02 Jul Book Review: The Dinner Club by Saskia Noort

Saskia Noort, a prominent Dutch crime author and journalist, turned heads in her home country with De eetclub, first published in 2004. Translated into English as The Dinner Club in 2007, the novel became a bestseller and was even adapted into a Dutch thriller film. With its suburban setting, simmering secrets, and escalating tension, it fits the crime-suspense thriller mould while delivering a critique of modern relationships, affluence, and social masks.

What’s it about?

Karen van de Made and her husband Michel move from bustling Amsterdam to a quiet village, trading city life for a spacious home and the illusion of calm. Michel works long hours at his architecture firm, leaving Karen isolated with their daughters and no real sense of community—until they’re invited to join a local circle of well-heeled couples, the so-called “dinner club.” Weekly gatherings filled with fine wine, sleek homes, and superficial conversation become Karen’s new normal.

The members seem perfectly content on the surface, but soon one of them, Evert, is found dead in what appears to be a house fire—ruled a suicide. Karen, unsettled by the lack of emotion and strange inconsistencies, starts sensing cracks in the club’s glossy facade. Then another member, Fie, plunges from a hotel balcony. Karen starts to wonder if these aren’t accidents or isolated events.

As she digs deeper, tensions rise. The men in the group share shadowy financial dealings, while the women juggle betrayals, manipulation, and unspoken rules. Simon, the suave and wealthy central figure of the group, becomes increasingly suspicious—especially once Karen learns that Michel has professional ties to him, which may not be entirely above board.

Karen herself begins an affair—part rebellion, part desperation—and quickly realizes that her independence has become a threat. The group closes ranks. Karen becomes a liability. What started as friendly dinners and shared laughter turns into a psychological chess game where loyalty is weaponized, secrets become leverage, and someone always seems to be watching.

The novel crescendos in a gripping and violent confrontation that lays bare just how far people will go to protect status, secrets, and the illusion of the perfect life.

What This Chick Thinks

Social Cliques with Sharp Teeth

Noort does an incredible job at capturing that uniquely suffocating dynamic of adult social cliques. Everyone plays their part until someone steps out of line, and then the whole ecosystem turns against them. It reminded me of high school—but with mortgages and red wine.

A Slow Burn That Works

This is not a thriller that leaps out with blood and bodies on page one. Instead, it simmers. The tension is built through dialogue, glances, and the dread of what’s not being said. And when the action finally spikes, it hits harder because of all that build-up.

Karen: A Woman Coming Undone

She’s not a typical heroine. She’s vulnerable, occasionally reckless, and deeply unsure of her own instincts. But that makes her feel real. Watching her lose her grip on what’s true and what’s safe is quietly terrifying.

Twists That Snap, Not Swerve

There’s a major turn near the end that made me gasp—but not in an eye-roll kind of way. It’s grounded in character, in dynamics that were there all along if you were paying attention. That kind of twist is my favourite.

Slightly Crowded Cast

With five couples, kids, affairs, and backstories, the character map can get a bit busy. Some characters feel like placeholders rather than fully developed people. Still, it fits the theme—Karen is part of a social structure that overwhelms her, and we feel that too.

Final Thoughts

The Dinner Club is a sharply observed, quietly unnerving thriller that uses the tropes of domestic suspense to ask deeper questions about loyalty, class, and what we sacrifice to maintain appearances. It’s got teeth, even if it wears pearls. If you like your mysteries more psychological than procedural, this will hit the spot.

Rating: 8/10

Try it if you like:

• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins – Suburban malaise, unreliable narration, and unraveling secrets.
• The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena – Fast-paced, intimate domestic suspense with plenty of twisty drama.
• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – Wives, secrets, and the dark truths lurking beneath picture-perfect lives.