The Loch (novel)

The Loch is a science fiction novel and legal thriller by Steve Alten, and was first published in 2005. The novel is the story of marine biologist Zachary Wallace. A crossover sequel with Alten's Meg series, Vostok, was released in 2015, with a further crossover occurring in Meg: Nightstalkers in 2016. A third book, The Loch: Heaven's Lake is currently unreleased.

Plot summary
This synopsis is told in chronological order, as opposed to the order events happen in the novel.

Shortly after the death of William Wallace, a group of Knight Templars bring his heart to Loch Ness with the intent to hide it in a cavern. They are aware that monsters use the cavern as a path to the ocean, so they deliberately block their path so they can serve as guardians. Each year the Knights will raise and lower a gate that allows several adult monsters to enter but not leave. Believing the monsters are the spawn of Satan and using them makes them complicit, the Knights rename themselves the Black Knights. In the resulting chaos the monsters kill all but one of them, Wallace's cousin and protagonist Zachary Wallace's ancestor, who swears to protect the relic.

Hundreds of years later Scottish-born Zachary Wallace has returned to Loch Ness to reconnect with his father Angus, who has been accused of murdering wealthy land developer Johnny Cialino over money owed. Zachary is also dealing with the impact of a disastrous expedition into the Sargasso Sea, which has left him with PTSD and afraid of the water. Hoping to find giant squid, the expedition instead resulted in the loss of an expensive submersible and its pilot after they are attacked by an unseen creature Zachary identifies as the source of the mysterious phenomenon "The Bloop". Once in Scotland Zachary reunites with his childhood friend True MacDonald and his sister Brandy, with whom Zachary is immediately smitten. During the trial Angus claims that Johnny was murdered by the Loch Ness Monster and that Zachary himself was almost killed by one as a child. Zachary vehemently denies the claims but experiences visions of his childhood attack while under scrutiny.

Increased attacks on visitors eventually force Zachary to admit that although Nessie herself is folklore, he was attacked by a monstrous creature as a child. During his investigations into the loch, Zachary learns that True's father Albin is part of the Black Knights and that his former boss David, who was quick to blame him for the Sargasso incident, is going to lead teams of monster hunters in an expedition to find and capture Nessie. David hires Brady and her boat as his mode of transport around the loch, something Brandy uses as a means to get even with Zachary for not being open with her about his phobias and feelings. As the book progresses Zachary learns that the monster became more violent due to environmental changes in the loch and that prior attempts to find it were futile due to active sonar, which aggravates it and sends it deep underwater. Zachary correctly surmises that using passive sonar will find the monster, information he gives to David in exchange for access to the man's sonar arrays. David manages to locate the monster, but dies while trying to trap it in Urquhart Bay.

Eventually Zachary realizes that the monster is a distant cousin and predecessor to the Anguilla eel, which was trapped when bridge construction damaged the Black Knights' gate many years ago. This in turn causes the realization that the Sargasso incident was caused by other monsters that remained outside the loch. He decides to free the monster after Angus is found guilty, as this would provide the needed evidence to clear his name. As the tunnel to the gate is heavily damaged, Zachary travels through the loch itself to the gate, where he discovers oil leaking into the water. Zachary is able to clear the gate blockage successfully but is ultimately forced to battle the monster using his ancestor's sword, which he discovers nearby. This proves successful and Zachary returns to the surface with enough evidence to overturn Angus's conviction. In the following days Zachary discovers additional evidence implying that his father murdered Johnny, but keeps it to himself as it is also implied that this was done because the man was abusive and polluted the loch.

The novel ends with Zachary and Brandy, now married, leading a successful investigation to find the monsters in the Sargasso Sea. His night terrors have not resurfaced and the two are expecting a child.

Development
While researching the book Alten spent time in Scotland. He consulted cryptozoologists and experts on the legend of the Loch Ness Monster such as Bill McDonald, whose study of Loch Ness prompted Alten to delay the book so he could change some portions to better reflect his findings.

Alten also ran a contest on his website where the winner's name would be used for a character in the novel.

Release
Prior to publishing The Loch Alten had released four books through Tor Books. The books had received middling sales, which Alten had attributed to a lack of promotion. He chose to instead release The Loch through an independent publisher, Tsunami Books, as they promised better publicity. The Loch was first published in hardback in May 2005 through Tsunami Books, and per Alten, received better sales. This was followed up by a paperback edition in 2006, also through Tsunami Books.

In 2009 an illustrated mass market paperback was published, this time through Tor Books, which also published an ebook edition in 2013. An audiobook adaptation narrated by P. J. Ochlan was released in 2016 through Blackstone Audio, and in 2018 Alten published a re-edited collector's edition of the novel that was accompanied by photos, maps, 3D images, and a report on the Loch Ness Monster.

Reception
Ron Bernas of the Detroit Free Press gave the novel 3 stars, noting that while he had some "quibbles" with the book such as the motives of Zach's father Angus and the romance between Zach and Brandy, that its pacing and science made up for this.

Sequels
A crossover sequel with the Alten's Meg series, Vostok, was released in 2015, with a further crossover occurring in Meg: Nightstalkers in 2016. A third book, The Loch: Heaven's Lake, will be published in audiobook format in 2024 or later through Blackstone Audio after a delay of 2 years.

Film adaptation
Film rights to The Loch were purchased in 2007 by Belle Avery, who had also purchased the rights for Alten's The Meg.