For those who haven't had the pleasure, Verissimo is one of the most celebrated and accomplished Brazilian writers of today. The man has a touch for comedy that's unparalleled and in this book he shows his skill in the mystery genre telling the thrilling story of a group of people caught up in a macabre dinner club.
The "Clube do Picadinho" meets every month to indulge in food and drinks arranged by a different member each time. The organization goes through its ups and downs, celebrating here their friendship and there their differences, for 21 years. Until one of the original 10 members passes away. As the new year begins and they wonder if the club should still have a place in their lives, a mysterious character joins them, not as a member, but as an expert chef behind the curtains, preparing dinner after dinner for them. And then, one by one, people begin to die. One after each and every dinner, where the main course was the victim's favourite dish. They suspect their food is being poisoned; they figure out a pattern for the deaths so that they can predict who the next one will be. But they cannot stop eating because the food is too good to pass.
This is a great and bizarre story to make you think on the "whodunit", but which also makes you laugh as it goes on. I'm not sure it's been translated from the original Portuguese, but it certainly is something to keep an eye out for.
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