The Loch

The Loch Series, Book 1

By: Steve Alten

Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan

Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

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 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 resurface. 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 17 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.

©2016 Steve Alten (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

FRINGE SCIENCE

SCOTT FREE
One hour into this book is one of the scariest scenes I have ever read. Alten is a sort of fringe science writer. I happen to be someone who enjoys that sort of escapism. Most of his books involve a lot of research. I like hearing all the science and some of the history, but I think he went to long on the Scottish History this time. I don't want a chronological list of all the kings of England and/or Scotland.

I loved all the talk of Evolution and Mutations. I did not care for the Black Knights of the Templar part of the story. The story would have been better, had he had not insisted on making them part of the conspiracy part of the book.

I liked Zachary, the main character. He showed humility and I could not help having empathy for him. I did feel it unbelievable that a young man, would prefer a young woman think him impotent instead of admitting he was scared of water.

The love story was awful. Brandi is the girl he loves. She dumps him and sleeps with another man, who happens to be a jerk. She does it for money, but she is not a whore? A couple of hours after the jerk drowns, she is back in bed with Zachary and totally in love.

MIGRAINES
I was entertained about 90% of the time and I did learn a lot, even about migraines, which I did not realize I cared about. I also learned about the Sargasso Sea. I had heard about it, but always figured it was around the Indian Ocean. Wrong, it is in the Atlantic.

Alten
I like Alten's writing. He writes about fringe science, while giving you real science. His book Meg is really good, as well as The Omega Project. This book is not as good as those two, but it is still entertaining. I will be getting the sequel.

OCHLAN
This guy does a great job. In parts his narration is more acting, than narrating. I think that adds to the atmosphere of the book.

Wonderful

This is a wonderful blend of fact and fiction. Quick to lure me in and held my attention the whole way. The story beautifully incorporates a concise history of Scotland and geology and biology facts. Overall it was as educational as entertaining. It was also well narrated, and was easy for me to discern which character was speaking due in part to the well performed accents.

Loch Lack

I probably should have researched the author's niche first. Appears to be with 10 - 12 year old boys, based on this book. Plot turns are predictable. There are only two memorable female characters. Both are curvaceous. One is the monster. The lead character is relentlessly miserable. Having been on Loch Ness, the descriptions are OK at best. Not evocative of the country or history for me - tries to be - but lumbers through it. Will research books about Scotland for other choices.

The Loch

Not as good as it sounds. Very disappointed. Although nice, the constant history was unnecessary and there are way too many quotes. Won't listen to another.

Fantastic book

I am a big fan of the Meg series and found the book through the author link on Amazon.

I love this book. It is a great book, but he warned the sequel is very different.

I highly recommend this book

Cringe Worthy

I tried, I really did...but I just couldn't get through it. It is poorly written and the performance is one-note. I also have a really hard time listening to American voice-over actors butchering British & Scottish accents.

Very Good Journey Into the Mind of the author

Would you consider the audio edition of The Loch to be better than the print version?

Yes, I enjoyed the fluid changes in the narrators voice and accent throughout the book.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was a roller-coaster ride, times of calm hit by sudden plunges into excitement and thrill...

What about P. J. Ochlan’s performance did you like?

His ability to jostle his voice and personality making the characters come alive.

If you could rename The Loch, what would you call it?

I believe the name to very appropriate

Any additional comments?

The book was amazing. I purchased the book on a whim needing something to read but really enjoying the Meg Series from Mr. Alten. I am glad I took the chance.

Fantastic Book, Great Characters, Great Narration

Where does The Loch rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I believe that The Loch may have just moved to the top of my list. P.J. Ochlan did a wonderful job with all the character voices and really made me feel that I was listening to the characters. Was very happy to see the P.J. also performed the next book, Vostok as well.

Who was your favorite character and why?

While True was a great character for so many reasons, Zachary Wallace was still a great protagonist and kept me entertained the entire time. Great character. Angus, gotta love him though. His one liners are amazing :)

Have you listened to any of P. J. Ochlan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first book with PJ but I am now on Vostok and very happy to hear his narration once again. I love the continuity.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The whole store is great, not much more I can say.

Any additional comments?

I loved the Meg series and really love this one. I hope to listen to more of the great tales. These characters are great and loved the crossover that is happening in Vostok and Meg 5. Steve Alten is a wonderful story teller. Keep up the great work! The education you learn on Scotland is quite amazing as well. At first I was like what is this all about, but as the story went on, I found myself looking forward to those parts quite a bit.

Trite

Poorly written, liberally decorated with unnecessary adjectives. The reading is awful and the plot seems written by a 10-year old. I am incredibly disappointed.

Fantastic!

If you're thinking this will just be another cheesy Loch Ness novel, you'll be more than pleasantly surprised! Well worth a credit. One of the best books I've read in ages!

American author can't research.

I'm going to try and finish this book, not sure I can though. The narrator's attempts at Scottish accents is a wee bit grating but otherwise he does a good job. The author on the other hand makes it really difficult to suspend disbelief with his pitiful reasearch about modern Britain.

Hopefully avoiding spoilers here are my main gripes, with 9 hours left:

We do not have the death penalty in the UK.
If you punch someone and they die you will likely get charged with manslaughter not murder.
We do not have attouneys we have solicitors and the don't question witnesses on the stand in crown cases, this is the job of Barristers.
If a witness is in clear medical distress we tend to halt procedings until they are well enough to continue.
We have had a National Health Service since the late 1940's, even in the Highlands. No one takes thier child to a vet because they can't afford a doctor.
We do not have Pumas in any part of the UK, they're american big cats. We only have the lynx. In fact we have no particularly dangerous wildlife, I suppose you could step on a hedgehog in bare feet, that would hurt.
You are legally required to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle.

Honestly, at this point I'm just listening to see how much more dumb there is.

Believable......definitely not

Scottish accents were mostly quite poor. People with Scottish accents using America pronunciation .
Plot feeble. Would not recommend

very good story

i really enjoyed the story packed with mystery and suspense. the accents were convincing and the characters in depth. i came here after listening to the meg series and was not disappointed, great book, great author and a great recording.

Fantastic book

Ticked all the boxes for me, science meets fantasy, well narrated and an excellent story 👍

great read twists and turns to keep you guessing till the end ready for book two now

This is another good Steve Alten monster book

Like the first Meg books this carries just enough (almost) credible science to back what is an enthralling story. The characters have depth and there is enough mystery to keep you hooked.

Great listen

Great story, great narration with a beautiful Scottish accent. I will look for more from both author and narrator.

Unutterable trash

Would you try another book written by Steve Alten or narrated by P. J. Ochlan?

Absolutely not, this story is badly written, unbelievable (apart from the obvious aquatic monster element) and irritating. The characters are two-dimensional, unlikely and impossible to relate to. The female characters are portrayed as shallow and stupid, and the principal character (and no doubt the author) is a misogynist. Much of the detail relating to Scotland is inaccurate. Added to this the book is lacking in pace and altogether boring.

Has The Loch put you off other books in this genre?

I like the genre, but this book isn't a good example of it.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The 'Scottish' accents are duff and distinctly Russian sounding.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I assume the end of it, but I didn't get that far.

Any additional comments?

Don't read it.

great story with plenty of depth and intrigue.

A great creature feature story without overdoing the creature. Keeps you interested and entertained while adding more depth and detail than you might expect.

Very entertaining

Steve Alten is mostly known for the MEG series but this is just as good as any of them if not better. The story is well thought out and plausible, the action good and caracters well written