“It was Hank who came up with the idea of us finding the monster ourselves… It was a harmless fantasy, a whimsy we trotted out and embellished regularly, usually at the end of a long night of drinking, but never within anyone else’s earshot --- at least, not before the New Year’s Eve party.”

Our narrator Maddie Hyde, her husband Ellis, and best friend Hank Boyd may have overdone it at that society bash as 1944 turned into 1945. Word spread about their atrocious behavior, and Colonel and Edith Stone Hyde are beyond furious the next day. They simply will not tolerate such embarrassment from their son and daughter-in-law, and confront the young couple with harsh words. They never felt Maddie was a suitable match for Ellis anyway, so it is no surprise to them that she acted in such a manner. But their son has breeding, and they make it eminently clear whose fault they believe it is. Naturally, a huge argument ensues.

"This might be called a piece of historical fiction, and, yes, it is that, but it goes beyond into mystery territory, romance, and much, much more. For innumerable reasons, AT THE WATER’S EDGE lands on my short list of best books of the year."

A few days later, Ellis, Maddie and Hank find themselves pitching and rolling aboard a ship heading for the Scottish Highlands, specifically Loch Ness, to prove the existence of the fabled lake monster. Ellis thinks he can show up his father, who tried and failed in this endeavor once before. But their goal is far from whimsy, as they discover, for Europe is in the grip of a raging, bloody war. Food is being strictly rationed, the blackout rules are heavily enforced, and the radio grimly announces body counts at day’s end. The reality slaps them in the face. But Ellis and Hank refuse to acknowledge any need for change in their lives. The world owes them, after all. Maddie, however, might be starting to wonder about their values.

Meanwhile, the trio has ended up at The Fraser Arms in a tiny village near the loch, their headquarters for monster hunting, despite it being an unsuitable place in the minds of the American men. It will have to do, though, until better accommodations can be found. While Maddie tries to recover from the horrific Atlantic crossing, Ellis and Hank spend their time searching for locals to interview about Nessie sightings, returning capriciously to the hotel to drink themselves senseless after their “research.” At first, Maddie enjoys the camaraderie of her husband and friend, trying to make the best of a situation she doesn’t want to be in, only slowly catching on to some depressing truths about her marriage.

After weeks in the frigid winter weather, amid air raid alarms and frequent letters hawking bad news, Maddie, Ellis and Hank have taken divergent roads, each chasing a new and different dream, no longer the fearless trio they were back on New Year’s Eve. Then, in their drunken stupor, proving Nessie real seemed a simple and entertaining undertaking. After weeks of working at it, the gloss is off the thrill of the hunt. Do they find their monster? Aye, indeed they do. But the monster they find may not be the one they were looking for.

Sara Gruen has wowed us before, notably with WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, my favorite of hers. She does nothing less with her latest effort. She is an author capable of dredging strong emotion from hidden depths you didn’t even know you had. This might be called a piece of historical fiction, and, yes, it is that, but it goes beyond into mystery territory, romance, and much, much more. For innumerable reasons, AT THE WATER’S EDGE lands on my short list of best books of the year.