Customer Reviews

The Loch

5 star:		(96)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have been a HUGE fan of Steve Alten and his boundless imagination ever since he published 'Meg' several years ago. My how time flies and Steve has continued to thrill and impress me over and over again. If you have read some of his earlier stuff, you KNOW he can spin a yarn about mythical, or even prehistoric monsters...but how will he do with one of the best known myths of the past 100 years? In a word: GREAT.

This story captures you virtually from the first page. Written in first person, I immediately found it engaging and it kept me highly interested in what would happen next. I could hardly turn the pages fast enough. I KNOW that sounds like a tired and overused cliche, but with Steve Alten, it simply is TRUE.

The entire Wallace family has deep roots in Scotland, and more specifically, in and around famous Loch Ness. The latest Wallace (Marine Biologist Zachary) intends to break these roots as he finds himself terribly estranged from his Father Angus, who would rather find warmth in the arms of virtually any woman other than his wife. Zach moves with his American Mother back to the States and because of a deep hatred of his Father, works twice as hard to prove himself -- not to his Dad, but to himself. Eventually he succeeds becoming world renown and teams with National Geographic to attempt to capture on film a living Giant Squid in the Sargasso Sea. The resulting tragic accident nearly kills Zach and plunges him into a bottomless pit which quickly spins out of control. Out of a job, home and with the sudden phobia of the water, Zach simply doesn't know where to turn, until his half brother unexpectedly shows up begging him to come back to Scotland and help support their Father who is on trial for murder.

This is where the story takes a turn from merely entertaining to a virtually scorching hot read as events continue to snowball out of control around the Trial of the Century in Great Britain. Has Angus sent for young Zach for moral support, or has he other dark nefarious plans in place? Well you can guess for yourself what it may be, but I'll wager you won't guess true. Is there something truly in the waters of the great Loch Ness that can scientifically be explained? According to Steve Alten and many others, the answer is a qualified YES. The really interesting part is exactly what *It* really IS. I must admit it took me by surprise. Don't believe in big myths like the Loch Ness Monster? You just might after you finish this book. Twists & turns enough to make you dizzy and a VERY engaging plot with a great novel written by someone with true storytelling talent makes The Loch one of those rare thrillers you cannot afford to miss. If you consider yourself a fan of Steve Alten's stuff, you will NOT be disappointed with this one. Caution: starting this will force you to miss work, sleep and who knows what else...but don't worry, you'll put the book down...after the NEXT chapter...or maybe the one after that...

I've followed Steve Alten's Meg series since they first came out. He has a knack for making some genuinely strange biology digestible and creating cryptozoological horror stories that almost seem based on fact. This time Alten has taken on one of the world's favorite hidden creatures - the Loch Ness monster. He does this in truly original fashion, mixing in Knight Templar legend, Scottish history, Darwin, and a handful of other tidbits to create a story that is part horror and part the story Zachary Wallace, an oceanographer trying to recover from a near fatal encounter with a giant squid.

Zachary returns to Scotland and the Loch at the request of his father, who is standing trial for a murder that might have been committed by the monster. Zach's relationship with his father is a bad one, and now he is drawn into the quest for Nessie reluctantly. For one thing he doesn't believe in the creature, and for another he is still terrified of the water after his accident. Gradually, Zach realizes that there is something going on in the Loch, but it is something even worse than the world's longest-lived plesiosaur.

Staying current on literary fads, Alten mixes in the story of Zachary's ancestor, Sir Adam Wallace, who returns to Scotland from the Holy Land with a group of Templars bearing a sacred relic of the Braveheart. The nightmarish tale is the truth behind the murder and the many death's and disappearances that haunt Loch Ness. But the Knights Templar are now the Black Knights and they guard their secrets passionately.

Alten has returned to the original formula of Meg for this story, a scientist trying to recover from the shock of a deep sea accident, and then layered in some more current interests of popular fiction. He almost makes this a complete success. The flaws in this otherwise well-written story are the unending amount of scientific explanation required to make it work, and the fact that few of the characters are actually likeable. Zachary spends much of the book coming across as a wimp, and then suddenly puts on his hero hat.

Nevertheless, as long as you can put up with a constant supply of Scots brogue, this is an entertaining story. The explanation for the monster is quite original and there is plenty of drama and action. The book is also a great tour guide of the Loch area - you will come away both educated and entertained.

In this case more specifically Nessie made an Elevenses out of the business associate of the father of Marine Biologist Zach Wallace. Wallace is coming home after nearly drowning in the Sargasso Sea. He was on an expedition in search of a giant squid. His return home is not something he is expected to be a happy occasion. Angus, his father and he are estranged. Worse, the father is under a lot of stress since he is accused of murdering his business partner.

Things fall to Zach to help prove his father's innocent based on the claim there really is something in the loch, Nessie or otherwise, and it occasionally likes a people appetizer. The sole defence Zach's father puts forth was that "something" are his business partner. Of course, since this slander against Nessie comes on the fact Angus had just punched his partner in the face causing him to fall into the water, it doesn't help to make people believe Angus. As the case goes to trial it becomes a media event - would you expect otherwise? But this mania is blown full force when more people begin to go a-missing and half-eaten body parts are discovered along the shore of the Ness.

Zach must have to come to terms with his father and their estrangement, build a bridge so he can mount a defence to prove Angus is telling the truth. Not only must Zach put with news hounds, he must deal with Nessie Watchers, rival scientists and even a Knights Templar.

Written in first person, Zach's narrative hooks the reader. From Zach's coming to terms with his estrangement from his country of birth, his father, to just what is Angus really up to - did something get his partner or is this a convenient way to commit murder and get away with it - Alten keeps you guessing the whole way.

Fans of Alten won't want to miss this one. Not a fan? This is a good place to become one. Riveting storytelling.

Slainte Mohr!!

I'm a fan of Mr. Alten's work, but my exposure to his writing, up until the point I got this book, mainly consisted of the Meg novels, so I was a little wary about this book.

I wasn't disappointed.

Mr. Alten paints such a vivid picture in this selection. He has no trouble taking the reader all over the world, from the U.S. to Scotland... and, boy, he does the Loch Ness legend great justice with the story itself.

I recommend "The Loch" to any reader who likes an action-packed story with great scenery, fleshed out characters and twists and turns in every chapter.

A fascinating read!

What lives in the water of the famous Loch Ness? That question have plagued mankind's mind for years. Eyewitness sightings and photographs aplenty. Steve Alten attempts to answer the question of what the famous Loch Ness Monster is in his latest thriller. The novel grabbed me from page one and didn't let go, the mix of science, fiction, and history make The Loch Steve's novel the best to date. But the book is more than just a tale of a mythical sea monster, at it's heart the book is about family. If you are a fan of Steve Alten's work, this book will not disappoint you. If you have never read a Steve Alten book, this is the one to start with. It takes the reader and draws him or her in, letting you get to the know characters and the rich history of Scotland. A must read for anyone who wants to know "What lives in The Loch?".

The Loch by Steve Alten is the best writing he has done. It is an extremely well-researched and thought-out story of suspense with impressively developed characters. Although I did enjoy the MEG books, I found this one a little more mature in its development and the amount of research Mr. Alten did for this book. I really felt I was in Scotland, although I found following the Scottish accent's difficult to follow.

I won't give away any details regarding the creature's identity, but I applaude Mr. Alten for taking a different route from the trivial theories that abound for these unknown creatures.

A great book. I also highly recommend NAITAKA by Lee Murphy, which is about Canada's Ogopogo and is also a great read.

This book kept coming up on my "recommended" list, so finally, semi-reluctantly, I ordered it.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, it turned out to be one of those books you just can't put down. The pace is quick, the story good and the characters believable.
At one point in the book, (I won't spoil it and tell you exactly what happened), I literally, outloud, uttered a "Yeah!". (when our hero welcomes someone to Scotland).
So, I have a new author to add to my "must buy" list and if you have the imagination to enjoy a really good adventure book, then this is the one!

First of all I read for escapism...and this book was a great way to escape from the reality of Afghanistan (I'm active duty USAF)if only for a short while. I think Steve Alten has a great imagination and he really does his homework before writing his stories. His theories are interesting which is why I enjoy his writing. I became hooked on the MEG series after reading the first one. I read the first chapter of The Loch online and decided I had to get it. I started to read the book the day I received it and I didn't put it down until I finished it. I thought it was an outstanding story. His idea about the origin of the Loch Ness monster was very unique and shows an ability to think outside the box. I'm not one to dissect someone's work and critique every little thing. Steve the book was great...keep the stories coming. Guys like me who are away from home always enjoy a good book .

I must admit the main draw for me was that it was written about Scotland (of course)! I LOVED the history, the descriptive flow of the story, the dialect, the monsters -- The Black Knights, The Templars, William Wallace - Braveheart -- it was all in there and very enjoyable! The Dad, The Other Son and The Best Friend were a hoot! The Main Character was a bit of a bother -- a little too much went wrong for him -- but okay. The only real disappointment for me was the ecological connection -- why the monster was behaving so monsterously -- but really, after all that time -- what else could it have been???

OK, this book starts out in the Sargasso Sea where our hero, Zach Wallace is hunting for giant squid in a submersible. An accident (involving something bigger than said Squid) happens which kills the pilot. This screws up Zach big-time (he also goes mental & his career gets screwed); it brings back the night-terrors which he used to have as a kid in the wilds of the Loch.

A promising start . . . but it bogs down in what I consider a interminable History Lesson in Scottish politics. There was enough of it that I actually wandered to our laundry hamper (where I keep some new paperbacks)--started Koontz' FRANKENSTEIN & finished it before I returned to THE LOCH! Do I really want to know about Picts and Jacobites? And the Diary of Sir Adam Wallace which pops up every 60 pages or so? This diary would probably have engaged me had it not been for the archaic-looking bold font and the Scottish "accent" in which it was written. I completely ignored it. The plot doesn't really need it. Alten should steer clear of history and just get his reader to SKULL ISLAND immediately.

The great part about this book is the Scottish characters' dour sense of humor. Zach himself; his egomaniacal (but in a good way) dad-- Angus;his 300-pound friend-- True; Brandy--True's slutty sister and Crabbit--a Scot who walks along the shores of the loch wearing chain mail.

And I must admit that I had no problem understanding the heavy "Scottish" burrs. Alten mastered it perfectly. And when the plot picked up . . . maybe halfway through or a little earlier, this book builds a perfectly plausible case for the existense of a monster in Loch Ness. Alten should write to ANIMAL PLANET and tell them how to catch Nessie.