The Loch by Fran Dorricott
Genre: Psychological thriller, LGBTQi
Read: 15th March 2023
Published: 16th March 2023
★ 1 star
DESCRIPTION:
Everyone in this town has a secret. But who holds the key to the loch…?
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 secrets in the tightknit community begin to surface, and Michaela suddenly disappears, it becomes clear that something sinister is at play. And now it’s a race against time to unravel the mystery before the dark waters claim their next victim…
A claustrophobic, eerie and atmospheric thriller perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Sarah Pearse.
MY THOUGHTS:
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.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Fran is also a bookseller working in the Derby branch of Waterstones, which is secretly just a way for her to fuel her ridiculous book-buying addiction.
Fran attended University of East Anglia where she received a Degree in Creative Writing and City University London where she received a Master of Arts in Creative Writing.
Fran Dorricott is probably best known for her Standalone Novels. There are currently 4 novels available. The first standalone was released in 2019 with the novel After the Eclipse. The most recently released novel was The Loch which was released in 2023. There are no upcoming standalone novels by Fran at this time.
Fran Dorricott also writes under the name Francesca May.
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