invitations. This is plenty to get them out of debt, and then some.
Along with the exclusive guest list, the young men will serve exclusive meat. On the invitations to the dinner, the invitees are made aware of the exotic and unique meat they will be served. Dante knows their plan will not lead to anything good, and he is right.
The dinner is a success and more dinners follow. An investor steps in with plans to involve more locations. The business model reflects the human need for power, the superiority of the wealthy, and the corruption of authority.
Although this novel presents passages that are disarming at best, the writing is fluid and captivating. The connections made at the end of the story reveal a plot twist that I am sure few will predict. It’s a brilliant ending.
Fans of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Alex Micheldemas will welcome Raphael Montes as a writer to pursue.
Montes has written eight novels. His book “Good Morning, Veronica” was a Netflix series airing from 2020 to 2024.
