CJ Cooke has written my favourite book released in October for the past two years, and now she has done it for three years in a row!

A Haunting On The Arctic is a beautifully chilling and multi-layered historical fiction that oozes with atmosphere, mystery, folklore, and the supernatural.

The book is told through three narratives - primarily switching between 1901 as Nicky finds herself aboard the Ormen, and the present as Dominique explores the wreckage before it is submerged. Each period is detailed incredibly well. In the past, you get a brilliant feel for the harsh conditions of being onboard a whaling ship, especially for an unwelcome woman. And in the present, I absolutely loved the Icelandic setting, with the vivid imagery of the desolate white landscape and a strong feel of the ice-cold temperatures.

I always find CJ Cooke's books so easy to engage with, and that's because she's such a beautiful writer who seamlessly combines modern and powerful themes with rich history.

A Haunting On The Arctic is another immersive read that I really didn't want to put down. I tried my hardest to savour it, but in the end, I just had to know what was going on. At first, there were a few things at the start that didn't sit right in my head, a few disjointed jumps in the narrative which left me with some questions.

But everything eventually makes sense. And boy, I was not prepared for that ending. I actually had to double-take it, and I'm still thinking about it days later. I absolutely loved it!

If you enjoy historical fiction with a spooky twist, CJ Cooke is an author you need to read!

(I'm on the blog tour for this on 25th so my reviews will be live then)

A bit of a spooky tale set in three different times - 1901, 1973 and the present day.
Dominique has found out that an old whaling ship that was wrecked on the Iceland coast is going to be towed out to sea and sunk as a natural reef. She wants to document this so goes out to the ship and sets up camp. She hears strange things during the night and when three other people rock up soon after she is suspicious of their intentions, but agrees to collaborate on the project.
She sees a strange woman that no one else can see and sees and hears strange things. When things go array, she questions if she is the only one left.
Meanwhile the story of 1901 is played out throughout the book with dashes of 1973.
Very atmospheric and spooky.

Brilliant! Seriously creepy, and haunting with an eerie atmosphere. This book is brilliantly curated with great characters and the location used to great effect. The story is told over three different timelines, with three different events and three different stories to gradually unfold and come together for the perfect ending. I can’t recommend this book enough especially for the coming dark, cold winter nights.

A well done and chilly book that mixes horror, nordic lore and ghost stories. Great characteres and world building, a plot that kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A chilling piece of fiction. I loved this book, the emotions and tensions created by the author take you on this journey of discovery and exploration. Check trigger warnings prior to reading as this book does not hold back. It’s thought-provoking and kept me up at night. The way the author is able to immerse you into each timeline and scene fully is a testament to the quality of this book. This book is more than a ghost story it’s atmospheric, eerie and addresses trauma in a way beyond words. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

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.

2.5 Stars
One Liner: Atmospheric but ruined by the ending (outliner opinion)

1901, Dundee, Scotland
Nicky is missing her husband Allan, who is at war. One day, she is attacked by a stranger and wakes up aboard the Ormen, her father’s whaling ship. Soon, Nicky realizes she is in big trouble, and things aren’t what they seem.
2023, Skúmaskot, Iceland
Dominique is an urban explorer. She finally managed to reach Skúmaskot, an old shark fishing village on the northern tip of Iceland, to stay aboard Ormen, which was to be dismantled in the next few weeks. She meets a trio of explorers who may or may not have hidden intentions.
What is the connection between the two timelines? Where will the stories intersect, and what happens next?
The past timeline comes in the third-person POV of Nicky, and the present timeline is in the first-person POV of Dominique.

What I Like:
After enjoying the previous two books by the author, I was excited to read this one. As always, the setting is atmospheric and has touches of magic realism. The book starts slowly but picks up pace, which turns out to be a blessing.
The book tries to deal with issues like past trauma, grief, closure, etc. It does get a few things right, especially Nicky’s life with Allan, her father’s business, her dysfunctional family, etc.
The third-person narration for Nicky’s timeline is a relief, given the content. While some readers may find it too distant, I prefer it that way. Makes it easier to continue reading at a stretch.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
First, this one is a dark read. I was expecting it, so that wasn’t an issue (please check the triggers at the end of the review) for me. However, as the book progressed, it felt more like misery porn (most of Nicky’s track is a torture) rather than having the characters do something to change the situation. When it does happen, it feels a little too late.
Second, I confess to having little to no idea about ships and the whaling industry. However, it does seem that the Ormen spent a long time on the sea, that too, with the men more interested in r*ping the MC rather than catching whales (there is just one instance of capturing a whale).
Third, the present timeline seemed quite well until the end. Then, it made almost no sense. The author’s note explains the intentions behind the concept, but TBH, it’s badly done. I wish I could say otherwise. I don’t want to reveal spoilers, but the ‘truth’ nullifies a majority of the timeline, which is not how one handles a plot. I have too many questions with no answers. I knew there would be weak points (the previous books had them), but this one gets too much.
Fourth, if the book has magic realism, it should be more than a decorative piece. The Selkie stuff was interesting until it wasn’t. It takes way too much time to see it in action. Even then, it’s just a glimpse. For a book based on revenge, this one doesn’t even show the actual bits. That’s the most disappointing part. If you make me read so much tragedy and tell me multiple times that someone got their revenge on the actual bad guys, have the courtesy to show me at least a scene or two.
Fifth, I don’t like the representation of the Inuit tribe. It may or may not have been based on truth, and I will not take a non-native’s version as ultimate.
Sixth, there are third and fourth timelines, which are vague and try to add to the atmosphere but don’t really work. They only cause more confusion and add to the questions. Just because a book has supernatural elements doesn’t mean it cannot make sense. It still needs to stand on its own and provide satisfactory answers.

To summarize, A Haunting in the Arctic starts great but spirals into a neverending tragedy and an unappealing reveal/ twist. I wish I loved this, but I don’t.
I’m an outliner (until now), so please read other reviews before you decide.
Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions about the book.
******
I won't be reviewing it on Amazon due to the low rating.

Strange & confusing, sends shivers down your spine.************************************************************************

I was drawn to this book by the cover, I think it fits very well with the story. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy in exchange for a review thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley. The book is published on the 12th October and I think it’s the perfect read for this time of year.

The story crosses three timelines - 1901, 1970s, and the present day. Each time period is linked by The Ormen, a former whaling ship washed up on the shore in a remote area of Iceland. In 1901, Nicky’s father owns a whaling business and the Ormen. When his business gets into trouble, Nicky is kidnapped and taken onboard the ship against her will. In the 70s, the ship has been turned into a research ship and in the present day some explorers want to broadcast the ship being broken up and sunk.
Not all is as it seems, and there are reports of people behaving out of character and harming themselves and others. A ghoulish figure of a woman is seen around the ship and a mysterious humming is heard in the darkness.

I was drawn into the story straight away and I thought it was well written. The descriptions are fantastically done and so vivid, you can picture the bleak, dark landscape and the imposing wreck of the ship. It’s clear the author spent a lot of time researching the book.

I didn’t particularly warm to any of the characters but I was intrigued enough to keep reading. Something mysterious was going on and I wanted to find out what was happening. I thought the book was a bit long but I’m not sure if that was just me,

I liked the twist and the supernatural element of the story. I enjoyed the book and will definitely read more from this author. I would recommend the book, particularly in the run up to winter. ❄️

A HAUNTING IN THE Arctic

It’s 1973 and the body of Dr Diego Almeyda is found by the Russian coastguard alone on the research ship, Orwen in the Barents Sea. No trace is ever found of his 15 colleagues but disturbing drawings are found of a woman with her face turned away. On the last one is written, ‘She is on board.’
The Orwen belonged to a shipping company in Dundee, Scotland in the late 19th century and early 20th century. In 1901 It was about to set sail on another whaling expedition. Nicky Duthie’s father owns the company but it’s no longer profitable. He warns her to keep out of sight as he has done something that he wants to put right again. Nicky’s husband, Allan, has left his job and go out to fight the Boers. But Nicky’s life drastically changes when she is attacked and awakes in a ship’s hold and at the mercy of the ship’s crew. She has been betrayed.
In the present day, an urban explorer, Dominique , wants to chart the Orwen in its now sorry state before it is broken up for good and sunk to form a reef. It has lain, forgotten, near the abandoned whaling village of Skumaskot since 1973. She plans to explore the ship and share it online with other explorers. The Orwen is silent when she first climbs aboard but she hears mysterious noises and the captain’s cabin is locked.
And both Nicky and Dominque soon hear about the baleful spirit, the woman with a fishtail, the selkie wife, that haunts their dreams and their lives.
The Orwen is what links them and its name is Norwegian for ‘serpent’ for its ability to wind through icy paths as easily as a snake. But it is a haunted ship with an invisible passenger that has stayed on board and waited for its next victims. A spirit bent on revenge.
When Dominique is joined by 3 other explorers, two men and one woman, she begins to see a woman on the deserted beach, her face turned away, and senses that she is coming closer and closer to the ship.
Who is the selkie wife and what ties her to the Orwen? A betrayal that has set in motion events that have reverberated throughout the ship’s history….
This is an intriguing book with three timelines; 1901, 1973 and the present day and the reader sees how they each link together at the astonishing climax.
The descriptions of the Arctic landscape and the seemingly endless voyage of the Orwen really made the book come alive. The power of the elements which hold the ship and its crew at its mercy was so well evoked and I learned a lot about sailors traditions and beliefs. However, there are some very chilling scenes in Nicky’s story particularly when the truth about how she ended up on the ship is revealed.
The author has really done her research and it shows, not as info dumps, but in the scene setting in the Arctic, Norway and whaling expeditions. The emptiness of the landscape and its inhabitants but also its beauty and majesty and the crew’s encounters with the Inuit were very believable.
However, I was surprised that Dominique was able to carry so much tech gear with her and that her three companions did as well. They seemed alternately friendly and hostile towards her and there was a strong sense that they had all met before. I liked the ominous nature of the woman on the beach in that her face was always turned away which made her much more scary. There was a strong sense of her coming nearer and nearer remorselessly.
A book I enjoyed a lot and this is the season in which to read it in.
My thanks to the published and Netgalley for an ARC.

Having read a few of C.J. Cooke's books, I knew the writing would be atmospheric and the descriptions would give a true picture that the author wants you to see.
I did find this title a little difficult to get into at first until I tuned into the pace of the story and the 3 different time lines. This is certainly not for the faint-hearted.
Many thanks to Netgalley/C.J. Cooke/HarperCollins for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Haunting in the Arctic tells of two women, one in the present day, exploring the wreck of 19th century whaling ship The Orman and another, an unwilling traveller on the ship over a century before.

The book touches upon folklore, exploitation, grief and trauma.

The two tales intertwine. .Both women begin to doubt their senses as strange visions and occurrences intrude upon their reality. It's difficult to say too much without spoilers.

Another great read from CJ Cooke.

"Remember, the sea whispered, that revenge is a stone tossed into water. You can’t direct the ripples."

This was my first C.J Cooke book so I had no idea what the author's writing style was, but I was not disappointed.
This is not your typical "haunting" tale it's unique and has depth. With multiple timelines and POVs, I was invested and intrigued despite this being a slow burn in my opinion.
The story building was fantastic and even when I was 85% in, I had no clue how it was going to end but I knew there was something absolutely mind-blowing coming. Yes, they were little clues coming onto the ending, but I still was in complete shock at that twist.
This book deals with heavy subject matter such as rape, torture, kidnapping, child death and self-harm. It isn’t just about the spooky or creepy and that's why I said it has a certain depth that I don't see in many ghost story reads.
Every single character was well written and memorable even the ones that were only briefly mentioned.
I highly recommend this book and it will make a perfect read for spooky season. Sometimes it's not just the undead that can haunt us but our trauma and memories as well.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for my eARC copy of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

Absolutely loved this book. It was so creepy and the horror of man and what he was capable of was the true message of the Book. Highly recommend.

CJCooke can always be relied on to write such atmospheric books and this is no exception.
A story that takes threads of the supernatural and gothic tropes to make something magical
Recommended

First of all, I would like to thank Harper Collins, C J Kooke and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A Haunting in the Arctic is a chilling tale told in two timelines centred around a whaling ship, The Ormen. The first timeline is set in 1901 and is from the point of view of Nicky, a businessman’s daughter who is kidnapped and held captive on board The Ormen. Over a century later, a young explorer looking for social media fame, Dominique, is led to the wreckage of the Ormen after hearing the rumours of an entire research crew disappearing while trying to find the truth of what happened to the crew of 1901. But as she searches the deserted ship for evidence, she soon finds she is not alone…

I absolutely loved this book, I could not put it down once I started reading! C.J Cooke builds a chilling, atmospheric setting and brilliantly weaves in Norse folktales and legends. The descriptions in this book are so vivid, you can feel the cold and claustrophobia through the pages. There are gorgeous descriptions of the high arctic and the world was built fantastically even though it is mostly on board or just around the Ormen. I love the scattering of history and folklore throughout the book- it made it really interesting to read and added so much to the story!

The plot of the story was absolutely haunting. Nicky’s story in particular both haunted and horrified me- her story was really well written and there were snippets of her tragic past throughout her story. The horrors she faced on the Ormen were brutal and tragic and as a reader you really feel for her. Dominique’s story is gripping and the haunting is terrifying to read. The book jumps from timeline to timeline in a really seamless way, I love how there are a couple of chapters in a row for each character instead of jumping every chapter. This made the story easy to follow and wove the timelines perfectly. There was an amazing twist at the end and everything was expertly woven together! Overall, this is a perfect read- especially if you want a haunting, atmospheric read for the winter months!

I stumbled across The Ghost Woods by @cjcooke_author a while back on BorrowBox and really enjoyed it. Since then, I was chuffed to be approved for her latest novel A Haunting in the Arctic. It’s great! History, trauma and plenty of spookiness to keep you gripped! Out this month.


#netgalley #bookstagram #horrorbooks #fiction #cjcooke #haunting #spookyseason

Beware the sea ★★★☆☆

I really enjoy C J Cooke’s gothic novels and this was another good read.

Balancing present day Dominique’s stay on the haunted wreck with Nicky’s story and its final voyage in 1901, this multi-timeline novel weaves a haunting tale of death and revenge.

I enjoyed Nicky’s story the most, although it was shocking, as well as the snippets over time where the Iceland villagers are stalked by something from the sea.

I found some of the present day story confusing and there was a plot twist which I found contrived although it was a clever idea.

A spooky nautical read.

A really gripping dual-timeline story set aboard a whaling ship called The Ormen.

In 1901, Nicky is attacked in the park, and wakes up on board The Ormen, where a whole host of horrible things happen to her and the crew.

In 2023, Dom comes to explore the ship, which has run aground in Iceland. But her plans are waylaid by the unexpected arrival of another group of explorers, and the ghostly presence of a mysterious woman.

CJ Cooke is a must-read author for me now - I devoured this novel. The claustrophobic setting was perfect, the mysteries intricately woven, and the way the storylines come together towards the end was paced beautifully.

What a fantastic book. I found myself reading it long into the night.
The story is told in two timelines.
Nicky, in 1901, finds herself aboard whaling ship, The Ormen, against her will.
Dom, in 2023, is an urban explorer and is on board The Ormen to document it's final sinking.
There are strange things happening in the modern storyline but don't expect a standard ghost haunting.
I found the book gripping, I was even thinking about it when I wasn't reading it!