A Haunting in the Arctic

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…

‘Rich, chilling and gorgeously gothic. A Haunting in the Arctic is the kind of enchanting, terrifying mystery I just adore’ Chris Whitaker

’Cooke delivers yet another spine-chilling treat in this lushly imagined, terrifying novel. The characters will haunt you long after the final page is turned’ Emilia Hart, bestselling author of Weyward

‘Mesmerising and terrifying, this is a powerful story lovingly told . . . with characters that remain with me. Highly recommended’ Lisa Ballantyne

‘Evocative and chilling, an addictive piece of polar gothic’ Anna Bailey

‘A Haunting in the Arctic is a story of a woman haunted in every way. An eerie, atmospheric novel that is full of tension and suspense, this is a beautiful gothic chiller of a book’ Elizabeth Lee

Praise for C.J. Cooke

‘This ghost story is a perfect mix of propulsive plot and shivers-up-the-spine spookiness’ Good Housekeeping

‘An original and haunting thriller, filled with secrets, ghosts, and Norse folk tales. The Nesting is an evocative and chilling tale that will keep you guessing, and is best read with the lights on’ Alice Feeney

‘It's been such a tonic – chilling, totally engrossing and full of intrigue. The pages just whizzed by while I ignored everyone! It's marvellous’ Katherine May

‘Like a lighthouse roving atmospheric waters, its secrets are revealed glimpse by tantalising glimpse’ Cari Thomas

‘Norwegian Fjords and folktales are beautifully evoked in this vivid and compelling novel’ Rosamund Lupton

‘Gothic and suspenseful’ Woman and Home

‘The story is peppered with well-researched folklore and startling tenderness…a winner’ The Daily Mail

‘Nordic folklore, snowy landscapes, and an ever-turning screw of tension – a fun, gothic treat’ Kirsty Logan

About the author

C.J. Cooke is an acclaimed, award-winning poet, novelist and academic with numerous other publications as Carolyn Jess-Cooke. Her work has been published in twenty-three languages to date. Born in Belfast, C.J. has a PhD in Literature from Queen’s University, Belfast, and is currently Reader in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, where she researches creative writing interventions for mental health. She lives in Glasgow with her husband and four children.