What Smiled at Him is the story of two childhood friends who find every clue and opportunity they need to solve a grisly double murder, but, for their own reasons, choose not to. Lynn and Marv, now in their late twenties, are beginning to question the choices they've made. Lynn is a struggling musician, and Marv a salesman. One night, far from home, alcohol, irresponsibility and coincidence reunite them with Caroline, the longtime object of their desires. Married into a wealthy Chicago family and unhappy, she begins an affair with Marv. A few weeks later, she's arrested and charged with murdering her husband and infant son. As her trial nears, the unwelcome mystery pursues the friends through their searches for love, stabs at success, self-destructive lapses and leads one of them to his death. About the AuthorColin Dodds grew up in Massachusetts and completed his education at The New School in New York City.

He is the author of Another Broken Wizard, which came out to widespread acclaim in 2011. Norman Mailer wrote that Dodds' novel The Last Bad Job showed "something that very few writers have; a species of inner talent that owes very little to other people." His screenplay Refreshment - A Tragedy was named a semi-finalist in 2010 American Zoetrope Contest. Dodds' writing has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal Online, Folio, Explosion-Proof, Block Magazine, The Architect's Newspaper, The Main Street Rag, The Reno News & Review and Lungfull! Magazine. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife Samantha.