When Robert Walter, popular mayor of Amsterdam, sees his wife toss her head back with laughter while chatting to one of his aldermen at a New Year's reception, he immediately suspects the worst. Robert starts spending a lot of time and energy "behaving normally." Naturally, his normal behavior is far more suspicious. Normally Robert is not really present when he's at home; he's preoccupied with his phone, the newspapers and his own thoughts. But now Robert is so sure he'll miss the clues if he doesn't pay attention that he starts to be almost alarmingly attentive and interested --- ultimately losing himself in increasingly panicked and paranoid trains of thought.

Once a celebrated writer, M had his greatest success with a suspense novel based on a real-life disappearance. It told the story of a history teacher who went missing one winter after having a brief affair with a beautiful student of his. The teacher was never found. Upon publication, M's novel was a runaway bestseller, one that marked his international breakthrough. That was years ago, and now M's career is fading. But not when it comes to his bizarre, seemingly timid neighbor who keeps a close eye on him and his wife. Why?

When a medical procedure goes horribly wrong and famous actor Ralph Meier winds up dead, Dr. Marc Schlosser needs to come up with some answers. After all, reputation is everything in this business. Personally, he’s not exactly upset that Ralph is gone, but as a high-profile doctor to the stars, Marc can't hide from the truth forever.

Tautly written, incredibly gripping and told by an unforgettable narrator, THE DINNER promises to be the topic of countless dinner party debates. Skewering everything from parenting values to pretentious menus to political convictions, this novel reveals the dark side of genteel society and asks what each of us would do in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

On a summer's evening in Amsterdam, two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. The conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said; with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened. As civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.