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The Loch
A claustrophobic, eerie and atmospheric thriller perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Sarah Pearse.
Loch Aven is notorious in the small Scottish community of Blackhills. Twenty years ago, three young women disappeared, never to be found. The rumour to this day is that their bodies are still hidden in its dark waters.
When Eleanor, Clio and Michaela find themselves rained out of a camping trip nearby, they have no option but to book mysterious Loch House on the banks of Loch Aven. Little do they know of its history, and that history is about to repeat itself…
But when Michaela disappears, quickly followed by Clio, it becomes clear that something sinister is at play. As secrets in the tightknit community begin to surface, it’s a race against time. Will the mystery of the Loch reveal itself before the dark waters claim their next victim…?
Loch Aven is notorious in the small Scottish community of Blackhills. Twenty years ago, three young women disappeared, never to be found. The rumour to this day is that their bodies are still hidden in its dark waters.
When Eleanor, Clio and Michaela find themselves rained out of a camping trip nearby, they have no option but to book mysterious Loch House on the banks of Loch Aven. Little do they know of its history, and that history is about to repeat itself…
But when Michaela disappears, quickly followed by Clio, it becomes clear that something sinister is at play. As secrets in the tightknit community begin to surface, it’s a race against time. Will the mystery of the Loch reveal itself before the dark waters claim their next victim…?
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2023
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262 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
November 21, 2022
Then:- In and around Loch Aven an exhausted search party continues to look for Rebecca. There’s alway been something mystical and otherworldly about the place when a discovery of something belonging to Rebecca is found in the loch which strikes terror into hearts.
Present Day:- Best friends Eleanor, Clio and Michaela arrive at Loch House which they book at the last minute when bad weather forces an end to a planned camping trip in Blackhills. Little do they know this is an area of tightly kept secrets and it soon becomes clear there’s a sinister presence in the area. It becomes a race against time to solve the mystery before the misty dark loch waters claim another victim. The story is told principally by Eleanor and Rebecca.
I really enjoy the first half of the novel as it’s full of strange vibes and off notes. There’s a distinct wildness to the area and the odd behaviour of some of the locals has you asking many questions. It’s full of atmosphere, the loch feels eerie and like a character in its own right giving a ghostly almost gothic feel at times. The local folklore of spirits and kelpies adds to that feeling. Unfortunately this atmosphere fizzles out in the second half as more earthly explanations bubble to the surface which is a shame.
I don’t enjoy the second half as much, some things just don’t make sense and I’m not so keen on Rebecca’s perspective with one major aspect stretching coincidence too far in the ‘of all the gin joints’ variety. There is one plot hole which I can’t mention as it’s a spoiler but it defies science. The ending is not to my taste either though it does wrap things up tidily.
Overall, I like the book, there are aspects that are very good but I can’t say that I love it.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Avon Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Present Day:- Best friends Eleanor, Clio and Michaela arrive at Loch House which they book at the last minute when bad weather forces an end to a planned camping trip in Blackhills. Little do they know this is an area of tightly kept secrets and it soon becomes clear there’s a sinister presence in the area. It becomes a race against time to solve the mystery before the misty dark loch waters claim another victim. The story is told principally by Eleanor and Rebecca.
I really enjoy the first half of the novel as it’s full of strange vibes and off notes. There’s a distinct wildness to the area and the odd behaviour of some of the locals has you asking many questions. It’s full of atmosphere, the loch feels eerie and like a character in its own right giving a ghostly almost gothic feel at times. The local folklore of spirits and kelpies adds to that feeling. Unfortunately this atmosphere fizzles out in the second half as more earthly explanations bubble to the surface which is a shame.
I don’t enjoy the second half as much, some things just don’t make sense and I’m not so keen on Rebecca’s perspective with one major aspect stretching coincidence too far in the ‘of all the gin joints’ variety. There is one plot hole which I can’t mention as it’s a spoiler but it defies science. The ending is not to my taste either though it does wrap things up tidily.
Overall, I like the book, there are aspects that are very good but I can’t say that I love it.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Avon Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
March 7, 2023
I think that I must be in the minority as other readers are raving about this book. For me it was another mediocre domestic thriller. Predictable and brought nothing new to this genre. So disappointed wish I had given this one a miss.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
February 13, 2023
On my blog.
Rep: lesbian mcs, bi side character
Galley provided by publisher
The Loch is a book I’ve been anticipating for ages. Fran Dorricott is one of my auto-read authors and this one did not let me down. It was just as thrillingly compelling as her previous ventures into the genre and definitely cements her place even further as one of my favourites.
The story follows three friends who go on a weekend trip to a remote house on the edge of a Scottish loch. Here, they find themselves in a less-than-friendly village, surrounded by people who pointedly don’t want to talk about things. The book flips back and forth between three disappearances in the past and the present day, where it appears that mystery is repeating itself.
As with all of Dorricott’s previous thrillers, this one sucks you in from the first page. You feel like you’re there too, in that small hostile village, in the freezing cold (although that part might have been because the heating wasn’t on). And this serves to help supercharge the tension when things start to go really wrong. I’ve read a lot of thrillers and/or mysteries, and I think Dorricott is among the only authors where I genuinely feel my heart starting to race as I read.
And it’s not just the atmospheric writing that allows this. She creates such real feeling characters, through just a few lines at times, that you can’t help but be fully engaged by them. Even the side characters, even if they only show up for a handful of paragraphs, a chapter at most, they all leap off the page. In this one, I’m thinking about how you actually only meet certain, key, characters very very briefly, and yet they don’t come across as lesser than the main characters because of it. Honestly, it’s an enviable skill.
This was why, despite guessing the broad strokes of the plot fairly early on (though I will admit to not having seen all the twists coming), I still found myself thrilled by it and unable to put it down. That, I think, is a sign of how good this book was. Even when I thought I knew where it was going, I didn’t lose interest in it. If anything, it made me even more eager to continue.
So, if there are any thriller fans out there who haven’t tried Fran Dorricott’s books yet, now is the perfect time to course correct! Come March, you’ll have four of them to binge.
Rep: lesbian mcs, bi side character
Galley provided by publisher
The Loch is a book I’ve been anticipating for ages. Fran Dorricott is one of my auto-read authors and this one did not let me down. It was just as thrillingly compelling as her previous ventures into the genre and definitely cements her place even further as one of my favourites.
The story follows three friends who go on a weekend trip to a remote house on the edge of a Scottish loch. Here, they find themselves in a less-than-friendly village, surrounded by people who pointedly don’t want to talk about things. The book flips back and forth between three disappearances in the past and the present day, where it appears that mystery is repeating itself.
As with all of Dorricott’s previous thrillers, this one sucks you in from the first page. You feel like you’re there too, in that small hostile village, in the freezing cold (although that part might have been because the heating wasn’t on). And this serves to help supercharge the tension when things start to go really wrong. I’ve read a lot of thrillers and/or mysteries, and I think Dorricott is among the only authors where I genuinely feel my heart starting to race as I read.
And it’s not just the atmospheric writing that allows this. She creates such real feeling characters, through just a few lines at times, that you can’t help but be fully engaged by them. Even the side characters, even if they only show up for a handful of paragraphs, a chapter at most, they all leap off the page. In this one, I’m thinking about how you actually only meet certain, key, characters very very briefly, and yet they don’t come across as lesser than the main characters because of it. Honestly, it’s an enviable skill.
This was why, despite guessing the broad strokes of the plot fairly early on (though I will admit to not having seen all the twists coming), I still found myself thrilled by it and unable to put it down. That, I think, is a sign of how good this book was. Even when I thought I knew where it was going, I didn’t lose interest in it. If anything, it made me even more eager to continue.
So, if there are any thriller fans out there who haven’t tried Fran Dorricott’s books yet, now is the perfect time to course correct! Come March, you’ll have four of them to binge.
February 14, 2023
To be honest, the book was very predictable. The reveal was obvious way before the author actually tells us the truth of the matter and the overall mystery is less menacing and mysterious than you hope.
What kept me reading were our main character and her two friends. While one says ‘Dude’ way too much (seriously, way, way too much!), I liked all three of them and mostly kept reading to find out what would happen to them.
Despite the predictability of the book, I was engaged enough to keep reading and I wasn’t disappointed that I’d read it.
I’ll give the author another try in the future.
• ARC via Publisher
What kept me reading were our main character and her two friends. While one says ‘Dude’ way too much (seriously, way, way too much!), I liked all three of them and mostly kept reading to find out what would happen to them.
Despite the predictability of the book, I was engaged enough to keep reading and I wasn’t disappointed that I’d read it.
I’ll give the author another try in the future.
• ARC via Publisher
March 16, 2023
I think I must be in the minority here as other readers have raved about this book. It started off with an interesting prologue that had me turning the pages...and then...what? Nothing of any note, in my opinion.
Present day: Best friends Eleanor, Michaela and Clio rent the Loch House cabin overlooking the stunning Loch Aven, with Clio complaining about the remote locale at every turn. Mind you, she was complaining about the whole idea of camping anyway. And I couldn't quite work out whether their camping ground was washed out and they booked this cabin at late notice or what. At any rate, Clio made it known that she hated the whole idea of camping though Michaela was itching to hike in and around the woods surrounding the Loch.
And then make an odd discovery. A guestbook for the cabin which hasn't been written in for two decades. Was the last tourist tenant here over twenty years ago? Has there been none since? This sparks Clio off into another tirade of uncertainty around their accommodation. So what to do? Off to the village pub for a meal. And there they receive a somewhat strange reception. Some tourists find them fascinating, the idea of tourists exciting. Others treated them with disdain. What is with this village?
And then they discover that they were right...there have been no guests stay at Loch House for two decades. Which, naturally, spooks them and leaves them wondering why...
Then: A exhausted search party continue the search for missing young local woman Rebecca in and around Loch Aven. This can't be like the other missing girls. They were never found. What happened to them? Rumour has it that their bodies remain hidden deep within the depths of the murky waters of Loch Aven.
The three friends come up against secrets that this tightknit Scottish community have kept buried for two decades and now they begin to surface. Particularly when one of them disappears. And only then does it become strikingly clear that there is something sinister at play.
Can the friends unravel the mystery before the dark waters claim any more victims...?
OK, so the premise sounding atmospheric and intriguing. There is something otherwordly about the mystic lochs in the wilds of Scotland and I was reminded of Daniel Hurst's recent thriller in a similar setting but was far more engaging and thrilling than this which had me bored to tears. It had potential, sure. But it just didn't reach it, in my opinion. I couldn't finish it and shelved it before I fell asleep...
I would like to thank #FranDorricott, #Netgalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #TheLoch in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Present day: Best friends Eleanor, Michaela and Clio rent the Loch House cabin overlooking the stunning Loch Aven, with Clio complaining about the remote locale at every turn. Mind you, she was complaining about the whole idea of camping anyway. And I couldn't quite work out whether their camping ground was washed out and they booked this cabin at late notice or what. At any rate, Clio made it known that she hated the whole idea of camping though Michaela was itching to hike in and around the woods surrounding the Loch.
And then make an odd discovery. A guestbook for the cabin which hasn't been written in for two decades. Was the last tourist tenant here over twenty years ago? Has there been none since? This sparks Clio off into another tirade of uncertainty around their accommodation. So what to do? Off to the village pub for a meal. And there they receive a somewhat strange reception. Some tourists find them fascinating, the idea of tourists exciting. Others treated them with disdain. What is with this village?
And then they discover that they were right...there have been no guests stay at Loch House for two decades. Which, naturally, spooks them and leaves them wondering why...
Then: A exhausted search party continue the search for missing young local woman Rebecca in and around Loch Aven. This can't be like the other missing girls. They were never found. What happened to them? Rumour has it that their bodies remain hidden deep within the depths of the murky waters of Loch Aven.
The three friends come up against secrets that this tightknit Scottish community have kept buried for two decades and now they begin to surface. Particularly when one of them disappears. And only then does it become strikingly clear that there is something sinister at play.
Can the friends unravel the mystery before the dark waters claim any more victims...?
OK, so the premise sounding atmospheric and intriguing. There is something otherwordly about the mystic lochs in the wilds of Scotland and I was reminded of Daniel Hurst's recent thriller in a similar setting but was far more engaging and thrilling than this which had me bored to tears. It had potential, sure. But it just didn't reach it, in my opinion. I couldn't finish it and shelved it before I fell asleep...
I would like to thank #FranDorricott, #Netgalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #TheLoch in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
November 25, 2022
Eleanor, Kay and Clio book a Scottish cottage on an eerie Loch where 3 women disappeared 25 years ago. While there Kay disappears and Eleanor and Cleo discover folklore, secrets and lies in this small village. Thanks NetGalley and Avon Books for this ARC!
August 22, 2024
2.5 ⭐️If I had to describe this book in one word it would be ‘okay’ - there wasn’t really anything particularly special about it. It was enjoyable enough and I did like the setting and the atmosphere, with the loch and the isolated nature of loch house creating a creepy vibe. The problem was it was just very predictable, by the time I was halfway through I had guessed what had happened and I was pretty much right. I also felt the tiny bit of action at the end was very rushed and the ending itself was also quite simplistic.
March 16, 2023
Twenty years ago, three young women disappeared, never to be found. The rumour to this day is that their bodies are still hidden deep within the murky Loch Aven.
A time-slip novel, ‘then’, mainly told from the viewpoint of Rebecca, and ‘present day’, told from Eleanor’s perspective with a few other characters intermingled in the storytelling. Eleanor, Clio and Michaela are on a girls’ holiday in Scotland and sunny, it is not! Wet, misty, dismal and mysterious, the girls are alone in the house on the Loch and then one of them goes missing.
Even though I worked out ‘whodunnit’ by the middle of the book, The Loch was a real page-turner for me and kept me hooked all day long. I truly couldn’t put it down. Do you know how difficult it is to hold the pages open whilst making a tuna sandwich?!
The Loch is my first Fran Dorricott novel, and it has made me eager to check out what else she has written and add them to my TBR list.
Thank you to Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Loch by Fran Dorricott.
A time-slip novel, ‘then’, mainly told from the viewpoint of Rebecca, and ‘present day’, told from Eleanor’s perspective with a few other characters intermingled in the storytelling. Eleanor, Clio and Michaela are on a girls’ holiday in Scotland and sunny, it is not! Wet, misty, dismal and mysterious, the girls are alone in the house on the Loch and then one of them goes missing.
Even though I worked out ‘whodunnit’ by the middle of the book, The Loch was a real page-turner for me and kept me hooked all day long. I truly couldn’t put it down. Do you know how difficult it is to hold the pages open whilst making a tuna sandwich?!
The Loch is my first Fran Dorricott novel, and it has made me eager to check out what else she has written and add them to my TBR list.
Thank you to Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Loch by Fran Dorricott.
December 8, 2022
Even though the twist was obvious, I still could not put this down. I HAD to find out what happened to the missing girls. The loch where this story took place was so eerie, and the amount of details made me want to go to Scotland immediately. This was a fantastic read, definitely check this out when it’s released in March.
April 27, 2024
I was hoping for a mystery with lots of small town gossip with an authentic Scottish cultural and geographic backdrop.
However I was disappointed. Many of the characters died by falling into plot holes.
For example everyone in the little town is shocked that someone is actually staying in the Loch House. No one has stayed there for years. Well the surprising reason is that the owner didn’t rent it to anyone…until now. Also it’s a small town so everyone should know who lives where and who owns what, however that’s not the case.
Also whatever happened to the lost campers? Why were they lost? What was their story? Why did everyone keep mentioning them but no one seemed to know anything about the search?
I must admit I skipped over many paragraphs of whiney characters too hungover and too dumb to look after their friends or themselves. I did get to the end which consisted of an unsupported plot twist.
However I was disappointed. Many of the characters died by falling into plot holes.
For example everyone in the little town is shocked that someone is actually staying in the Loch House. No one has stayed there for years. Well the surprising reason is that the owner didn’t rent it to anyone…until now. Also it’s a small town so everyone should know who lives where and who owns what, however that’s not the case.
Also whatever happened to the lost campers? Why were they lost? What was their story? Why did everyone keep mentioning them but no one seemed to know anything about the search?
I must admit I skipped over many paragraphs of whiney characters too hungover and too dumb to look after their friends or themselves. I did get to the end which consisted of an unsupported plot twist.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2023
When three friends decide to rent a lakefront house in the Scottish countryside for a long weekend, the townsfolk in the small village nearby seem slightly standoff, but not rude at first. And the girls begin to think they can make the most out of what is shaping up to be a rainy weekend in an isolated area. But then one of the girls, Michaela, goes missing. And the villagers clam up. But not before Clio and Eleanor hear whispers of the disappearance of three girls near the same lake 20 years earlier. Is history repeating itself? And can the girls find out before they become victims too?
This was a great atmospheric mystery, which switched timelines between the present day and the past, when the first three girl disappeared. The action was slow-going, but that really served to build up the tension as more questions began to pile up. At one point, some of the mystery becomes obvious, but there are still some twists that keep things interesting until the end. That’s the key: don’t stop reading until the end!
Like I said, the atmosphere and setting are also big parts of the story, with the gloomy Scottish countryside almost becoming its own character. The author does a great job keeping the house, the lake and the surrounding forest at the center of the story, giving you this eerie sense of foreboding and having it always in the background.
This book is like a great long weekend in Scotland, just like the girls’. Except you’ll be nice and safe at home, and they’ll…well, you’ll have to read to see!
This was a great atmospheric mystery, which switched timelines between the present day and the past, when the first three girl disappeared. The action was slow-going, but that really served to build up the tension as more questions began to pile up. At one point, some of the mystery becomes obvious, but there are still some twists that keep things interesting until the end. That’s the key: don’t stop reading until the end!
Like I said, the atmosphere and setting are also big parts of the story, with the gloomy Scottish countryside almost becoming its own character. The author does a great job keeping the house, the lake and the surrounding forest at the center of the story, giving you this eerie sense of foreboding and having it always in the background.
This book is like a great long weekend in Scotland, just like the girls’. Except you’ll be nice and safe at home, and they’ll…well, you’ll have to read to see!
April 26, 2023
When their original holiday plans go awry, three friends find themselves in the house by Loch Aven in Scotland. There’s something disturbing about the house, a feeling like maybe it hasn’t been lived in for years. But how can that be?
Without wanting to give away any spoilers, this is the story of three friends who each have their own issues, a close-knit Scottish village, and people disappearing. Can the disappearances be related to similar events two decades earlier?
Told from several points of view and with a dual timeline you’d think that it might be tricky to follow but really, it’s not. Once you realise that Eleanor and Rebecca are not speaking about the same point in time, it’s easy enough to follow. I would say though that the book is a slow burner and I enjoyed the second half more than the first.
Despite the slow start, I did enjoy the book and thought that the two stories came together. I guessed part of the end, but there was still a surprise or two that I didn’t.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Without wanting to give away any spoilers, this is the story of three friends who each have their own issues, a close-knit Scottish village, and people disappearing. Can the disappearances be related to similar events two decades earlier?
Told from several points of view and with a dual timeline you’d think that it might be tricky to follow but really, it’s not. Once you realise that Eleanor and Rebecca are not speaking about the same point in time, it’s easy enough to follow. I would say though that the book is a slow burner and I enjoyed the second half more than the first.
Despite the slow start, I did enjoy the book and thought that the two stories came together. I guessed part of the end, but there was still a surprise or two that I didn’t.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 27, 2024
A disappointing book.
Billed as “A claustrophobic, eerie and atmospheric thriller” it fails to live up to the hype, which is a shame as it could have been good.
The story is told by 2 narrators 25 years apart.
None of the characters are particularly interesting, the plot jumps about without proper links, there is too much superfluous information & focus on the characters sexuality, the pace is far too slow to be at all thrilling, the hook is far too easy to guess, information is repeated over & over and at times it gets overly descriptive in text.
Sorry but that’s just my opinion.
Billed as “A claustrophobic, eerie and atmospheric thriller” it fails to live up to the hype, which is a shame as it could have been good.
The story is told by 2 narrators 25 years apart.
None of the characters are particularly interesting, the plot jumps about without proper links, there is too much superfluous information & focus on the characters sexuality, the pace is far too slow to be at all thrilling, the hook is far too easy to guess, information is repeated over & over and at times it gets overly descriptive in text.
Sorry but that’s just my opinion.
Read
March 27, 2023This is ideal for fans of claustrophobic psychological thrillers. All the ingredients are here: a group of friends away at a remote location when one disappears and the others doubt each other; unfriendly locals scarred by a past tragedy; and a second timeline involving the mysterious Rebecca.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
November 16, 2022
I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have read two other books by this author and enjoyed them so I was excited to read this one. When a group of three friends go on a weekend trip to a secluded area called Loch Aven, things are off right from the start. There is a group of tourists missing and the locals don’t want to give much information. When one of the friends goes missing, the police don’t seem too interested so it’s up to the other two to find out what’s going on and to see if it ties in with the three missing girls from 25 years ago. An interesting read, looking forward to her next book.
August 8, 2023
Thrilling
November 15, 2025
I found two typos
November 14, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, it is well paced and engrossing. The setting is perfectly imaginable and suited to the storyline of which is interestingly bleak. The characters are very likeable and relatable and you find yourself routing for them throughout. The only reason I'd mark this story down a star is purely because I guessed the major part of the plot fairly early on, however, it doesn't detract massively from my overall opinion and even then there was a twist that I didn't see coming, which was great. I would definitely recommend this book!
March 6, 2023
The Loch is unsurprisingly set beside a loch. The setting is quite well described and it reminded me a bit of Loch Muick, with the house on the banks of the loch. This was a promising start for what’s billed as a “creepy thriller”.
The cover is quite nice and fits with the story.
Three university friends decide to have a weekend away to spend some quality time together, and it’s decided they’ll stay near the village of Blackhills. The girls don’t get a very warm welcome in the village and are a bit scared staying in Loch House as it seems no one has stayed there for a long time. They discover that twenty-five years before, three girls went missing near the loch. When one of the girls disappears, could history be about to repeat itself?
The story has a dual timeline. Mostly told from Eleanor’s point of view, in the present day, it also flashes back to the village twenty-five years earlier.
I found the characters quite meh and I didn’t particularly like or relate to any of them. The author had tried to include some backstory but somehow the characters were still two dimensional.
It felt like the story was really slow to get going. Not much really happened until halfway through and even then it was still slow until the last 10% or so. Disappointingly, I found the story to be really predictable. I had guessed a few of the plot points long before they were revealed.
Overall, this wasn’t a book for me. Instead of thrilling it was slow and predictable.
2.5 stars rounded to 2.
The cover is quite nice and fits with the story.
Three university friends decide to have a weekend away to spend some quality time together, and it’s decided they’ll stay near the village of Blackhills. The girls don’t get a very warm welcome in the village and are a bit scared staying in Loch House as it seems no one has stayed there for a long time. They discover that twenty-five years before, three girls went missing near the loch. When one of the girls disappears, could history be about to repeat itself?
The story has a dual timeline. Mostly told from Eleanor’s point of view, in the present day, it also flashes back to the village twenty-five years earlier.
I found the characters quite meh and I didn’t particularly like or relate to any of them. The author had tried to include some backstory but somehow the characters were still two dimensional.
It felt like the story was really slow to get going. Not much really happened until halfway through and even then it was still slow until the last 10% or so. Disappointingly, I found the story to be really predictable. I had guessed a few of the plot points long before they were revealed.
Overall, this wasn’t a book for me. Instead of thrilling it was slow and predictable.
2.5 stars rounded to 2.
January 25, 2023
When three friends find themselves rained out of a camping holiday in Scotland, they luck upon a beautifully situated house on isolated Loch Aven. But nothing is as it seems when one of the friends go missing, and the two remaining discover that history may be repeating itself. That nearly twenty years prior three female friends went missing without a trace from the village nestled near the loch, leaving them to wonder what their connection might be the past, and why it might all be happening again.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. As soon as I read the title and the description, I felt compelled to read The Loch.
I find the setting in a thriller essential to me as a reader. And Scotland's rugged and haunting beauty was a perfect backdrop in which to set this novel. When an author can evoke the setting itself as if it is an actual character within the story marks not only skilled writing but makes for an even more suspenseful atmosphere. And Fran Dorricott does this and more with Loch House at Loch Aven.
From the sleepily little village which is in the middle of searching for some lost hikers to the wariness of the few villagers the three women encounter, the reader is left feeling as though something isn't quite right in this quaint little Scottish village. And as the story evolves and we are taken between the panic of the present and discover more about the past from the perspective of the very first missing girl, we discover bit by tantalizing bit why the past and present are linked. Fran Dorricott's ability to evoke empathy for the all characters (well nearly all - I will admit that two of the characters I could not find a lot of sympathy for in the end...) had me sad for what not only occurred in the past, but what currently happening in the present.
The only drawback I felt within such a well written novel was how the end did not feel as though it gave me enough of a resolution to the story. Although I did like how the story ended, that there were some answers, but it left me wishing for a bit more of a look into the immediate aftermath of what the characters had experienced. Perhaps I have been reading too many romances but I did wish for a few paragraphs more or even a sparse epilogue. Beyond this I felt The Loch was well written and encapsulated all the elements that I enjoy within its genre.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. As soon as I read the title and the description, I felt compelled to read The Loch.
I find the setting in a thriller essential to me as a reader. And Scotland's rugged and haunting beauty was a perfect backdrop in which to set this novel. When an author can evoke the setting itself as if it is an actual character within the story marks not only skilled writing but makes for an even more suspenseful atmosphere. And Fran Dorricott does this and more with Loch House at Loch Aven.
From the sleepily little village which is in the middle of searching for some lost hikers to the wariness of the few villagers the three women encounter, the reader is left feeling as though something isn't quite right in this quaint little Scottish village. And as the story evolves and we are taken between the panic of the present and discover more about the past from the perspective of the very first missing girl, we discover bit by tantalizing bit why the past and present are linked. Fran Dorricott's ability to evoke empathy for the all characters (well nearly all - I will admit that two of the characters I could not find a lot of sympathy for in the end...) had me sad for what not only occurred in the past, but what currently happening in the present.
The only drawback I felt within such a well written novel was how the end did not feel as though it gave me enough of a resolution to the story. Although I did like how the story ended, that there were some answers, but it left me wishing for a bit more of a look into the immediate aftermath of what the characters had experienced. Perhaps I have been reading too many romances but I did wish for a few paragraphs more or even a sparse epilogue. Beyond this I felt The Loch was well written and encapsulated all the elements that I enjoy within its genre.
February 2, 2023
Three friends in their twenties Eleanor, Michaela and Clio who met at college decide to spend a weekend camping in Scotland. However, when the weather turns bad they rent a house on the shores of Loch Aven instead, even though it’s well off the popular tourist track. The house is spacious and comfortable but seems to have been unoccupied for the last twenty years. People in the local village also seem strange and unfriendly, even in the local pub where the three have dinner and join in the pub quiz night. They discover that their dislike of visitors stems to back to an unsolved case of three young women who disappeared two decades ago, which attracted a lot of unwanted attention and voyeurs to the village.
The premise of this book looked promising with the isolated house on a dark and gloomy loch providing a creepy and suspenseful location. However, despite Clio’s love of relating myths and fairy tales, the atmosphere disappointingly never became particularly creepy or unsettling. The book is narrated in dual time lines, in the past by Rebecca, one of the women who later disappeared, and by Eleanor in the present day. Unknown to Eleanor, her friend Michaela has a specific reason that she chose to stay at Loch Aven. This is something the reader is able to work out early in the novel, but Eleanor has no idea. Although the novel started well, it dragged in the middle, particularly as Eleanor spent a lot of time going over the same issues and anxieties in her head and not getting anywhere. It did pick up again towards the final section when Eleanor worked out why Michaela had brought them here and culminated with a twist and suspenseful scene. 3.5★
With thanks to Avon Books via Netgalley for a copy to read
The premise of this book looked promising with the isolated house on a dark and gloomy loch providing a creepy and suspenseful location. However, despite Clio’s love of relating myths and fairy tales, the atmosphere disappointingly never became particularly creepy or unsettling. The book is narrated in dual time lines, in the past by Rebecca, one of the women who later disappeared, and by Eleanor in the present day. Unknown to Eleanor, her friend Michaela has a specific reason that she chose to stay at Loch Aven. This is something the reader is able to work out early in the novel, but Eleanor has no idea. Although the novel started well, it dragged in the middle, particularly as Eleanor spent a lot of time going over the same issues and anxieties in her head and not getting anywhere. It did pick up again towards the final section when Eleanor worked out why Michaela had brought them here and culminated with a twist and suspenseful scene. 3.5★
With thanks to Avon Books via Netgalley for a copy to read
September 13, 2024
Three friends arrive at Loch Aven for a weekend away together. It's meant to be a good time - a chance to reconnect - but one of their number goes missing. Twenty years ago, three other young women disappeared, never to be seen again, and their absence hangs over the recalcitrant locals. Is history repeating itself now?
Oh, man, I loved this. It was almost impossible to put it down and I found myself seeking moments where I could read "just a chapter" (which always ended up more like three chapters) to understand the story better. I did figure out the main twists/revelations before I was half-way through but Dorricott threw in a few more twists to surprise me. What's more, I found myself so engaged in the characters and world that I wasn't so much reading to find out what really happened but to see how they reacted to these revelations.
Another strength was how deeply imbued the book was with the gothic. Dorricott imbues the novel with a fantastic, haunting narrative that one can feel the chill of the loch, see its still water shining like glass. I found myself wondering in the early chapters if I'd picked up a gothic-horror novel instead of a thriller and not being displeased by thought.
The one flaw I found in the novel is that the ending is a little abrupt. I would've loved to seen what happened in the wake of the revelations, especially once the tension has eased. A large part of this feeling is because I was invested in the stories of the three young women more than the "mystery" itself and I wanted to see more of their story.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from the publishers via Netgalley to review.
Oh, man, I loved this. It was almost impossible to put it down and I found myself seeking moments where I could read "just a chapter" (which always ended up more like three chapters) to understand the story better. I did figure out the main twists/revelations before I was half-way through but Dorricott threw in a few more twists to surprise me. What's more, I found myself so engaged in the characters and world that I wasn't so much reading to find out what really happened but to see how they reacted to these revelations.
Another strength was how deeply imbued the book was with the gothic. Dorricott imbues the novel with a fantastic, haunting narrative that one can feel the chill of the loch, see its still water shining like glass. I found myself wondering in the early chapters if I'd picked up a gothic-horror novel instead of a thriller and not being displeased by thought.
The one flaw I found in the novel is that the ending is a little abrupt. I would've loved to seen what happened in the wake of the revelations, especially once the tension has eased. A large part of this feeling is because I was invested in the stories of the three young women more than the "mystery" itself and I wanted to see more of their story.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from the publishers via Netgalley to review.
April 3, 2023
The premise of this novel was so intriguing that I immediately requested an advanced reader copy. Only to wonder if I had accidentally gotten something else when I eventually started to read it.
To begin with, the characters are all very one-dimensional. Even when you start to get deeper into the novel and start to understand their possible motivations behind why they act the way they do, I still never felt a connection to them. I also never felt the sense of suspense that I think the author hoped to convey (and I grew up in a tight-knit small town, so I know how new people tend to be treated).
Secondly, the plot is slow going. To the point where I feel like the most exciting parts were literally crammed into the last few chapters, by which point it was too little, too late. By that point, I had already stopped caring altogether about either of the two storylines (one past, the other present day), and just wanted to get it over with so I could move on.
However, I appreciate that a lot of other people did enjoy this novel, so I encourage my readers to give this one a chance if they are as intrigued by the synopsis as I was. What didn't work for me will likely work for someone else.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
To begin with, the characters are all very one-dimensional. Even when you start to get deeper into the novel and start to understand their possible motivations behind why they act the way they do, I still never felt a connection to them. I also never felt the sense of suspense that I think the author hoped to convey (and I grew up in a tight-knit small town, so I know how new people tend to be treated).
Secondly, the plot is slow going. To the point where I feel like the most exciting parts were literally crammed into the last few chapters, by which point it was too little, too late. By that point, I had already stopped caring altogether about either of the two storylines (one past, the other present day), and just wanted to get it over with so I could move on.
However, I appreciate that a lot of other people did enjoy this novel, so I encourage my readers to give this one a chance if they are as intrigued by the synopsis as I was. What didn't work for me will likely work for someone else.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
July 17, 2023
When Eleanor and her friends, Clio and Michaela, go to a remote Scottish village for a long weekend getaway, they’ve got nothing but relaxation and reconnecting with each other in mind. The former college roommates rent a beautiful, secluded home by Loch Aven. After settling in, the trio heads into town for sustenance and exploration. Upon entering the town’s shops, the girls feel very much like the outsiders they are, getting long stares and vague replies when they try to engage with the locals.
Following a night at the pub, Eleanor and Clio wake to find Michaela gone, with no note or clue as to where she went. As the hours pass and the worry grows, Eleanor and Clio start to uncover a town secret surrounding three missing girls from twenty years ago. Could the unsolved mysteries of the past come back to haunt the present? After Clio disappears as well, it is up to Eleanor to investigate the past before it’s too late.
This book’s pacing was very well done. The stream of consciousness sections really helped ramp up the anxiety the narrator was feeling. Each chapters’ end had me wanting to keep turning the pages in the hopes of more information being revealed. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Just when I thought I had something figured out, another layer would come into play that I didn’t see coming. I’d recommend this book to any fan of suspense/thrillers!
Following a night at the pub, Eleanor and Clio wake to find Michaela gone, with no note or clue as to where she went. As the hours pass and the worry grows, Eleanor and Clio start to uncover a town secret surrounding three missing girls from twenty years ago. Could the unsolved mysteries of the past come back to haunt the present? After Clio disappears as well, it is up to Eleanor to investigate the past before it’s too late.
This book’s pacing was very well done. The stream of consciousness sections really helped ramp up the anxiety the narrator was feeling. Each chapters’ end had me wanting to keep turning the pages in the hopes of more information being revealed. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Just when I thought I had something figured out, another layer would come into play that I didn’t see coming. I’d recommend this book to any fan of suspense/thrillers!
April 21, 2023
The Loch follows three friends who find themselves at a remote house on the edge of a Scottish loch, after they are washed out during a weekend camping trip. The play is perfect with a stunning view, however, when booking they weren’t aware of what happened at the loch over 20 years, when three people disappeared.
The first half of the book sucked me in with its atmospheric and well described eerie setting and details, however the second half was a little slower and I felt it lost its steam. The story jumps back and forwards between three disappearances that occurred in the past to present day. At first I wasn’t a fan of this but it helped to build a picture and help understand some of the folk lore’s that are interwind into the story.
There are plenty of twists even though I did work out a few quite early on. As I mentioned the second half was slow in terms of the plot but it’s the main characters in the present that made me carry on to the end, as I really wanted to find out what happened to them.
Overall this was a meh read for me but I definitely haven’t been put off by reading more from this author in fact I already have a couple of this authors previous books on my TBR shelf.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers Avon Books UK for my eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts.
The first half of the book sucked me in with its atmospheric and well described eerie setting and details, however the second half was a little slower and I felt it lost its steam. The story jumps back and forwards between three disappearances that occurred in the past to present day. At first I wasn’t a fan of this but it helped to build a picture and help understand some of the folk lore’s that are interwind into the story.
There are plenty of twists even though I did work out a few quite early on. As I mentioned the second half was slow in terms of the plot but it’s the main characters in the present that made me carry on to the end, as I really wanted to find out what happened to them.
Overall this was a meh read for me but I definitely haven’t been put off by reading more from this author in fact I already have a couple of this authors previous books on my TBR shelf.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers Avon Books UK for my eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts.
March 1, 2023
Set in evocative Loch Aven, Scotland, The Loch is a tense thriller involving three close friends who escape city life for a few days in nature. Eleanor, Clio and Michaela are in their 20s and have busy occupations and reasons to welcome a getaway, though they are not all fond of the outdoors. The house they stay in has obviously not been occupied for ages and the locals in the village look upon the girls with suspicion. When one of the three girls disappears the police do not seem to take it seriously so the two remaining investigate. And then there is Rebecca from the past who is enshrouded with secrets. Everyone seems to have something to hide.
Though the atmosphere was captivating (how I adore Scotland!), the story did not draw me in as I had hoped. The thrillery aspects were not strong enough to engage me and the immature characters did not redeem it. In my mind something is missing, some key element impossible to pinpoint. However, author Fran Dorricott seamlessly blended the two timelines and multiple points of view beautifully. Bits of folklore are scattered here and there which add a layer of interest.
My sincere thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this atmospheric novel.
Though the atmosphere was captivating (how I adore Scotland!), the story did not draw me in as I had hoped. The thrillery aspects were not strong enough to engage me and the immature characters did not redeem it. In my mind something is missing, some key element impossible to pinpoint. However, author Fran Dorricott seamlessly blended the two timelines and multiple points of view beautifully. Bits of folklore are scattered here and there which add a layer of interest.
My sincere thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this atmospheric novel.
February 28, 2023
When Eleanor and her friends go on a much needed vacation, she doesn't expect to get embroiled in the fraught history of the tiny Scottish town they're in. But from the beginning, the locals act strange around the three girls, the loch they're staying on is a bit unsettling... and then Michaela, who planned the trip, goes missing. Suddenly, Eleanor and Clio find themselves talking to the locals and trying to figure out what, exactly, happened here that has them all on edge--and if it might have anything to do with Michaela's disappearance.
The book mostly follows Eleanor in the present day, but there are a few chapters set "Then" that give us some insight into the history of the town, and the disappearance that started it all.
The Loch is beautifully atmospheric, with an undercurrent of something just unsettling enough to make you sit up and take notice--that raising the hair on the back of your neck feeling that isn't quite grounded in any one thing, but rather built from a series of unsettling descriptions and events. For me, it struck the perfect balance of unsettling but not terrifying, and I loved every minute of it.
The book mostly follows Eleanor in the present day, but there are a few chapters set "Then" that give us some insight into the history of the town, and the disappearance that started it all.
The Loch is beautifully atmospheric, with an undercurrent of something just unsettling enough to make you sit up and take notice--that raising the hair on the back of your neck feeling that isn't quite grounded in any one thing, but rather built from a series of unsettling descriptions and events. For me, it struck the perfect balance of unsettling but not terrifying, and I loved every minute of it.
March 18, 2023
Twenty years ago, three young women disappeared, never to be found. The rumour to this day is that their bodies are still hidden deep within the murky Loch Aven. When Eleanor, Clio and Michaela find themselves rained out of a camping trip in the Scottish countryside, they have no option but to book the mysterious house nestled on the banks of the lake. But little do they know that history has a way of repeating itself. As the secrets in the tight knit community begin to surface, and Michaela suddenly disappears, it becomes clear that something sinister is at play.
Is history repeating itself when three women check into the Loch House and one of the women foes missing? The story can be a little bit predictable. The characters are well developed. It's quite an atmospheric read. The story has a dual timeline, the past -twenty years ago when the first three women disappeared, and the present day. I felt the plotline dragged on for too long. Everyone seemed to have something to hide. The story is told from multiple points of view.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #FranDorricott for my ARC of #TheLoch in exchange for an honest review.
Is history repeating itself when three women check into the Loch House and one of the women foes missing? The story can be a little bit predictable. The characters are well developed. It's quite an atmospheric read. The story has a dual timeline, the past -twenty years ago when the first three women disappeared, and the present day. I felt the plotline dragged on for too long. Everyone seemed to have something to hide. The story is told from multiple points of view.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #FranDorricott for my ARC of #TheLoch in exchange for an honest review.
December 19, 2023
I loved the setting. I love creepy houses and small villages. I loved the loch.
It took me a long time to catch onto the story though. It has multiple perspectives and the entire book is basically all dialogue and memories.
One character is worrying about her adoption, which took place when she was a baby and doesn't seem to have anything to do with this trip the gals are on, one is from the past but you never get a feel for when or how she is connected, not for a while, another is her friend who might maybe be in love with her, and there are others too.
Also there are some missing campers somewhere and the village is cranky about it but no one says why exactly they feel cranky about these campers except that at some time long ago three people went missing.
I spent way to long trying to put these pieces together.
Oh and no one ever rents this fabulous vacation house and it is yet another unexplained mystery no one cares to dive into,
It all comes together in the last 100 pages and then it gets really good. I just am not smart enough to put it all together like maybe other people are.
The end is really good if you can keep up. It is really good.
It took me a long time to catch onto the story though. It has multiple perspectives and the entire book is basically all dialogue and memories.
One character is worrying about her adoption, which took place when she was a baby and doesn't seem to have anything to do with this trip the gals are on, one is from the past but you never get a feel for when or how she is connected, not for a while, another is her friend who might maybe be in love with her, and there are others too.
Also there are some missing campers somewhere and the village is cranky about it but no one says why exactly they feel cranky about these campers except that at some time long ago three people went missing.
I spent way to long trying to put these pieces together.
Oh and no one ever rents this fabulous vacation house and it is yet another unexplained mystery no one cares to dive into,
It all comes together in the last 100 pages and then it gets really good. I just am not smart enough to put it all together like maybe other people are.
The end is really good if you can keep up. It is really good.
March 7, 2023
😲Great suspense: odd behavior in a small Scottish town with a tragic legacy😩
I found this story of threatened young women in two different eras gripping and definitely one that kept me on edge and dreading the answer. The pace was excellent, with occasional switches back to the origins twenty five years earlier to the problems surfacing in the present girls' mini-break gone scarily awry.
Author Fran Dorricott really knows how to build the creepy factor in this story. The weather, the remote location, the odd behavior of the locals every time they interact with Eleanor and her friends, even the description of the gelid interior of their rental accommodations: all spooky, uncomfortable, unsettling.
The climax offered the most surprises for me but the tension kept building steadily throughout. I appreciated that though there's violence, there's no gore.
Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
I found this story of threatened young women in two different eras gripping and definitely one that kept me on edge and dreading the answer. The pace was excellent, with occasional switches back to the origins twenty five years earlier to the problems surfacing in the present girls' mini-break gone scarily awry.
Author Fran Dorricott really knows how to build the creepy factor in this story. The weather, the remote location, the odd behavior of the locals every time they interact with Eleanor and her friends, even the description of the gelid interior of their rental accommodations: all spooky, uncomfortable, unsettling.
The climax offered the most surprises for me but the tension kept building steadily throughout. I appreciated that though there's violence, there's no gore.
Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
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