15 September 2023

A Haunting in the Arctic

 

By C.J. Cooke

Review

A 2023 Top Rated Read

Urban explorer Dominique travels to Skúmaskot in Iceland to uncover the secrets of the Ormen, an old whaling ship with a notorious past. Reputed to be haunted, it rests in a remote area where daylight is limited and conditions are harsh. Dominique soon discovers she's not alone — there's something malevolent lurking in the shadows and it wants revenge.

WOW, I loved this book! With its intelligent, multi-layered plot and engaging characters, I couldn't put it down. Set within three timelines, 1901, 1973 and the present, each was immersive and tragic. The author cleverly pulled the threads together bringing the story to a satisfying conclusion. It was creepy, atmospheric and immensely haunting. 

Normally when I read a book set within multiple timelines one will appeal more than the others but not in this case — all three were gripping and wonderfully written. It really was a fantastic read and I have no hesitation in awarding it 5 stars.            

★★★★★

  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins 
  • Publication Year: 2023
  • Author: C.J. Cooke
  • Genre: Horror, Paranormal

Synopsis

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

Something that craves revenge…

1901. On board the Ormen, a whaling ship battling through the unforgiving North Sea, Nicky Duthie awakes. Attacked and dragged there against her will, it’s just her and the crew – and they’re all owed something only she can give them.

1973. Decades later, when the ship is found still drifting across the ocean, it’s deserted. Just one body is left on board, his face and feet mutilated, his cabin locked from the inside. Everyone else has vanished.

Now, as urban explorer Dominique travels into the near-permanent darkness of the northernmost tip of Iceland, to the final resting place of the Ormen’s wreck, she’s determined to uncover the ship’s secrets.

But she’s not alone. Something is here with her. And it’s seeking revenge…

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