"The Loch" by Steve Alten

Book Details:
Title: The Loch
Author: Steve Alten
Published: 2005 by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
ISBN: 978-0-7653-6302-2
Pages: 541 pages
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 5 of 5
Read In: 6 days

My Review:
Steve Alten combines two of history's greatest mysteries in this novel: the Templar Knights and the Loch Ness monster. The Loch shows extensive research into the geography and history of Loch Ness, as well as marine biology and creatures of the deep.

Zachary Wallace left the village of Drumnadrochit, Scotland at nine years old, following the divorce of his parents. Now, at twenty-six, he returns at the prompting of this father, who is facing murder charges. Having lost his fiance and his job as a marine biologist after a near fatal run-in with a giant squid and another mysterious deep-sea creature. Unable to go near the water, Zack begins recovering memories of nearly drowning in Loch Ness as a child, leading him to remember more than he would like. Joined by childhood friends True and Brandy, Zachary must overcome his hydrophobia and uncover the mystery of what is living in Loch Ness and killing anyone too near the water, meanwhile proving his father's innocence.

This novel is incredibly smart and suspenseful. Incorporating excerpts from real Nessie sightings at the start of each chapter, Alten reminds the reader that Nessie may not be fictional at all. Along with fictional journal entries from Zack Wallace's ancestor Adam Wallace in the year 1330, the author creatively tells another story within this one- the story of how Nessie came to live in the lake.

I gave this book five out of five stars and would gladly reread it. Anyone interested in history or the legend of the Loch Ness monster will greatly enjoy this novel.

"Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown

Book Details:
Title: Angels & Demons
Author: Dan Brown
Published: 2000 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-4165-7874-1
Pages: 713 pages
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 5 of 5
Read In: 10 days

My Review:
I am constantly amazed by the eclectic knowledge Dan Brown puts into his novels. Angels & Demons is his first novel starring famed Harvard professor and symbologist Robert Langdon, and showcases Brown's extensive research into such subjects as architecture, European history, physics, geography, art history, secret societies, Catholocism, and symbology. The author uses a vast amount of facts and accuracy to educate the reader while spinning a fully-engaging story that is impossible to put down. I made the mistake of watching Hollywood's take on this novel first, and as seems to be the rule, it did not do justice to the unnerving suspense and vivid imagery Brown pumps into every last chapter. I only regret that it took me so long to finally read it!

This is the story of good versus evil, man versus the divine, and the centuries-long battle of science versus religion. When a renowned physicist and ordained priest is found murdered and branded with the symbol of a secret society lost to the pages of history, who is called in but Robert Langdon. The plot quickly thickens when it is revealed that the subject of Dr. Vetra's most recent research has also gone missing. Langdon and Vetra's daughter Vittoria are thrown into the most gripping twenty-four hours of their lives. Combing Vatican City, prying out its deeply hidden secrets, the protagonists race against the clock (literally) to find answers to an ever-growing list of questions- answers the reader could never guess.

There was no question that this book deserves the full five of five stars. Brown is a master of the thriller genre, creating smart, suspenseful novels with deep, three-dimensional characters and exotic locations. He definitely sets the bar for all suspense writers.

"The Deal" by Adam Gittlin

Book Details:
Title: The Deal
Author: Adam Gittlin
Published: 2008- Oceanview Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-933515-13-7
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 342
Rating: 5 of 5
Read In: 6 days


My Review:
Adam Gittlin's The Deal is an absolutely amazing thriller! the author uses deeply interesting character, infuses history into the plot, and then sprinkles pop culture on top to create one of the most addicting novels I have had the pleasure of picking up!

His main protagonist is Jonah Gray- a high-end commercial real estate broker in the heart of New York City. Following in his father's foot steps in every facet of his life, from his business ethics to his taste for fine things, Jonah finds himself acquainted with some of the city's highest rollers, the best of the best in business and the luckiest in life. While the reader follows Jonah around in what becomes a life-changing series of events, they get to know all sorts other characters, some of whom show their less-than-desirable sides, while others show that there really are good people still in powerful positions in the world. We become very familiar with Gray's business partners- the tough, successful leader Tommy, Jake, the partner who is rarely serious, but will go for the throat to close a deal, and the hard-headed, subtly alluring Perry. Stan Gray, Jonah's father, is his only remaining family since his mother died when he was young. A top gun in real estate, his father is Jonah's best and worst critic rolled into one, all in the name of helping his son succeed. We meet friends L and Andreu, who seem upon finishing the novel to be the respective angel and devil on Jonah's shoulders. I absolutely loved all of the characters, not just the select few mentioned here. Even the more minor characters, such as his father's chauffeur Mattheau, Angie, the girl Jonah finds to be too good to be true, and Parker, Jonah's doorman, prove to be multi-dimensional and the author allows them their own side stories and lives for the reader to be sidetracked into.

Another amazing aspect of this novel is the author's use of history in the plot. The first major problem the protagonist faces is when a stolen Faberge egg is planted on him at a party. This opens up doors to Russian and art history that is solidly visited throughout the novel and creates the central story line. I had only heard of these Russian treasures in passing, but The Deal explores their whole history, substituting a bit for the sake of the story, and exposes the reader to knowledge they may never have had the pleasure of possessing otherwise. For that, I am grateful to Mr. Gittlin.

Finally, Gittlin sprinkles popular culture all over throughout the novel to draw readers in to something they already are familiar with. This also serves, in my opinion, to show the reader that there is some similarities between them and this larger-than-life lifestyle the characters possess. While the reader may not have millions in the bank and maintain an honorable position in one of the largest and most successful real estate brokerage companies in the country, they can still appreciate the "Everybody Loves Raymond" reference, that the protagonist also listens to Beastie Boys, Rage Against The Machine, and Coldplay, or that he also has read and internalized Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe. If the reader can not connect to the characters' lifestyles in no other way, this serves as a great way to remember that they are just as real (as far as the novel is concerned) and the reader.

I am very excited that I got to read this novel. The mystery and suspense kept me from putting it down multiple times. I give it five out of five stars and would absolutely jump at the chance to read another novel by this author.

"The Burning" by Jane Casey

Book Details:

Title: The Burning

Author: Jane Casey

Published: 2011 by St. Martin's Press

ISBN: 978-0-312-61417-1

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 354

Rating: 4 of 5

Read in: 12 days

My Review:

Jane Casey's The Burning is a crime novel set in London during the reign of a particularly heinous serial killer. Known as the "Burning Man", he attacks women in the night, beating them and then setting their bodies on fire, destroying all evidence. Enter DC Maeve Kerrigan, a young detective assigned to the murder of Rebecca Haworth, who may or may not have fallen victim to the Burning Man. This novel follows Maeve as she tries to weed her way through Rebecca's past, determined to prove her murder was a little more personal than the assumption that she was the Burning Man's latest victim. The novel is also told from the point of view of Rebecca's shy and quiet best friend Louise North, whose always lived in her friend's shadow and by all accounts has loved and worshiped her since the day they met. Louise's story offers another account of Rebecca's past, as well as interesting insights into the current events taking place.

I enjoyed the book as a whole, but found it to be pretty slow to develop. Being told from two different points of views does help leave the reader guessing as to the conclusion, though. It's a classic whodunit with some modern flair. Set against the backdrop of London, it sometimes feels as though the detectives are following a modern-day Jack the Ripper- serial killer plaguing the streets of London at night, prowling on younger women and savagely killing them. I'd like the think this is the effect the author was going for.

One thing that really bothered me about the character development was the abrupt end to the budding romance between the main character and her colleague, Rob. Her attraction and affection toward him starts partially through the book, comes to a peak about three quarters through, and then... NOTHING. He's barely even mentioned in the last fifty pages! Although she explains that they could never be together because of their work relationship, the attraction would not just stop. However, Rob's appearances in the book seem to. Unfortunately, there's no closure to this particular side story.

I would like to see a series of crime novels featuring Maeve Kerrigan- she's a strong woman, a well-rounded character, and a brilliant detective. There is also a small group of great supporting characters who could be developed further later on, or left in the background to support and aid the hero. I give this book four out of five stars.

"The Faculty Club" by Danny Tobey

Book Details:

Title: The Faculty Club

Author: Danny Tobey

Published: June 1, 2010 by Atria (imprint of Simon & Schuster)

ISBN: 978-1-4391-5429-8

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 307
Rating: 3 of 5

Read in: 3 days

My Review:
I have to say, I'm torn. This novel could almost be in league with one of Dan Brown's. However, there were a few things about it that really irked me.. I refuse to give this book a negative review- it was very well thought out and the puzzles and history throughout fascinated me! 

One major positive for me was that the author stressed the desperation Jeremy's peers had to get into the V&D. Daphne throwing herself at Jeremy sexually in order to secure his help winning the debate and Nigel's library breakdown were perfect examples of the lengths students would go to to secure a spot in this secret society. Words between characters can only go so far to express such things, but their actions spoke volumes. 

Another thing that really struck me was word selection. In line 25 of page 214, the author writes: "Then his spindly arms unfolded like spider legs and bootstrapped his long body through." This sentence has and incredible amount of imagery for how short and sweet it is! I don't believe I have ever read "bootstrapped" anywhere else, but the action is spot-on for how this lanky man would look crawling out of a small tunnel. I even stopped reading to mark the page for future reference. 

I very much enjoyed the Dan Brown feel of the novel. From the secret society and mind-bending riddles to the underground labyrinth of unknown dangers and crazy religious ceremonies- it's the perfect read for history buffs and conspiracy theorists everywhere. Tobey obviously did his research for this book and the effort shows. Some favorite instances of mine involve the Ship of Theseus, a homunculus, and a replica of the Capuchin Crypt. 

Another point I'd like to bring up is the use of pictures on page 265. To be honest, I'm still not sure how I feel about them. When I first reached the page, I stopped and marked "Why start using pictures now??" in the margin. It makes sense to use them here, to give the reader the full experience of what the characters are looking at, but why not have them throughout the book? I find pictures and illustrations a wonderful change of pace in a novel, but having the only two pictures in the entire book on the same page feels very random to me. 

The main problem I had while reading was the lack of names for the school Jeremy attends and several characters. I understand that the author may not be able to use the name of a real university for publicity reasons, and maybe even for copyright reasons, but there are multiple sentences that just sound awkward for the lack of a proper noun. By page 2, it has simply been referred to as "the greatest law school in the world"... Twice. I disliked the repetition, but soon got over it. Though it did come up a couple more times throughout the novel. When it comes to characters, if you're going to give them lines, they should have a name. Just my feeling on the subject. In the mock trial scene, the author only refers to the judges as "the former U.S. Attorney" and "the retired Supreme Court justice". I know they are very minor characters, but if the narrator recognizes them by their careers, he would understandably know and use their names. My last naming concern pertains to Arthur "Humpty Dumpty" Peabody. Yes- the man has a nickname. Yes- a college student would most certainly refer to him by said nickname at some point in time. But....all the time?! Jeremy doesn't even use his given name except while the man's bleeding out all over his desk. Even after that, you would think the characters would have a little more respect for the dead and stop referring to him as "Humpty Dumpty". I mean, Jeremy watched the man die! I know I'm nitpicking, but these are some things I think about when I'm reading. 

What graduate students plan their lives around that of someone they've only known two weeks? I get the whole "been to hell and back together" thing could probably drive the two people together, but if I was in Sarah's place, I would be furious with Jeremy for much longer than the book even covered. Although he 'unburdened' her by telling her secret in front of all attending the mock trial, it still was not his secret to tell and I will stand by that belief until the end of time. Sarah tried to KILL HERSELF. She wanted to die because of the hell he thrust upon her, but the reader would never know she was ever that upset to the point of suicide. She never expressed any kind of anger towards him besides the command to "get out" of her hospital room. She recovered from his breach of confidence at a pace that makes it seem unreal. 

The end nearly infuriated me. I was left with an immense sense of wonder. What happened to the newly initiated students? We followed the three from the beginning, and suddenly their situation means nothing to the protagonist. He showed so much compassion and caring towards Nigel and Daphne that he allowed them to use him to get to the top. But, once Sarah enters, they're completely forgotten? Even if Jeremy could care less the outcomes of Nigel, John, and Daphne, I'm sure other readers are like me and would've appreciated a little knowledge on that front. 

Overall, I had to give this book three out of five stars. I liked it and would definitely recommend it to friends. However, it was a quick read and could have used a little more...something. The plot line flew by.