Empty Smiles

New York Times bestselling author Katherine Arden thrills once again in the finale to the critically acclaimed, bone-chilling quartet that began with Small Spaces.

It's been three months since Ollie made a daring deal with the smiling man to save those she loved, and then vanished without a trace. The smiling man promised Coco, Brian, and Phil that they'd have a chance to save her, but as time goes by, they begin to worry that the smiling man has lied to them and Ollie is gone forever.

But finally, a clue surfaces. A boy who went missing at a nearby travelling carnival appears at the town swimming hole, terrified and rambling. He tells anyone who'll listen about the mysterious man who took him and how the man agreed to let him go on one condition—that he deliver a message. Play if you dare.

Game on! The smiling man has finally made his move. Now it's Coco, Brian, and Phil's turn to make theirs. And they know just where to start. The travelling carnival is coming to Evansburg.

Meanwhile, Ollie is trapped in the world behind the mist, learning the horrifying secrets of the smiling man's carnival, trying everything to help her friends find her. Brian, Coco, and Phil will risk everything to rescue Ollie—but they all soon realise this game is much more dangerous than the ones before. This time the smiling man is playing for keeps.

The summer nights are short, and Ollie, Coco, Brian, and Phil have only until sunrise to beat him once and for all—or it's game over for everyone.