The Loch by Dee Taylor

It’s a harrowing, unforgettable tale of courage and romance, unfolding between the backdrop of the Scottish Highlands and in the murky depths of the loch itself. 

With drama escalating in suspense, this entertaining and thrilling novel is the story of a former stripper from the Aberdeen clubs emotionally torn between two men: a deep sea diver from the oil rigs and a highlander with a violent and tragic past. 

There is greed and horror in a search for Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite gold within the ever-present menace of the fabled creature of the Loch.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dee Taylor is now a professional artist, after spending most of his career in the advertising profession as art buyer at two of London's top ad agencies. 

His many artistic achievements include designing a now famous flag for the Romney Marsh area of Kent in south-east England. 

Dee’s other passions are angling and Loch Ness.

Review.

Well, I don't think I have ever read about the Loch Ness monster quite like this one. It was action-packed, heart-stopping at moments, the pacing was terrific and then there were dashes of romance and more importantly a treasure hunt! It was certainly a page-turner.

Tina, an ex-stripper and her boyfriend Jack, a deep-sea diver, are on holiday camping on the shores of Loch Ness. Jack is a keen angler and when he is fishing one morning they both end up seeing what they believe to be the Loch Ness monster! After, telling their tale to a the local Nessie museum they are taken to meet Red Angus, a local who also has seen the monster. They strike up a friendship and learn about the treasure of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Apparently, after the defeat at Culloden, he fled and a trusted colleague was given his funds. But the legend goes that he was killed whilst on a boat in Loch Ness, tumbled into the water and the money went with him. The three of them make a pact to try and find it. But at the same time, Tina finds herself developing feelings for Red.

Probably because I am a female reader I found this book to be more about Tina’s story, her desire to escape her life in Aberdeen, find someone who makes her heart flutter and better her life in the process. After, finishing the book I had to go back to the prologue and reread it with fresh eyes. I found her strength to be inspiring especially after a pivotal scene involving two local brothers. I felt that the character of Red was depicted with honesty and well researched, especially when it came to his PTSD from the army and his time in the mercenaries.

There is a lot of talk about fishing in this book, I might have scanned over those sections but the sections with the diving were extremely atmospheric and claustrophobic. I have always wanted to learn to scuba dive and thankfully this story didn't put me off! Maybe in some warmer waters though. The author has a talent when it comes to painting a mental image, as so many of the scenes were beamed into my mind's eye. His description of the scenery was on point, you can tell he is an artist. I was enthralled with the Bonnie Prince Charlie side of the story as it was a good old adventure type thriller, plus it was based on fact. Unlike the Nessie story. Sorry, I am such a thing sceptic when it comes to that! But the diving scenes which tie both sides of the narrative were effective enough to give me nightmares. No, really I had one the night I finished this book!

If you are looking for an atmospheric adventure thriller based in Scotland I can certainly recommend this one!