Product Description
Loch Ness holds secrets, ancient and deadly. Does a monster inhabit its depths, or is it just myth? Why, after thousands of reported sightings and dozens of expeditions, is there still no hard evidence? Marine biologist Zachery Wallace knows, but the shock of his near-drowning as a child on Loch Ness have buried all memories of the incident. Now, a near-death experience suffered while on expedition in the Sargasso Sea has caused these long-forgotten memories to re-surface. Haunted by vivid night terrors, stricken by a sudden fear of the water, Zach finds he can no longer function as a scientist. Unable to cope, his career all but over, he stumbles down a path of self-destruction...until he receives contact from his estranged father...a man he has not seen since his parents' divorced and he left Scotland as a boy.

Angus Wallace, a wily Highlander who never worked an honest day in his life, is on trial for murdering his business partner. Only Zachary can prove his innocence - if he is innocent, but to do so means confronting the nightmare that nearly killed him seventeen years earlier.

Incorporating the latest research and "new evidence," that leads to real answers concerning the monster's identity, best-selling author Steve Alten weaves a tale of horror about the most publicized and controversial creature ever to exist.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 132 reviews)

Fun Read For Monster Fans.

Steve Alten, who previously introduced us to MEG, took us into THE TRENCH, and helped us navigate PRIMAL WATERS, throws on a kilt and takes us to bonny old Scotland to investigate strange doings in THE LOCH.

Marine Biologist Zachary Wallace (A descendant of William "Braveheart" Wallace, as we are endlessly reminded throughout the novel) has a little problem: After a near-death experience hunting the Giant Squid in the Sargasso Sea, he's terrified of the water. (Might be time to look into a different line of work!) Summoned back to his childhood home
in Scotland to help defend his estranged Father against murder charges, he's soon put on the trail of Scotland's most famous resident, Nessie, who if Zachary's Father is to be believed, has suddenly developed a taste for meat. Let the hunt begin.......

The Loch is Alten's most fuly realized tale, but it still suffers from the same fatel flaws as all of his previous work........Shallow, interchangeable characters, turgid prose, endless cliches........The frequent flashbacks, told in phonetic Scottish brogue, are are almost unbearable, not only for their difficulty to read, thanks to the brogue,but for the utter ridiculousness of their purpose.The reason behind the flashbacks is pure McGuffin, as is the filler murder trial. The true star of the show is Nessie, and Alten's theory on her. He manages to cover all the bases (The fact that nearly all Nessie sightings have happened since 1932, the lack of any previous Nessie-related fatalities, the failure of sonar to locate any trace of her, etc.), and still offers up an explanation that even the most die-hard Nessie fan won't see coming.

At it's heart, THE LOCH is a creature-feature monster yarn, in the same vein as JURASSIC PARK & KING KONG. The hunt for the creature, the science behind her, the Nessie attacks......they all have incredible page-turning power. I was less-than-thrilled with the ludicrous, hard-to-read flashbacks (In addition to the phonetic brogue, the flashbacks are told in a maddening, medieval-looking font that is an offense to the eye), the half-baked murder trial, the mystery of the Knights Templar.....this is all filler for a massive book (470 pages) that could have been told in half the length. The monster is the star of the show, and the scenes where Nessie rampages are spellbinding, and they'll make for a great summer popcorn flick. Unfortunately, Alten drops the ball by taking the final showdown out of the depths of the Loch and putting it on dry (or mostly dry) land. On the strength of it's bold (and oddly plausible) new theory on the true identity of Nessie, THE LOCH gets a borderline 4 out of 5.

October 11, 2008

Good reading but one problem

I have to say overall i enjoyed this book. But there are certain factual problems in the book (although it dosent offend me). E.g He says Lochness in the deepest Lake in Britain......WRONG! The deepest is infact Loch Morar which is about 200-300 feet deeper than Lochness! I have heard complaints from some Scots that Steve Alten has not potrayed their dialect/accent correctly in the book.
The final issue is one which many may laugh at. I like the logical idea that Nessie is a giant eel. However i am convinced that Nessie is a tetrapod like a plesiosaur or even a relative of Cadborosaurus described by Paul leBlond and Ed Bousfield. Some eyewitnesses are adamant that the animal they saw did not resemble or behave like an eel in anyway. There are large eels in Lochness no doubt but they are probably prey for the even larger Nessie.
June 01, 2008

But it's only a myth...or is it?

Steve Alten has written a few books involving long-dead creatures (notably Carcharodon Megalodon, the protagonist of his 'Meg' series) but here he tackles the subject of cryptozoology, that is, creatures that might exist but presumably don't, and he succeeds mightily at convincing readers that there is a creature inhabiting the famous Scottish lake.

With the 'Meg' books, there were subplots that went nowhere and slowed the book down a bit, but here Alten's writing is at full throttle at all times. A disgraced marine biologist is forced to return to his Scottish home to assist his father, who's been charged with murder. He reconnects with old friends and an old flame. Then he's forced to testify in his father's trial and old memories he'd kept repressed surge to the surface and lead him to the shores of the loch...and deep below it.

The characters are all believable, but Alten's habit of writing out the characters' Scottish accents ('didnae', 'faither', etc.) grew tiresome after a while. The plot and science are solid, though, and this is definitely a beach (or lake house) read.
April 27, 2008

This is a VERY GOOD BOOK! Can;t put it down.

Steve Alten is an awesome writer that you have a hard time putting his books down! Great story! I loved it.
April 01, 2008

Alten Does Nessie

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, that'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, Alten'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.

March 27, 2008

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

MEG: Primal Waters
by Steve Alten

The Trench
by Steve Alten

MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror
by Steve Alten

Goliath
by Steve Alten

Domain (The Domain Trilogy)
by Steve Alten