The Secret Dinner by Montes, Raphael

"Bold and bloody, it's a thriller with real bite." ―Riley Sager
"Highly imaginative and totally unique." ―Alex Michaelides
"Wickedly smart...It seizes your breath from the first page and refuses to let go!" ―Lisa Jewell

Four childhood friends, eager for a taste of city life, swap rural Brazil for an apartment in Copacabana, Rio. But they have no idea of the fate that awaits them there. . . .

Dante, Piglet, Miguel, and Hugo are your average students trying to make ends meet with part-time jobs, excited about the bright futures at their fingertips. So when their rent skyrockets, they struggle to keep their new lives and big dreams afloat. They need to make money however they can. In order to keep their apartment, the friends adopt an unorthodox plan and are soon sucked into a dark world of secret dinner parties catering to the twisted fantasies of Rio's elite.

Author: Raphael Montes
Publisher: Celadon Books
Published: 08/18/2026
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.21lbs
Size: 9.54h x 6.53w x 1.19d
ISBN: 9781250442413

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/08/2026
Library Journal 07/01/2026 pg. 39
Booklist 07/01/2026
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2026

About the Author

Raphael Montes is the biggest thriller writer in Brazil. His eight novels have sold more than a million copies and have been published in more than twenty-five countries.

Also a screenwriter, Montes is the showrunner of Scars of Beauty--the most watched original show on HBO Max in Latin America--and Netflix's award-winning series Good Morning, Verônica. He splits his time between Rio de Janeiro and New York and has a strong presence on social media, where he shares his creative process with his readers.