FALLEN ANGEL

In this latest novel from the bestselling author of The Cliff Walk, Snyder seeks so obstinately to charm and inspire that verisimilitude is nearly abandoned. For the first third of the novel, Snyder's cajoling almost works, as he reminds readers of life's little "coincidences" and their power to transform lives, but the relentless sweetness soon begins to pall. Terry McQuinn is a wealthy Hollywood agent who returns to his childhood town in Maine when he finds out that his estranged father, a caretaker of an oceanfront retreat of summer cottages for the rich, is deathly ill. After his father dies, Terry revisits his father's shop, where he discovers a final work order. The note reminds Terry of the long ago night when he met Charles Halworth and Charles's daughter, Katherine. That night, Mr. Halworth skidded off the road, striking and killing a mother and her baby, and that same night Terry left his family forever. The work order is from Katherine, who has decided to return to the beachfront cottage for Christmas. Terry prepares the place and in doing so discovers things about his father, and himself. Snyder adroitly handles dialogue and a presentation of the perils of self-absorption. Unfortunately, Terry's transformation is virtually seamless, sped along by characters eager to help and by his almost preternatural ability to tap experiences for lessons. The result is a sentimental tale sure to win a few hearts, but more likely to test the patience of those who demand that inner discovery produce more than truisms and who believe miracles stem not from fantasy but reality. (Oct. 9)

Forecast:Snyder achieved fame as the author of two popular memoirs, but he has yet to score with his fiction. Still, Pocket will market this as a Christmas title, and those who prefer their holiday fare bland may gravitate to it.