Release date: October 12 2023
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 384
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: I bought a copy of this from my local Waterstones
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis

Something has walked the floors of the Ormen for almost a century.

Something that craves revenge…

1901. Dundee, Scotland. Nicky wakes on board The Ormen, a whaling ship, attacked and dragged there, held against her will. With land still weeks away, it’s just her, the freezing ocean, and the crew – and they’re all owed something only she can give them.

Now. Skúmaskot, Iceland. The Ormen has been drifting across the oceans for decades, its crew inexplicably vanished, it’s stories still unknown.

But urban explorer Dominique has battled to reach Skúmaskot, an old shark fishing village on the northern tip of Iceland, just twenty miles from the Arctic Circle. A place where no one has lived for over forty years. And the resting place of The Ormen.

She thought it was deserted. But something is there with her. And it’s seeking revenge…

Review

A Haunting in the Arctic is the newest dark and engrossing tale from C J Cooke. The story follows two women in different times – in 1901 Nicky wakes to find herself aboard one of her father’s whaling ships – The Ormen. Attacked in a park and taken aboard while she was unconscious, Nicky has no choice but to join the crew on their perilous journey to Iceland, but at what cost? Meanwhile, in present-day Dominique is an urban explorer, looking to explore and document the last days of the Ormen before it is sunk. The ship has drifted across the sea, empty and full of secrets. Will Dominique be able to uncover what happened on the ship and will she survive the strange things happening aboard?

This is my third book from C J Cooke and I think this one might just be my favourite yet. All of Cooke’s books have really intriguing premises but a ghost story in the remote Arctic? I knew this one would be hard to put down. I really enjoy Cooke’s writing style and this fast-paced, gripping tale kept me glued to the book right until the very last page. The short chapters had me saying ‘oh just one more chapter’ and had me up long past my bedtime. The story has plenty of twists and turns – some I saw coming and some I definitely did not. I really liked the way the story ended, it was incredibly well executed and came to a really satisfying conclusion. Be warned though – there are plenty of dark, haunting moments along the way that are bound to send a shiver up your spine.

Nicky and Dominique are fascinating characters, each dealing with a great deal of trauma and grief. I found myself really captivated by these characters and all that they go through in this story. A Haunting in the Arctic is the perfect read for a dark winter night and one you aren’t going to be able to put down. This book has definitely solidified C J Cooke as one of my favourite horror writers and I can’t wait to see what she does next.