A Haunting in the Arctic Review

By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)

This review is spoiler-free.

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…

A Haunting in the Arctic is the fourth C.J. Cooke I have had the pleasure of experiencing this year (2023), alongside The Nesting, The Lighthouse Witches and The Ghost Woods.

A Haunting in the Arctic feels like Cooke’s most ambitious story to date, with the sheer scale of the story feeling as expansive as the cold, arctic setting itself. Once again, Cooke embraces the multi-pronged approach concerning the narrative, covering three separate periods that alternate throughout the story. As each layer of the story is peeled back, the intrigue, mystery and tension intensify, creating a beautifully paced gothic tale. As with her previous novels, Cooke does not shy away from severe and female-centric issues, but these elements serve a purpose, and being told through the female gaze, they are handled delicately. As a warning, there are triggers such as self-harm as well as sexual assault and violence. With this in mind, the story is a challenging experience, but rewarding at the same time! A Haunting in the Arctic is a sinister, tragic and haunting tale that creates an immersive and captivating listener experience.

Out of all the C.J. Cooke novels I have experienced so far, this latest release definitely also felt the most modern – when in the present. TikTok references immediately date the present storyline, and at first, it was a little jarring. However, this feeling passes as quickly as it arrives, as you get swept away in the captivating drama of the storytelling.

This gripping and atmospheric story needed a narrator who could bring this chilling tale to life, and Lucy Goldie succeeds tenfold! Goldie’s performance was nothing short of perfection. Each character is distinctive and incredibly performed. As for the portrayals of Nicky and Dominique, each character is separate yet connected, which amplifies the storytelling and overall enjoyment of the performance. Goldie’s incredibly emotive performance draws you into the tension and straight into the heart of this gothic mystery. All of the narrators for Cooke’s audiobooks have been perfect for the story they are narrating, and Goldie continues this tradition and does not let the author’s work down.

Brought to life by Lucy Goldie’s beautiful and emotive performance, C.J. Cooke’s“A Haunting in the Arctic” is a spine-tingling and tension-filled gothic masterpiece!