The Mermaid Collector

Marks returns to coastal Maine for her flat second novel (after Little Gale Gumbo). Mermaid lore plays a big part of life in Cradle Harbor%E2%80%94in fact, the town's annual Mermaid Festival pays tribute to the legend of four local sailors who were allegedly seduced by mermaids. When woodcarver Tess Patterson is chosen to create a mermaid statue for this year's festival, she sees it as her opportunity to find acceptance among Cradle Harbor's stodgy natives and gain the recognition that her late mother, a free-spirited artist, never managed to earn. But it's the arrival of another outsider who'll help Tess finally feel at home. How a Chicago boy came to inherit the harbor lighthouse keeper's cottage is a source of consternation for the town's historical society, but Tom Grace, whose parents were killed years ago in a car accident, intends to move in and make do. The two outcasts connect instantly, but they must relinquish their tragic pasts in order to move forward together. Marks has built a memorable and richly detailed setting, but her romance lacks conflict and conviction. Agent: Rebecca Gradinger, Fletcher & Co. (Oct.)