The Trench
	Author(s):	Alten, Steve
	Publisher:	Kensington Books
	Date:	1999
	ISBN:	1-57566-430-5
	Cause:	Lost World (Cryptozoology)
	Creatures:	Extinct Fish
	Submitted by:	Mike Riley (03/05/04)
Exerpt: “Jake felt his body being sucked backward in a vacuum of water. With nowhere to maneuver, he ducked instinctively as the nine-foot maw jutted forward and clamped shut over his head. In pitch darkness he gasped a putrid breath as the water momentarily drained away from his face. He gagged, then registered his own muffled screams within the creature's mouth as unseen scalpels sliced and pulverized his body into mincemeat.”
Reviews: "Alten's evocation of the Trench and its dangers (including more prehistoric beasts), and of the machinery Arubs, minisubs and a giant underwater stationAthat would challenge them, is evocative and backed by rigorous scientific detail. His human vs. human conflict is screechingly melodramatic and his dialogue littered with exclamation points, but when Angel rolls back her eyes and opens her jaws for the kill, readers will remember with a thrill why they picked up this novel in the first place." (Publishers Weekly) "Nearly a carbon-copy of Meg, this action-packed technothriller reads like a movie script and won't provoke many thoughts but will satisfy fans of Meg and Peter Benchley." (Library Journal) "Alten's follow-up of Meg (1997) is a fast-paced thriller with many plot twists." (Booklist)

2-1/2 Scars

My Opinion: This is a sequel to the acclaimed novel Meg by the same author. The prehistoric Megladon is back and the ocean depths are no long safe. In fact, they are less safe with the introduction of other extinct aquatic prehistoric animals into the mix. I liked this but not as much as Meg. The author continues to provide as much "scientific" support for the story as is possible given the subject matter. Trench is a little more of an "intrigue" story than its predecessor with a good amount of the terror stemming from character conflict rather than the shark which is not a bad thing. All in all, this is a pretty darn good read.

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