Dive into a world of fame, murder, and the inescapable past
Haunted by a dark secret from his time in Venezuela, journalist Lukas Lazaruk is tasked with profiling Alfie B. Lee, an adult entertainer turned Hollywood actor. But the assignment takes a grim turn when Lukas discovers a chilling email sent by Leighton Le Ché shortly before the young performer’s murder—and Alfie emerges as the prime suspect.
Navigating an increasingly strained marriage, a difficult relationship with his precocious son, and the growing weight of the Venezuela incident, Lukas finds his personal life becoming increasingly chaotic. As he begins to look into Le Ché’s murder with the help of Leighton’s former roommate, he encounters a fervent conspiracy theorist who spouts claims that seem wild and outlandish—but in today’s post-truth society, it’s hard to tell fact from fiction. Lukas’s pursuit of the truth leads him to Los Angeles for a surreal journey into Alfie’s bizarre circle. As he stumbles into the dark underbelly of fame and power, the lines between reality and fiction continue to blur, forcing Lukas to confront not only Alfie’s world, but the sins of his own past.
American Derailment is a darkly comedic and unsettling exploration of a contemporary America characterized by conflicting narratives, political instability, and a culture grappling with the fragile nature of truth.
Subscribe to S.J. Coules’s newsletter for exclusive content and updates directly from the author.
Subscribers get exclusive access to ‘The Alfie Files’
Alfie B. Lee is the enigmatic adult performer turned Hollywood heavyweight our protagonist Lukas Lazaruk is set to interview for a glossy profile in The Cutter Magazine. But there’s more to Alfie than meets the eye, as American Derailment will reveal.
Before then, get exclusive access to ‘The Alfie Files’, a deep-dive into Alfie’s backstory—from successful movies to his love interest on and off screen, to the feud between Succulent Studios and Vulture Studios that may, or may not, have played a role in the murder of Leighton Le Ché.
Don’t miss out on this rich bonus material—and more—available only to subscribers.
Praise for INSTAGRAPHIA by S.J. Coules
★★★★★
“My favorite novel this year.”
★★★★★
“Fantastic, funny, clever… a great read.”
★★★★★
“Well paced, well written, and incredibly funny.”
★★★★★
“A must read!”
S.J. Coules
S.J. is a writer born and living in Dublin, Ireland. His short stories have appeared in Fly on the Wall Press, Close to the Bone, and Number Eleven Magazine, while his poetry has been shortlisted for The Irish Times Hennessy Literary Awards. His screenplays include the feature film A Day Like Today. His second novel Instagraphia, a social-media satire, is available in paperback and on Kindle here.
Latest News
01.11.26
American Derailment is now available for Kindle pre-order on Amazon.
01.07.26
American Derailment publication date announced: 03.03.26. Pre-order link coming soon.
12.12.25
The Steal, a new short story by S.J. Coules, will appear in Close to the Bone Magazine early 2026.
11.25.25
Instagraphia receives praise from Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.
Subscribe to S.J. Coules’s newsletter for exclusive content and updates directly from the author.
Film
S.J. is the writer of the feature film A Day Like Today (dir. Gerard Walsh) and the short film Contra (dir. Daragh Murphy).
Fiction
S.J. is the author of the social-media satire Instagraphia and the comedy novel Leaving Sadie.
Subscribe for exclusive content and news today.