Third Loch from the Sun

A Scottish Sci-Fi Adventure

Secrets come in all shapes and sizes

Jake has left it late, and the only summer job he can find is on the remote Scottish island of Elsay. Still, that sounds fine–the work isn’t too hard, the pay’s all right, and the scenery is great.

But he soon has second thoughts about staying. His boss, Fraser, is a bit of a rogue, while Fraser’s cute but snippy daughter, Alva, takes against him from the start. And the oddball characters in the local pub aren’t exactly welcoming.

Then Jake stumbles on an extraordinary secret that changes everything that’s known about the universe. A secret he can scarcely believe. A secret that Alva and the island recluse, Ruan Strang, have sworn to protect at all costs.

As the mystery deepens, the questions only mount–and none of the answers make any sense. Plus, Jake’s falling for Alva and she still hasn’t so much as smiled at him.

One thing’s for certain–he’s not going anywhere until the full, fantastic truth is revealed.

From the author of The Wrong Stop comes a SciFi fantasy adventure set on a dreamy Scottish isle. Stuffed with larger-than-life characters, it’s perfect for fans of island mysteries, with crackling dialogue and a will-they-won’t-they romantic edge.

©2024 Rex Burke (P)2026 W F Howes Ltd

Another winner from Rex Burke!

Light, accessible, and at times hilarious, Third Loch is an entertaining sci-fi yarn that takes unexpected twists and turns in the tale of a tiny community’s big otherwordly problems. An immersive story set in the Scottish isles, with touches of hilarity, heart, and nods to pop culture that never fail to entertain and make for chuckles— especially when these take lighthearted jabs at my Gen X bones. One of my favorite aspects of Burke’s novels is the convincing and charming crossing of everyday real settings, people, and problems and their extraordinary parallels from imaginary worlds. The secondary cast is especially strong throughout the story, and were among my favorites. Kudos to the narrator, who hits the accents and characters spot on. Made my work commute fly by.