Worth reading 😎
a mindblowing psychological thriller that dives into speculative science mixed with a murder mystery that keeps readers intrigued
Arctic Revelation: A Thousand Lifetimes in the Blink of an Eye by Hugh Finch is a very in-depth psychological thriller following the work of Assistant Professor of Psychology, Christian Yates, and his journey to better understand his theory of memories being passed down from generation to generation through DNA. However, on his search to comprehend and share his insights, Christian realizes someone else is hunting for the same answers, a serial killer dubbed "The Surgeon". This serial killer has been known to disguise his true identity with unbelievably fake identities, always staying one step ahead of those who are on his trail. Christian soon finds himself pairing up with unlikely comrades in order to put a stop to the elusive serial killer once and for all, and obtain answers that he believes will help relieve him of PTSD that has haunted him since childhood after a traumatic experience that left him with amnesia and a nervous tic in his eye.
Arctic Revelation was a psychological thriller that, after reading the synopsis, I decided to take a chance on. I typically don't go for books that center around science, as it can be such a complex, sometimes confusing, series of ideas. However, I am glad I took the chance to read and review Arctic Revelation, because it was interesting. The idea that memories can be passed down through many generations, and how Christian was researching how an individual could have memories from ancestors hundreds of years ago, that was such a mindtrip. I was simultaneously confused and intrigued at the same time, and could not keep from turning the page to see what was next. The murder mystery aspect was exciting, and I was fully invested in Collin's story and Christian's role in his case. The different characters that were introduced added to the excitement, and how they all tied in to each other was unexpected. I can usually guess at some point before the climax where a thriller is going, but Arctic Revelation left me guessing until the very end.
Although I typically don't go for books quite like Arctic Revelation, it was definitely an exciting surprise. I would recommend this book to readers who like to dabble in many different genres, and who aren't afraid to dip their toes in books that might follow more complex trains of thought. Sometimes it's good to have a book that makes you really think, and Arctic Revelation by Hugh Finch compels readers to suspend their beliefs in order to be fully entertained. I know at a few different points I found myself in utter disbelief, but again, it's okay to suspend one's beliefs in order to truly understand a work of fiction that an author worked hard on. I would recommend this book to readers with an open mind. Enjoy :)
-Cris Prettyman, Discovery Reviews
Debut author Finch’s international thriller features a young psychologist researching ancestral memory as a serial killer collects heads.
After Christian Yates completes his doctorate degree in psychology, he begins his career as an assistant professor. This career in academia is very short lived; Christian’s first lecture to undergraduates finds him quickly out of a job, as he has some views that are outside the mainstream. Specifically, he believes that humans have memories of their ancestors contained in their DNA. Although these memories are not readily available, they could be accessed, he posits, through some types of head trauma or the use of psychoactive substances, such as psychedelic mushrooms (hence the use of the latter in some Indigenous cultures). The undergraduates may lap this stuff up, but the senior faculty are simply not having it. All seems lost for Christian until he receives a mysterious job offer to work in Denmark: A company called Norkap Pharmaceuticals wants Christian’s help with their psychotropic drug research and is willing to offer him quite an impressive employment package. As the CEO, Hans Rasmussen, explains to Christian, his theories are “truer than you know.” Christian arrives in Denmark, where he comes under the wing of Hans’ nephew, Henrik. Henrik parties hard, and Christian does his best to keep up. He is also warned that Norkap may be engaged in unethical behavior. Meanwhile, a serial killer with a penchant for decapitation called “the Surgeon” is on the loose. It is believed that the Surgeon has killed eight people so far. The Surgeon is someone that Christian once met in the course of working with a patient who had “an unending flow of ancestral memories and languages that no human could have learned or faked.”
The premise of the story is a unique blend of speculative science and murder mystery—concepts like ancient memories do not typically come up in serial killer narratives. Still, while Christian’s students (the ones he has for one day, anyway) are certainly excited about his ideas, his expository lecturing can be dense. Though his speech gets one character worked up over the ethics of experimenting on worms, it throws an awful lot of information at the reader early on. This info dump, combined with a tragic event in Christian’s past and his difficulties with the patient who exhibited ancestral memories, make for slow-going early chapters. However, when the story moves to Denmark, the plot starts to jell, raising compelling questions (should Norkap be trusted?). When the action transfers to Greenland, Christian is informed almost immediately that he is in great danger—this is a thriller, after all, and peril becomes ever-present. Christian is later told, “We’re part of something far larger than ourselves, a saga that has unfolded over decades, leaving countless lives in ruins.” Serious stuff indeed—the reader can’t resist going forward to find out how it all connects.
A bit slow to get going, but the heady concept, action, and danger pay dividends.
Hugh Finch's "Arctic Revelation" is an extremely captivating and interesting book that effortlessly combines fact and fiction in a suspense-filled story. It seamlessly blurs the line between science, science fiction, history, and historical fiction—a true masterpiece.
What are the odds that humans might have devolved before evolving into the beings we are today? The book follows the story of Christian Yate, a newly graduated psychologist whose memories were blocked out after he and his father had an unfortunate encounter that ended his father's life. Two years prior to the present timeline, Christian was mixed up in a mysterious case with Colin Trevor, who somehow had access to the memories of his ancestors. After the tragic murder of Colin by a serial killer disguised as a doctor, Christian is drawn into a case of conspiracies, secrets, and betrayals.
One of the numerous reasons I liked the book was the suspense it held from the beginning of the book to the end. It kept readers guessing, especially on the identity of the serial killer (The Surgeon), giving hints to readers but just not enough hints for them to confirm. This keeps readers glued. Another reason I liked the book was because of how easily the author blended facts and fiction without a change in the pace or flow of the story. I also enjoyed the various plot twists throughout the story, and a perfect example is the identity of the serial killer and the true identity of the mysterious Interpol agent, Soren. I must also commend the editing of the book, as it was well edited and I only noticed two errors throughout the book.
The only thing I would consider a mild dislike is the frequent switches between the current timeline and the timeline two years prior. I feel this might be a little distracting for some readers.
Overall, I'd rate Hugh Finch's "Arctic Revelation" 4 out of 5 stars for the incredible plot, editing, and suspense. I deducted one star because of the dislike I mentioned earlier.
I'd recommend the book to lovers of both science fiction and thriller novels.
-OnlineBookClub Review Chuks Ogechukwu Bianca
