The Smiling Hour

Detective Nathaniel Mercer is thrust into the darkest corners of New York City when a series of unsettling murders begin. Victims are left with a grotesque, unnatural smile carved into their faces, a chilling signature that earns the killer a terrifying moniker: "The Grinner." As the body count rises and the bizarre smile becomes more precise, Nate and his enigmatic partner, Victor Hale, find themselves battling a killer who seems to be playing a twisted, psychological game. The investigation leads them through the city's murky underworld and into a labyrinth of hidden truths. Nate soon realizes that the Grinner's motives are far more complex and personal than a simple murder spree, forcing him to confront a dark secret from his own past that he thought was buried forever. As the line between hunter and hunted blurs, Nate uncovers a shocking conspiracy that reaches far beyond a single killer, revealing a clandestine operation with roots deep within the system. With time running out, Nate must expose the architects behind this horrifying project before its sinister agenda consumes everything he knows, and the Grinner's legacy becomes a global nightmare.