NetGalley: A Haunting in the Arctic by C. J. Cooke

Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group

Published: 2/27/2024

Pages: 352

Genre: Mystery/Horror/Paranormal

Review: NetGalley

Amazon

The year is 1901, and Nicky is attacked, then wakes on board the Ormen, a whaling ship embarked on what could be its last voyage. 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, over one hundred years later, the wreck of the Ormen has washed up on the forbidding, remote coast of Iceland. It’s scheduled to be destroyed, but explorer Dominique feels an inexplicable pull to document its last days, even though those who have ventured onto the wreck before her have met uncanny ends.

Onboard the boat, Dominique will uncover a dark past riddled with lies, cruelty, and murder—and her discovery will change everything. Because she’ll soon realize she’s not alone. Something has walked the floors of the Ormen for almost a century. Something that craves revenge.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

I did not see the twist coming at the end. I knew something was off, but for it to be that, I was like, wow!

The story is told in multiple POVs, so make sure you are paying attention. Nicky 1901 aboard a whaling ship called the Ormen, though it is not all fun and haha. What happened to Nicky? And we get the accounts? It just breaks your heart. To be honest, I probably would have either jumped overboard and given myself to the sea or silently killed every man on board. I do wonder if what happened to Nicky's leg was really happening or if it had something to do with her brain because of the trauma. I was just truly curious. When we got the answers to how she ended up on the ship, I was devasted for her because the people you trust shouldn't have done that.

Fast forward to the present day, we are introduced to Dominique, who wants to explore The Ormen before it is put to rest in the dark sea. At first, while she is exploring, she sees things that would happen in this sort of weather. Sunlight only comes out for a few hours if that, and snow and ice every day, you start seeing things. Until she realizes she truly isn't alone, we are introduced to three other people, and that is when our story gets juicy. They are exploring, too, but something seems off with them. 

Nothing is what it seems with this ship. It has horrors for a reason, and the only person who may have answers is the one who started it all. 

 

C. J. Cooke is an award-winning poet and novelist published in twenty-three languages. She teaches creative writing at the University of Glasgow, where she also researches the impact of motherhood on women's writing and creative writing interventions for mental health.