Villains' Reunion
A romantic thriller by Gary Smiley. Suspense, secret societies, a sibling rivalry, and a daring heist of artwork all while the Reunion takes place in Estoril.
About the book
One more thing, and they can part ways: Get that family portrait, the one the egomaniac stole and has in a vault under Casino Estoril. To succeed, they must infiltrate the Reunion of The 30, an ancient criminal society.
Villains' Reunion is not only a novel, it's a tour from Lagos to Aveiro, Sintra, and Estoril. Porto and the Port-wine houses of Vila Nova da Gaia. The vineyards of the Dão. And the romantic city of Lisbon. It's a journey that will open your eyes to everything Portugal has to offer.
Published by Atlantic Books of Lisbon, the hardback is available in Portugal.
Also, if you are interested in the larger project in motion now, check out the video in the "Story to Experience" link. There are English and Portuguese versions.
A sequel is in the works: set in Portugal, then Italy, then Brazil.
The Synopsis
The sun-drenched Algarve.
Matilde Urbano and her brother, Rui, race for the train out of Lagos, fleeing The 30 — a ruthless criminal syndicate led by Tiago, the man who murdered their parents to seize power. As the train speeds northward, Matilde overhears Wes, a charming but jilted American tourist, recounting his heartbreak.
Drawn to him, Matilde quickly dismisses any notion of love — it’s a luxury she can’t afford.
At the station in Aveiro — a city of canals — Rui makes a dire mistake. Offering Wes directions, he pick-pockets him instead. Surveillance cameras capture it all, and soon their faces land on the desk of Alva O’Rourke, the relentless head of Interpol’s Division 89. For Alva, the siblings might be the key to exposing The 30 and fulfilling her life’s mission.
Everything converges on a quiet café in Aveiro.
Read a Sneak Peek
Heart of The 30 in Portugal
15:21, Saturday
Estoril
Matilde is back in Portugal, beneath Casino Estoril in the Throne Room. So much has happened—not reconnecting with Wes and then that strange phone call from Rui. What’s positive about her life? What light does she bring to any room? None is her answer.
And there’s that family portrait that Rui mentioned in the phone call. Yes, it’s safe and currently looking at her. She even recovered the frame from the vault, making it whole. But, wow, what a family, and what a farce. Criminals, all. Rui just figured it out earlier. But Matilde, she is coming around. She’s not innocent—just quit saying it, embrace the bad, and be done with it. If it were only so easy!
Matilde, because she’s changed, decides to observe the painting from a different light. To try to be a neutral observer. Several things pop out now. There’s a curious choice of color for the sky, a purplish to green, like the artist was experimenting.
Or, she thinks, was even mentally ill, like Vincent van Gogh. Yes, for that matter, all the colors are oddly shifted one way or another on the color palette. And who was the artist?
She doesn’t know. She steps closer now and focuses on a corner. There, in the background, ignored, is writing.
Matilde decides to flip the canvas over. She wonders, Invisible ink? Then she sees small writing on the inside of the frame. Now it’s clear. The whole painting, frame included, houses a wealth of information!
Nuno Leão stands at the door. “Knock, knock,” he says.
Matilde jumps, “Huh?”
“It’s me,” he says. “Sorry to scare you.”
“Fine,” she responds. “I was just really immersed here.”
“Of course, you are new on the job. So much to take in.”
Nuno steps toward the family portrait but doesn’t seem interested.
So she addresses it first. “Nuno, this painting here has some information.”
He shakes his head. “It’s a painting.”
“With hidden information,” she presses.
Nuno squints. “I don’t see it.”
“Step back. The colors are odd. They were chosen for a reason.”
“Oh?” he asks.
“And there’s writing too. On the frame and in invisible ink.”
“Really?"
“You know what I think?” she asks.
“The other night I was in Denver, Colorado. I got a phone call from Rui.”
“Rui? Is he okay?”
“I guess. I don’t know. We didn’t talk long. But he asked me if I had the family portrait.”
“Of course, okay…”
“So,” she concludes, “I think that part of what led him to the reunion wasn’t just to become the leader. He wanted that painting because of the information.”
“Ah, you’re saying for reasons other than the sentimental ones, he needs the last remnant of your fallen family.”
“Yes.”
Nuno chews on this. “I think you’re right.”
“And Nuno,” she says, “I had a very bad interaction with Hiroshi in South Korea. He tested me, and I failed. I was scared. Then I reflected while on the airplane and came to a greater realization of this.”
“This, what?”
“That I am not fit for this job,” she states.
“Ah…”
“I can’t do this. I can’t continue. I can’t have a relationship or a family, as you all do, and then start, what? Killing and settling scores before going to my kids’ futebol games? I can’t process it!”
“I understand,” he says. “Perfectly. For that I have no easy answer.”
“But I want out. Now.”
“Matilde, it’s not like that.”
“I want out.”
He sighs. “Look. Let’s take your story, your concerns, to The 30.”
“What? No! I just want to disappear!” she exclaims.
“You can’t. But we can work this out. Or try.”
“No, I slip away. I leave tonight.”
“I vouched for you,” he says. “Hence, they will come for me and everything I cherish.”
“Then, what?”
“We have this. I will call for a special meeting. In this meeting, you can present your situation. Lay it out. And if they agree, they may take pity on you.”
“They will?”
“I said, they may.” Nuno glances at the family portrait.
“Go home, rest. And I will arrange it.”
Cracking Vaults
The vault beneath Casino Estoril, accessible by the catacombs has treasure.
Something that once belonged to them, too.
Problem is, it's a very special vault.
Made by a Venetian family.
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Available now on Amazon Kindle.
Also available from: Atlantic Books | FNAC | Bertrand | WOOK | Kobo UK
Gary at Peterlongo Winery, Bento Gonçalves, RS, Brazil in 2025.
About the Author
Gary Smiley, a native of the United States, retired to Aveiro, Portugal, in July 2023. Armed with a doctorate in Agricultural Sciences, he built a career as a agronomic researcher, traveling and living in some of the world’s most exotic locations. A passionate enthusiast of wine and motorcycles, Gary channels his love of adventure and intrigue into his debut thriller, Villains’ Reunion.
Interested in the TV pilot? Read the Villains’ Reunion pilot screenplay.