About The book
Smiley Face - Lee Coates
A dark thriller follows a recently widowed father as a sinister mystery targets the children of his new home in Cardiff.
A year after losing his wife in a tragic accident during a family vacation in Madeira, Simon is trying to rebuild his life with his young son Dan in a peaceful village on the outskirts of Cardiff.
Their newfound tranquillity is shattered when a local schoolboy mysteriously dies, revealing a disturbing pattern of incidents involving children
Beneath the calm surface of their new community, something lurks. A predator is targeting the village’s most vulnerable children. His twisted mission: to make them smile... at any cost.
About The Author
After having children, Lee Coates almost gave up on his dream of writing a novel, as spare time became a rare commodity. However, a lightbulb moment struck during one of his sons' extracurricular activities. Those seemingly endless minutes didn’t have to be wasted. Now, he can often be found writing by the side of football pitches and tennis courts in his hometown of Cardiff. Lee enjoys crafting psychological thrillers that keep readers guessing until the very last page. His first novel The Look was also published by The Book Guild in 2023. You can find out more about Lee via his website leecoatesauthor.co.uk
How Smiley Face Came About
Lee explains: “The idea for Smileyface developed in my mind over a number of weeks. But sub themes of the novel are around the misunderstandings and anxiety that can be caused by social media (WhatsApp in particular) and also around mental health. Both areas can have such a profound effect on individuals. I have firsthand experience of being part of parent WhatsApp groups (for school and sporting activities) and often witness miscommunication in the group and the resulting stress and embarrassment it can cause.
The book focuses on parents and their children attending a local primary school. I wanted to convey how certain events - sometimes extremely unsettling events - could be processed differently by these very disparate onlookers. As a father, I am exposed to my sons' thought processes, and I was keen to accurately portray their vocabulary and emotions in this book.”
RELEASE DATE: 28/03/2025 ISBN: 9781835741474 Price: £9.99
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