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The Lochview Mysteries #1

The Lady of the Loch

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Welcome to Lochview, three words that would change twelve-year-old Tyler Buckland’s life forever.

In a sleepy Highland town, steeped in myth and legend, a long-buried secret is rising once again. When a local boy disappears in the dead of night, all signs point to one inescapable truth. The Lady of the Loch has returned, and it’s up to Tyler to stop her.

149 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2022

10 people are currently reading
38 people want to read

About the author

Ryan Vernel

3 books13 followers

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5 stars
32 (56%)
4 stars
17 (29%)
3 stars
5 (8%)
2 stars
2 (3%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Thibault Busschots.
Author 6 books207 followers
May 9, 2023
Tyler Buckland is a boy who doesn’t want to move to a little town called Lochview in Scotland. But his parents are going there, so he’s forced to come with. His dad tries to get Tyler excited about the move by giving him a book about a local legend. The Lady of the Loch is said to be responsible for several children’s disappearances. When Tyler finds out that he’s going to be living next to the haunted house where the Lady of the Loch used to live, he quickly sets out to explore it and solve the mystery behind the disappearances.


A remote town in Scotland is a perfect atmospheric setting for this story, and it manages to elevate what’s already a solid mystery plot. It’s a very easy and fast read. The spooky scenes are just the right amount of creepy. The only real negative is the characters. There are simply too many characters for such a short story. This makes it harder for any character in particular to stand out.


Overall, a quick and easy to read middle grade horror story. There’s still some room for improvement, but this is a really strong debut for a very promising author.
Profile Image for Sarah.
615 reviews14 followers
July 11, 2024
This was a good read, and one I'd definitely recommend to children.

I bought this direct from the author when he was visiting my town, and I got this and the sequel, which I will read shortly.

This is the first in the Lochview Mystery series, which follows twelve year old Tyler Buckland, who moves with his family from Oxford to Scotland. On the way his dad gives him a book about the Lady of the Loch, a ghost story from the place he is moving to, so Tyler decides to investigate this mystery when he gets there. Who is the Lady of the Loch?

It's a fun ghost story with a good twist and it's got some dark moments but it's an entertaining read.

I would have rated this three stars because I'm not the target audience so it didn't quite hit the spot for me in terms of what I look for in a book, but as it's aimed at middle grade readers, I bumped it up to four.
Profile Image for Chelsiie' Louise.
6 reviews1 follower
September 15, 2024
This is one incredible book, even as an adult I found this book so emotional and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book! It is such a captivating story that I finished the book in 2 hours, I couldn't peel myself away I just had to keep on reading!!
It is so well written, and by the end I truly felt like I had experienced the whole thing along with Tyler, I even went as far as to shed a few tears at the end, what an experience, the writer has done exactly what a great writer is supposed to do, and had pulled me into the book to go on this journey with Tyler, I can't wait to read the next two books and can only hope there will be more like this one!!
Profile Image for Laura.
370 reviews63 followers
August 2, 2023
I really enjoyed this ghost/thriller/mystery story. I’m not quite sure how to define it because it was giving lots. This was a quick, pacy middle grade read with vivid, emotive descriptions. I really liked Tyler and I look forward to spending time with him again!
Profile Image for Debbie.
12 reviews
December 25, 2023
Really good book

A very good book. It was scary, but not too scary. The main character, Tyler, is interesting and I’m looking forward to his next adventure.
Profile Image for Katie.
314 reviews8 followers
October 5, 2024
My son gave it 5/5. He liked the detective element and said it was just the right level of spookiness (he gets scared easily). Age 7
Profile Image for Book Reviewer.
4,783 reviews442 followers
December 29, 2022
Twelve-year-old Tyler Buckland is moving away from his old home in Oxford to the scenic little town of Lochview in Scotland. Not that he has a choice in the matter. Chafing at the thought of leaving familiar surroundings, Tyler joins his dad, who introduces Tyler to the ghost stories surrounding the tiny town. After arriving, Tyler soon discovers that the supernatural is closer than he ever dared imagine, as a centuries-old danger returns to threaten the children of modern-day Lochview. Caught in a web of mystery where the fantastic clashes with the everyday, Tyler must use his wits to survive if he has any hope of thwarting his otherworldly foe.

The Lady of the Loch by Ryan Vernel is a chilling tale of specters and supernatural horror. Placed in a small town in Scotland, every part of the background lends ambiance to this frightening adventure. The plot moves quickly, each heart-pounding moment leading to the next big revelation as Tyler struggles to learn more about the town and the legends surrounding it. A place where the magical meets the mundane. Anything and everything is possible in the town of Lochview, and this first entry in the series brought a chill to my bones.

The plot is easy to follow and ensures that readers are consistently entertained. The characters are interesting and memorable, and every detail adds to the greater picture of the mystery. This riveting ghost story was full of adventure and is one of the most incredible I have read. The author expertly balances the riveting paranormal details and the dangerous thrills in this story so that young readers are immersed in this fun story, rather than being frightened.

This journey of peril and battling the hidden forces of evil is well worth a read. Ryan Vernel’s middle-grade ghost story creates a uniquely eerie atmosphere that is spooky and consistently entertaining. The Lady of the Loch is the beginning of a promising supernatural mystery series for children, as Tyler Buckland faces deadly supernatural forces to protect the town and people of Lochview.
6 reviews
June 1, 2024
Review by my 12yr old who read the book:

The lady of the loch

This book is amazing if you like a mystery as it is gripping and quite mysterious.
It has many twists and turns and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I chose this rating because this is one of my new favourite books and I loved it.
Profile Image for Irishbookmammy .
494 reviews64 followers
February 22, 2023
I was kindly gifted a copy of this book by the author Ryan Vernel and it was such a good middle grade book read. I'm a huge fan of middle grade books Introducing the concept of the paranormal. This was a fab story which kept me on my toes, with weird and wonderful characters. I especially loved the main character Tyler and his quest to discover the origin of the Lady of the Loch. but when one of his new friends goes missing it all seems too real. Tyler fights through the fear to discover what became of his friend and how he can stop the Lady of the Lake. A story of self discovery and the supernatural, a fab story for middle grade readers 💖
Profile Image for Brett Jackson.
Author 3 books4 followers
October 31, 2024
Meeting the Author at Linc-Con 2024 was fantastic. Within minutes I had bought 3 of his books, he'd signed them all, and we even had a selfie.

This story follows Tyler as he moves to Scotland and discovers that it's nowhere near as boring as he expects. The story unfolds and the mystery keeps you glued to the edge of your seat, turning page after page.

I can't wait to read the next book, way to go Ryan, thankyou for sharing this story :)
Profile Image for Amy B Garratt.
159 reviews7 followers
June 5, 2023
Bought this from the Brigg indie market, as I was intrigued by the gothic cover. This is a spooky but really fun YA horror story, with plenty of twists and turns. Tyler is a great protagonist and it was an interesting journey to say the least! Read this in a day, as I had to keep going!
175 reviews1 follower
May 19, 2024
Horror at the Loch

Fuller is forced to move to Scotland with his family. Already he has an interest in the supernatural and what better place to start with - the Lady of the Loch - a supernatural being that takes children. Meeting new friends Jackson and Shona - one goes missing.
Profile Image for Jordan.
52 reviews1 follower
December 21, 2024
It was such a good book to read and easy to read for an adult. Could tell it's a children's book but I have really enjoyed the adventure of the book and the way that it went with who the actual lady of the loch was. Would happily pick up and reread this book again.
Profile Image for Charlotte Reynolds.
1 review
January 20, 2023
Great mystery story! Very descriptive, giving really good imagery, the story builds and you can’t wait for Tyler to solve the Lady of the Loch Case! Really looking forward to more books in this series!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

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