Paul can't stand his brother Serge, a well-known politician. Nevertheless, they, along with their wives, visit a restaurant together because they need to talk about their sons. The boys have done something that jeopardizes their future. But how far would one go to protect their own family? I looked at the surveillance camera footage. My heart raced, my lips went dry. A sharp pain pierced my head. There, in the bottom right: something white. I already knew what it was. Still, I grabbed a magnifying glass. A white sneaker. One just like the ones my son and my nephew wear. Herman Koch (1953) is a Dutch actor and writer. His book Het diner won the prestigious NS Publieksprijs in the Netherlands in 2009. The novel was published in Germany in 2010 under the title Angerichtet.