This story had some interesting facts surrounding Scotland - things that sounded historical and others more folklore. IÂ’m not a huge fan of history - I prefer to read fiction and if I do glean some factual trivia, thatÂ’s ok. In this book, I skimmed over those parts.

I enjoyed the story and characters through most of the book. This was my first Lochness monster story and I appreciated the attempt to add lots of science to the fantasy. But by the end, I just wanted to be finishedÂ… 21 s1 comment Paul2,306 20

In this book Steve Alten dives headlong into Dan Brown territory with ancient conspiracy theories involving the Loch Ness monster, Templars and goodness only knows what else! It is, quite frankly, a load of old hogwash wrapped up in pseudo-intellectual claptrap.

Un Dan Brown, however, Alten does it all with a huge wink to camera and never takes it at all seriously. This is late night b-movie on the SyFy channel stuff and a lot of fun if, me, you're into that sort of thing.

One thing I couldn't nudge and wink my way past, though, was Alten's ludicrous liberties with the U.K. legal system. It was completely absurd! We haven't had the death penalty in this country for decades, for one thing, and we certainly don't lock prisoners up in castles anymore... Just... mind-blowing.books-read-in-201820 s Quirkyreader1,590 47

Oh my, this story was a major thrill ride. There were also parts of it that had me in stitches.

This is one book I definitely do not want to spoil. So read it and find out what happens.18 s Vickie219 1 follower

Okay Mr. Alten, you redeemed yourself! It would have been such a better read, though, if the history lessons were trimmed significantly. It was a cool take on Loch Ness and a good creature horror story, as usual. action-adventure creature-feature horror ...more16 s Linda1,318 51

Steve Alten takes on the legend of Nessie, blending fact with fiction in The Loch. Zach Wallace, a descendant of another legend, William Wallace of Braveheart fame, is a talented yet somewhat hapless marine biologist. His last project, locating the elusive giant squid in the depths of the Sargasso Sea, was both a success and a catastrophe, and now Zach's afraid to go back in the water. When his estranged father, Angus, summons him to Inverness, where he is standing trial for murder, Zach reluctantly obeys. Imagine his chagrin when he learns that Angus's defense hinges solely upon the Loch Ness monster. He's more than ticked off, but what can a son do but find proof that his father is telling the truth? The scientist in Zach knows that, if there is a Nessie, it's not going to be a plesiosaur, and now a couple of generations of hunters have proved that the monster will not be found using traps or radar. As he begins his quest, he also begins learning that truth can be stranger than fiction; from time to time, a vicious amphibious animal emerges from the loch to prey upon livestock, and, occasionally, upon humans.

If you enjoy stories ("story" being the operative word) that combine legend, history, science, adventure, and mystery, The Loch is for you. And, refreshingly, no religious cabals or heresies are involved here. But there are Knights Templar, there is a monster (i.e., a large amphibious predator), and Zach learns about the value of facing one's fears head on. Intelligently written, and very entertaining.
mystery-crime sci-fi12 s Keith (CHINNY) Chinn37

Disappointing, very disappointing.

The author is not Scottish and probably has not even been to Scotland, as a Scottish guy, this put me off and even annoyed me a few times by the errors.
The story was so, so. You would have us believe that virtually everyone who lives and works around Loch Ness belongs to and swears allegiance to a clan and everyone talks as though they are in Braveheart. Nope. Could you get any more cliched characters? Big, swarthy, short tempered, hard drinking, red-haired, bearded Highlanders called Angus. In my experience they don't exist.

This put me off so much I needed up hating the book.
I have read some great books on Loch Ness, such as Archie Wilson and the Beasts of Loch Ness, even the Water Horse is better than this and that's a kids book.
12 s Louise1,701 328

This fast moving novel will take you on underwater adventures in the Sargasso Sea and Loch Ness laced with romance and a murder mystery. The story is amplified with bits of marine biology, Scottish history and quotes of probable monster sightings.

ItÂ’s hard to tell where fact and fiction separate. For instance, How much about ecology of the Loch is real? Is it an accurate portrayal of how the blasts to build the highway affected the Loch? Is there a deeper cavern? I presume the Nessie sightings are fiction; but could some be real quotes? While the history of Scotland is accurate as I know it, IÂ’m not sure about the influence of the Templars in the highlands. None of this matters since this is a story but part of me wanted it to be good historical fiction which injects personalities and motives into the known facts.

I had trouble envisioning the look of the monster, the eels and the place of the climax. While Zach, David and Angus and their interactions are well developed, their relationships with others aren't. The dialog between Zach and Brandy does not suggest a great romance; Zach and Brandy seem high schoolers flirting with each other. It hardly seems Angus and Teresa are a match for either romance or friendship.

The story could be made into a TV movie. A creative screenwriter could do a lot with the story. It could be made into an adventure, mystery, thriller or horror movie; changing a bit of characters and the plot could make it fun for kids.fiction scotland-fiction10 s Cheryl1,008

A biological mystery/thriller set in Scotland's Loch Ness. Something in the water is attacking animals and people. Could it be Nessie? And if it is, what kind of creature is it and what's causing it to attack now?

The book has alot of quotes from real marine biology, ecology, and evolutionary scientific works interspersed within the fictional plot. The author also tells about the history of Scotland and the Loch Ness area, and quotes actual eyewitness accounts of Nessie sightings at the beginning of the chapters. All this adds to the enjoyment of the story. A fun, action-packed read.9 s Jason Golomb288 27

This book is full of clichés - the dialogue, the narration, and the plethora of borrowed plot lines from "Jaws". You know the good characters from the bad. You can predict which ones will die violently (and deservedly so), and you know which bad guys will turn out to be good guys.

But you know what, I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I found myself staying up through the wee hours to get through "just one more chapter". At first I felt a little embarrassment at enjoying it so much. But ultimately I gave in and just went with it.

Now, it's a fact that I was a hardcore Loch Ness Monster fanatic growing up in the 70's. I'm pretty sure I was the only kid in my school that kept checking out the thin "Mystery of Loch Ness" from our school library, as I'd pour over those images of what couldn't be anything OTHER than a huge dinosaur that was alive and well. So maybe I’m a little bit biased towards the whole Loch Ness Monster “thing”. But be that as it may, I just enjoyed this story.

I had to overlook the melodramatic romantic interest. I flew by the stilted conversations with nary a grimace, because I wanted to find out more about the monster in the lake. I wanted to see who was going to die next and by what monster-ific means. And I was even engaged in the way that Alten integrated a Template-theme subplot in a (mostly) seamless way.

Alten writes smoothly and he keeps the story moving at a rapid pace, so that even the most modest-paced reader will have no trouble flying through its 500+ pages.

I highly recommend this fantastic thriller. ItÂ’s not literature. ItÂ’s great for the beach. And itÂ’s just a lot of fun.
fiction horror monster ...more8 s Rodrigo1,221 635

Libro entretenido que da otra perspectiva al monstruo del lago. En ocasiones me ha recordado a la peli de Tiburón y no digo mas, por lo demás entretenido. Ademas son curiosas las notas de avistamientos del monstruo a lo largo de los años. ciencia-ficción paper terror ...more8 s Shelby *trains flying monkeys*1,644 6,354

History, Scotland, and a great story..what's not to ?read-20117 s William M.579 61

2 AND 1/2 STARS.

I really enjoyed Meg, author Steve Alten's breakout bestselling novel, and with my fascination regarding the mysteries behind the Loch Ness Monster, I had to pick this one up too. For me, The Loch is a mixed bag. While the main storyline is quite exciting, Alten wedges large chunks of dry historical background that seem to be copied from a middle school book report. These unnecessary facts constantly pulled me out of the story, making it difficult to come back to the main focus, our protagonist Zachary Wallace.

Another issue I had was the awkward, almost spastic responses from characters that really felt forced for dramatic sake, and not at all organic. For instance, waking up from a bad dream, a character jumps out of bed screaming and runs out to a balcony where he dives over the railing! Now how many times have you heard of that happening? It really came out of nowhere with no buildup. Another instance was a character breaking up someone in the hospital who had just had a near death experience. Doing that is fine, of course, but the blunt way in which it was handled felt very artificial, almost turning into a comedy.

Alten also sets the book up in a first person perspective and then shifts to third person when attacks around the lake happen. He should have kept with one or the other instead of being so choppy and switching back and forth. This is just another example of something that pulls you out of the story. Some facts are inaccurate, too. Alten writes about a character who is a photographer taking a 30-second exposure on a moving boat at midnight with an 300mm F4.5 lens. Besides the fact that it would be too dark, the movement over 30 seconds on a boat would give you nothing but an incredibly blurry image, especially with such a long lens.

I never try to predict the twists and turns in a book, but prefer to sit back and let the author take me on his or her journey. Unfortunately, most of the plot twists were clichéd -- David's appearance at the Loch, the chemical/oil spill, the love interest, the creature revelation, etc. You know you're not quite enjoying the book when you're looking forward to the ends of each chapter where Alten uses quotes from actual eye witnesses. That's about as interesting as it gets. However, there were some things I d about this book. Many of the characters were quite colorful and the landscape was described enough that I got a good sense of the environment. The beginning dive with the squid was great, but then everything slows down considerably. Honestly, your best bet is to read the first 50 pages and the last 100. So, unfortunately, there wasn't enough here in this 500+ page book to recommend unless you are an Alten completist...especially now that this paperback price is $10.
horror7 s Greig BeckAuthor 41 books1,012

What is it about Alten and dark water? Doesn't matter whether its an ocean or deep lake, he manages to create a sense of menace and downright fear from being out there alone in the dark. Alten is able to pull the legend of the Loch into today's world, and blends the ancient with the modern. There was a fair bit of backgrounding and character building going on in the middle of the book, and was looking a 3.5 rating. However it's worth hanging in there, as within a few pages it picked up speed (and gore!), and I'm finding it hard to put down.

Just finished.... The Loch is a rollercoaster, that has a few ups and downs for the first half, and then someone has yelled over the side of the carriage to the controller to, 'Let er rip, man', picks up speed at the end (as it should!).

Being a fan of diving, swimming and surfing, I love anything to do with deep water.

Good fun holiday reading book.
7 s Warren3 2

One word -- STUPID!

I expect at least vaguely plausable scenarios, and the glaring error/lack of understanding of the physical principles in this book is the most egregious I have ever seen in a book in print. Made me want to throw the book against the wall. I have lost all respect for this author (and for the editor and publisher as well!)7 s Jim45 2

This is not great literature but it sure was a fun read. It combines a wee bit of Scottish history, the templar mythology, the origins of nessie and her tenure in the loch all while riding a Harley. With a broken foot. Anyway, I digress. The book is a fun read and I really enjoyed it. For a quick read it intersperses two timelines well and they ties together nicely as you read through the story. The characters are fun, but none of them have much depth... they do get the story on its way though. It would have been a 5 star read if one of the characters had more depth. But I would recommend it to anyone wanting a fun romp with a bit of science and history thrown in. Also, I appreciate that it is a pulp novel that does not involve the military or the CIA (or it's equivalent across the pond).6 s Badseedgirl1,356 69

This was a fun summer read. I could have done without the "black knights," but they moved the story along. Steve Alten did rip off the movie Lake Placid, but I will forgive him for that!4 s GoldGato1,185 40

Oh, Nessie! Are you really there?
Are you just a scale in someoneÂ’s hair?
Will someone lay the legend bare?
Can someone write a book thatÂ’s fair?

Okay. This book falls into the horror/thriller genre, which is a weird genre. But then, so is the Loch Ness Monster. We all want to believe there was/is some kind of swimming creature under those deep cold waters. Maybe a group of dinosaurs survived the killing asteroid millions of years ago and decided to hang out in Scotland. Because, why not. WhoÂ’s going to bother you? ItÂ’s really cold.

This book has one of those “heroes” who must overcome a childhood trauma, such as falling overboard in Loch Ness as a wee laddie and getting nipped by Nessie. I would call that trauma. This “hero” then grows up and becomes a noted American marine scientist who has a weird relationship with his Scottish father. The prodigal son must return to his land of birth in order to vanquish his ghosts and that nippy Nessie.

I thought this book was going to be one of those Spielberg-type adventures. I was wrong. It’s all over the place. The “hero” has no redeeming qualities, as he shags women and drinks to excess (because of that childhood trauma thingy). The women characters are just there to quickly disrobe and shout occasional firebrands of Scottish slang. Plus, there apparently wasn’t an editor involved in any of this blather. In one section, which gives a brief overlay of Scottish history, Charles II is said to have been the son of James I (nope) while Queen Anne was the daughter of William and Mary! Wow, such miracles. I mean, at least proofread the damn book.

Finally, I read the book for Nessie. But itÂ’s difficult to be the star of The Loch when some drunken dude is taking up all the paragraphs. Sure, the Loch Ness Monster sightings have been hoaxes. But can anyone be 100% certain there isnÂ’t something down there in those cold murky depths? I still believe. Just not with this book.

Book Season = Winter (peat and bubbles)
dinosauria fiction owned ...more4 s1 comment Julie1,913 563

I grabbed this audio book on sale because I love, love, love (love x 10) monster stories....and only after I bought it did I realize the story is by the author who wrote The Meg series. Then I was really excited -- I really enjoyed The Meg! Sometimes it takes me awhile to get to a new audio book (and sometimes they get lost in the shuffle of my TBR and I forget I even have them!)....not this time! I started listening to this story immediately! Steve Alten + Loch Ness = awesome story!

The basics: Following an accident during a scientific expedition, Marine Biologist Zachary Wallace finds himself battling night terrors and a fear of the water. As his career begins to implode, Zachary's life is further upended when he hears from his long estranged father in Scotland. In a strange twist of events, Zachary finds himself investigating a series of strange attacks on Loch Ness. Has Nessie decided to become a dangerous, people-eating cryptid?

Great story. Interesting characters. Lots of action and suspense. I loved it!

The audio book is just over 15 hours long and narrated by P.J. Ochlan. Ochlan gives a great voice acting performance -- even does a great job at all the Scottish accents! Very entertaining listen!



read-audiobooks-20214 s Amy66 8

This book managed to be both awful and awesome all at the same time.mystery-crime4 s Neil1,175 12

This was a very strange book for me in that, while I really enjoyed reading it and had a hard time putting it down, I did not really care for any of the characters throughout the book. It moves at a decent pace; it presents an interesting theory as to the creature that is said to be living in Loch Ness; it held my interest throughout most of the book. Before each chapter [or, between each chapter, depending on how you look at it] are little "historical snippets" of statements made by people who have reported seeing something in Loch Ness [they really reminded me of the various "journal entries" at the start of each chapter in Frank Peretti's The Oath, a kind of "supernatural thriller"]. While I did not care much for any of the characters, overall [they just were not very likable characters], the author did do a good job in developing some of the characters over the course of the novel.

Pretty much all of the characters came across as harsh and abrasive, in some form or another. Some were unpleasant over the course of the entire novel; some became less unpleasant as the novel progressed. Zachary Wallace was in the fifth Meg book, Nightstalkers, and I did not his character in that book, either. However, the second book in "Zachary's" series directly ties into the fifth Meg book, so I thought I'd go ahead and read this book and Vostok. It was funny, though - despite my not liking either Brandy [the younger sister of Zachary's best friend] or Zachary very much, I did think they would make nice partners for each other. The author sets it up pretty nicely "early on" and then breaks the two of them apart before bringing them back together towards the end as a "couple." Both Brandy and Zachary have each suffered from various traumas in their lives; Zachary having suffered his trauma at an earlier age than Brandy. This does not take away from Brandy's pain, heartache, and suffering, though. Zachary has managed to hide his and bury it for nearly seventeen years before an undersea accident in the Sargasso Sea brings it all back to the front for him. They both clearly have fallen for each other, but each refuses to be "gut-baringly honest" with other, which drives them apart. Zachary's best friend, True, was probably the "most likable" character in the book, to be honest. Him, and maybe a couple of nurses.

I did find different aspects of the book funny, in different ways. Not sure why, but I did. I laughed with shock when Zachary's fiance "dumps" him in the beginning of the book while he is recuperating in the hospital after his accident. Not only does she leave him, but she reveals she has become involved with another man behind his back AND she has sold his engagement ring he gave her to finance her vacation with her new loverboy. I laughed in disbelief when I read this; I mean, it was the first [and, maybe, only time] I felt sorry for Zachary, but it was still hysterical in the extreme. Then, later in the book, Zachary awakens in the middle of the night due to his "bad dreams" [night terrors] and goes running out of his bedroom onto the balcony and nearly falls off. I was "what the heck?!?" when I read that. It was just nuts! And it also made me laugh, again, even though I am sure the author did not mean for it to be funny. It was just such an odd moment, in the book, though. One final moment that made me laugh was at the end, when Brandy's father is giving Zachary permission to marry his daughter when Angus [Zachary's father] comes up and shoots off his mouth about Brandy NOT being a virgin and the two men have to be separated as a result. The way it is put in the book was pretty hilarious to me, for some reason.

The "Scottish accent" of most the speakers made the book challenging to read, but I felt it also helped give the book some definite flavor that it might not otherwise have had. I felt it definitely added character to the book, and I enjoyed reading what the people were saying. I did feel I had a "better grasp" on it by the end of the book, that is for sure! Hahahah! I say "Kudos!" to the author for trying to generate an authentic Scottish accent. I have written short stories for some online writing courses in college, and trying to both generate an accent for a character and have that character keep using said accent can be tough to do, at times.

It was a crazy book that involved various infodumps about the geology and history of Loch Ness as well as about the people who inhabit the land surrounding this infamous [or famous] lake. It focused on the environment and ecology of Loch Ness as Zachary tried to figure out what had changed to the Lake's "biosphere" for "Nessie" to become as aggressive as "she" had over the course of the past year as well as some [adverse] affects of "industrialization" and modernization. You have "conflicts" between Clans willing to accept and embrace change to pull Loch Ness "into the modern age" versus those who wish Loch Ness and its environs to remain unchanged and untouched by the Outside World. It also involved "ancient societies" sworn to secrecy and protecting the Loch from outsiders [so to speak] as well as the citizens from the dangers of the Loch, "Black Knights" and Templars roaming around the countryside at night, "monster hunters," a murder trial, a mystery, brutal killings, giant aquatic creatures, and a giant lake that reminded me of Lake Placid [in some respects]. There is "cutting edge science" as well as explanations on why there might be more sightings in certain points in history than in other points. There is love and "war" and vengeance and jealousy and rivalry. There are the bonds of friendship renewed and strengthened as well as new friends made.

The author's female characters do tend to leave a bit to be desired [no pun intended], in some respects. The majority of the women in the book seem to be essentially cut from the same clothe - shallow, beautiful, and horny. Zachary's ex-fiance, the beautiful woman Zachary meets on the beach, Zachary's father's many lovers [some of whom are introduced or described in some detail], and Brandy - each of them seemed to be the "same" character - cheap, easy, sexy, and slutty. There was an American doctor of sorts who assisted Zachary in some medical research that he needed done on the side; she was about the only one with any brains and did not think exclusively via her hormones. Brandy was smart, but she was willing to sell herself "to get ahead" in her unhappy life [as it were]. It was a book filled with mostly male characters [no surprise there, let's be honest, especially considering the nature of the story], and the female characters did not really get as much character development as they could have had. Granted, Brandy probably received the most development as a character, but she still had a ways to go, as it were.

I have to admit, I was glad that David Caldwell died in the book. He was a conniving, backstabbing, lying, thieving sack of garbage who used those around him to make himself look better and smarter than he really was. He used people until he obtained what he desired and then discarded those around him garbage. He cared only for himself and did not care about the lives and reputations of those whom he was destroying. I figured if he was not killed by the end of this novel, he was going to show up in the second book in the series. He was a complete and utter @$$ and I was not sorry to see him go.

Now, it is funny, because Brandy and Zachary did start to grow on me by the time I reached the end of the novel. I still did not care for them too much, but I did come to appreciate and even "" their characters, in a prickly-sort-of-way. I do not know how to describe it, but I did "" their characters by the end of the book. Granted, I still do not see myself as changing my views of Zachary in Nightstalkers. Hahahah!

I am not saying the book is perfect; not by any means. However, I did enjoy reading it. It was a fun read; it was a crazy read. I think I also enjoyed it because it did not involve any "secret US agencies" or "military units" that have gone rogue and were behaving badly. It is about a "young" man who returns home and has to face his inner demons before coming out of his own personal crucible a "better man" [hopefully]. In the process, he has to solve not one but two mysteries (1) is his father guilty of murder? and (2) does "Nessie" [or some other such creature] exist in Loch Ness and could explain the increases in deaths around the lake? before the end of the book. I have to admit, it was a better book than I expected or anticipated it to be, and I am glad I took a chance on reading it.action adventure fiction ...more3 s Gilbert StackAuthor 64 books61

I read Meg back in 1997 and enjoyed it but for some reason never picked up another Alten novel until coming across The Loch recently. In many ways, writing about the Loch Ness Monster seems to be a natural for an author who made his reputation writing about a prehistoric super shark that survives into the modern day. The Loch did not disappoint me. If you have a fascination with Loch Ness Monster, then itÂ’s almost certain that youÂ’ll enjoy this book.

To start out with, we have a hero, Zach Wallace, with issues—his father sucks and he’s also just gotten blamed for a terrible investigation-gone-astray in the Sargasso Sea. As if that isn’t enough, almost drowning for the second time has given this marine biologist a serious case of hydrophobia. So he’s not in the best of moods when he learns that his father is about to be tried for murder and that he wants his son to come home to Scotland to offer moral support. He almost doesn’t go—and soon enough wishes he didn’t.

While his father is manipulating him to bolster his court case which one might call “The Loch Ness Monster” defense, something begins killing visitors to the Loch. Drownings are way up and now people are being bloodily murdered on land. It appears that Nessie may be real after all and she’s angry.

The best parts of this novel are when Alten gets into various theories about what the Loch Ness Monster might be and how it might exist in the freshwater loch. That was all fun. Less fun was the very poor portrayal of the Scottish legal system. I also wish Alten had decided to steer clear of the Knights Templar as I thought they were a needless complication to the story that in my opinion distracted from the true tale. That being said, this novel is a lot of fun and if youÂ’re willing to just run with it, youÂ’ll be glad you read it.

If you d this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/.
3 s Trever281 8

Man, these books are so hard to rate. For me, this was a 4 star book because it was a blast of fun, but at the same time, on a critical level the writing was bad, the characters were hilariously hackneyed, every attempt at romance or emotional dialog was LOL funny, and it just overall is probably a 2 star book in quality.

But...

For me, Steve Alten books are really great trash movies - You don't read them for piercing insights into the soul or thoughtful revelations on life, you read them for the GODDAMN GIANT MONSTER ATTACKS. And in between, you get flailingly clumsy dramatic scenes, cackle-worthy love interests, and all-around character acting that resembles a cast of low-paid newcomer victims in an 80's slasher film. Even the story beats are so predictable as to be funny:

Chapter: Hero does something with main characters to drive the plot.
Chapter: Wholly new family on vacation from Idaho is introduced and we follow their water-splashing play until they are all eaten.
Chapter: Hero does something with main characters to drive the plot.
Chapter: Wholly new... Well, you get the picture.

They're fun-bad monster movies and for that, Steve Alten books are one of my go-to summer reads, and I enjoy every one. Just don't go in with literary expectations...3 s Hannah798

Such a disappointment from Alten. Un Meg, or The Trench (both of which I devoured in a few days around the pool one summer), The Loch was a snooze-fest. I kept putting it down, reading other things, and picking it back up just so I could finish it.

Alten's usually good at writing about not-so-extinct mega-prehistoric-sharks making chum salads out of hapless humans - great beach stuff! Unfortunately, Alten's foray into the domain of Nessie, the Loch-Ness monster, fails miserably IMO. The characters are one dimensional, the Scots dialect is difficult to read and too "cutsey", and Alten's treatment of female characters borders on the ridiculous, as they are basically on par with the sleeziest whores. The story is over-infused with alot of technical terms that the lay reader wouldn't understand, and the ending, (while a welcome relief to the reader), is pretty lifeless and boring.

Sorry, but if you're at all interested in delving into the underwater world of Steve Alten, skip this one and try Meg instead.2010-reads horror3 s Kristen EliseAuthor 4 books81

This book was delicious. A plausible scientific explanation for the Loch Ness monster tied up in a thriller that's part mystery, part love story, and part tale of an underdog. Steve Alten is a PhD marine biologist, but don't let that fool you into thinking he can't weave a good tale. And yes, this fueled my desire to tour Scotland.fiction historical-fiction mystery ...more3 s Andrew280 1 follower

Ach.
So bad.2 s Rachel293

Interesting science mixed with Scottish history in this thriller about the Loch Ness Monster. 2 s Sarah Maddaford794 11

This story fits the Thriller genre, specifically the Scientific Thriller genre very well. The biology behind the creature shows detailed research and possibly consultation with biologists and cryptozoologists. The pacing could have been a little faster and more exciting. The author provided a lot of Nessie sightings and evolution tidbits that broke up the flow of the story. Fortunately, the effect of the first person narration makes up for some of the pacing issues. The reader learns everything as Zack does with very few exceptions. The story does have some small branches, mostly to show how several of the people died from their point of view. Figuring out who to trust as well as what exactly is wrong with the Loch that has changed the creatureÂ’s behavior is much easier and more interesting by following ZackÂ’s expert point of view. ZackÂ’s life, body and reputation are at risk through most of the novel and his fears as well as his scientific mind hinder him in deciding who to trust.

First off, I want to say that I d it and it kept me interested, but it wasnÂ’t quite a page-turner. Any possible cliff hangers were broken up by the witness accounts. Some of them were interesting and I think the author purposely avoided the more crackpot sounding ones, but they did divert from the story. I was slightly annoyed by the sections of Adam WallaceÂ’s journal because, in addition to a Scottish dialect that took a while to get used to, the font is hard to read. I would recommend this book to someone who enjoyed his other books Meg or CrichtonÂ’s Jurassic Park. I would be more cautious about suggesting it to a general thriller reader because of the pacing.

A Sci-Fi reader might enjoy this because it does feature a creature that evades technology designed to search its habitat. It may not contain enough other elements for many Sci-Fi readers though. I think anyone with an interest in the paranormal, cryptozoology, or the Loch Ness Monster would enjoy this book because it does feature a search for clues about an undiscovered creature. The romance is barely there so I wouldnÂ’t recommend it to a romance reader. Also, I think most gentle readers would be appalled by the amount of gore, talk of sex and some of the things that father and son say to each other. I wasnÂ’t too shocked by it because I remember reading Meg, but I was actually surprised at the low level of curses flung between Zack and Angus especially with the meanness of their words.
creatures historical interlibraryloan ...more2 s Kara JorgesAuthor 14 books24

Zach Wallace has spent a lifetime putting his first nine years on the shores of Loch Ness and his emotionally abusive father behind him. He suffers from migraines, but other than those and a few scars he keeps covered, he has completely moved on from the events of his ninth birthday, when a tree overturned his boat and, wrapping him in barbed wire, nearly dragged him to the bottom. At least, thatÂ’s what the official report says. He was rescued by a neighbor and his mother left his father afterwards, raising Zach in the United States, where he becomes a successful marine biologist. His career derails, however, when his deep sea submersible is nearly sunk by huge, previously undiscovered monsters while he attempts to photograph giant squid in the Sargasso Sea, and he develops a fear of the water. His life a shambles, Zach finds himself agreeing to return to Loch Ness when a previously unknown half brother implores him to help their father, who is on trial for murder.

Once back in Scotland, Zach is forced to confront his forgotten childhood memories, wrapped up in tales of the Loch Ness Monster, who his father is using as his defense. Reunited with childhood friends and forced to confront his memories as reports of monster attacks against tourists start to increase in frequency, Zach is also forced to confront his personal and very real demons. Is there really a Loch Ness Monster, or is the real monster his father?

As usual, AltenÂ’s protagonist in this novel is not an alpha male, trapped by his own lack of assertiveness into circumstances beyond his control. Yet, when push comes to shove, it is only our hero who can save the day while he redeems himself. A master at monster books, Alten handles the legendary Nessie with equal parts myth and science. The Scottish accents are laid on thick, and Loch Ness itself is described with eerie detail. Though the book could have used a little more oomph, it made me want to book a trip to Scotland to look for Nessie myself. Once again, Alten is in fine form.
2 s Debbie726 14

I confess that I wasn't expecting a lot from this book, not when the front cover proclaimed it to be "... the best work of fiction since King Kong and The Lost World!", LOL! But the subject matter intrigued me and it turned out to be surprisingly readable.

Steve Alten isn't ever going to win any prizes for literature. From a look of the list of other books he has written he would seem to be a writer in the mould of Dan Brown - formulaic plots, one dimensional characters and surprisingly exciting stories. This book kept me turning the pages and I enjoyed reading it despite all it's many deficiencies.

The characters are on the whole very unable, including the narrator. But Alten mixes enough history and science with his intriguing, suspenseful plot to give this book some depth that I wasn't expecting.

The basic plot is very simple. Marine biologist Zachary Wallace survives a near drowning in the Sargasso Sea while looking for giant squid. The trauma of that experience unlocks suppressed childhood memories from a near drowning in Loch Ness when he was nine years old. Zachary is forced to return to Scotland and Loch Ness to help his estranged father who is on trial for murder. His father's defence is that the man he was accused of murdering was actually taken by the Loch Ness monster. As more mysterious deaths occur on the Loch, monster hunters from all over the world descend on Scotland, and Zachary must overcome his fears and discover the truth behind the monster legends.

Alten manages to weave a story involving monsters, Templars, Robert the Bruce, Freemasons, environmental destruction and Anguilla eels. His conclusions as to what Nessie actually is are quite convincing. This was an unexpectedly enjoyable read and has made me want to revisit Loch Ness, although I won't be going out on the water!2 s Patrick Ellard230 3

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