The Mermaid Mystery
In a small seaside town, something fishy’s going on...
Tidal Shores, a small seaside town in South Carolina, has seen its fortunes nose-dive. But not for much longer! The ‘Big Ten’ on the town council have come up with range of ingenious ideas to get tourists flocking back, from buried pirate treasure to beauty pageants, but it’s handsome taxidermist Gunner Jones’ plan to dupe the public into believing that his creation ‘Miss Lucy’ – combining the top half of an albino ape with a large goliath tigerfish – is a real mermaid that wins the day.
As Gunner’s bizarre creature take centre stage, inquisitive reporter Zoe Porter isn’t fooled by its supposed credibility, but with mermaid mania sweeping the country, will anyone believe her exposé? And when events take a sinister turn, Zoe is suddenly drawn into a much darker story...
"A hilarious tale with some serious wisdom about how easy it is to create a cult that refuses to believe the truth."
—Kirkus STARRED Review on The Mermaid Mystery
"Biting satire, dark humor, and searing social commentary overlaid with a veneer of Southern charm make for a provocative read."
—Booklist on The Mermaid Mystery
“Fans of wackier culinary cozies will have fun”
—Publishers Weekly on Mean and Shellfish
“Quirky characters abound...the acerbic, opinionated Magdalena’s first-person account drives this at times laugh-out-loud cozy”
—Booklist on Tea with Jam and Dread
