The
Loch
Non-series
Steve Alten
Tsunami Books (Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-9761659-2-9 (0976165929)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9761659-2-7 (9780976165927)
Publication Date: April, 2006
List Price: $14.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): 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 Zachary Wallace knows, but the shock of his
near-drowning as a child on Loch Ness has 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.
Review:
One of the best aspects of Steve Alten's latest thriller, The Loch, is
that he takes a rather preposterous premise and makes it believable.
The blending of factual and fictional material as crafted by Alten for
the book is both fascinating and credible. That he is able to
seamlessly incorporate all this into an admittedly convoluted plot is
all the more astounding. There are several mysteries intertwined here:
historical, psychological, physical, and personal. And they are all
brought neatly together in a satisfying manner in the final chapters of
the book.
Though it is highly unlikely that Alten is planning a series based on
Zach Wallace, the central character of The Loch, he should consider it.
Zach is an engaging character and there are no doubt many more
mysteries of the sea on which he could use his sleuthing abilities.
Special thanks to Blanco & Peace for providing a copy of The Loch for this review.
Review Copyright © 2006 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Other mysteries by Steve Alten ...
Goliath
Forge (Hardcover), July 2002
ISBN-10: 0-7653-0064-8 (0765300648)
The Loch
Tsunami Books (Hardcover), April 2005
ISBN-10: 0-9761659-0-2 (0976165902)
The
Shell Game
Sweetwater (Hardcover), January 2008
ISBN-10: 1-59955-094-6 (1599550946)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59955-094-7 (9781599550947)
Omnimystery keywords for The Loch ...
Location(s) referenced: Scotland.