The Loch

Kept me guessing (mostly)

I got a copy of The Loch by Fran Dorricott through Netgalley and I very much enjoyed it. Three friends book a hotel in remote Scotland on the banks of the beautiful but mysterious Loch Aven. They are baffled by the cagey and suspicious denizens of the small town community who think they are true crime tourists come to revel in the still unsolved tragedy of missing girls from 23 years ago. Eleanor, Clio, and Michaela have never even heard of this mystery. However, when Michaela disappears too, Eleanor and Clio must dig up the past to save her.

I read this book while commuting to work and found myself wishing for train delays so I could get further into the juicy story. There is a dual timeline – mostly in the present day with the more recent disappearance of Michaela with some flashbacks to the original mystery Eleanor and Clio must use to find Michaela. At 400 pages, The Loch is on the long side for a thriller, but I did not feel the story drag at any point.

All that said, I don’t think I would reread this book. I did guess some of the twists, though this book did keep me guessing most of the time. The true test of a thriller book is answering “if I knew what was coming, would I still read this book,” and yes, I would. I did not find it engaging enough to read it for a second time, though. Dorricott created some great characters and has engaging writing, but the characters could use a little more depth to make them more compelling. I was mostly drawn into the drama of the story itself, rather than the motivations of the characters. The Loch is still a solid four stars in my records.