Couldn't get into the written style but I can see that
others would like this. At this time I'll just soft dnf this
and maybe at a later time i'll try again!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6547983463

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

One of my favorite authors just wrote one of my favorite books. This was epic. I can’t recommend it enough!

A well-done novel!

In the small town of Deadhart in Alaska a teenager has been murdered. It looks like his throat was ripped open and drained of all his blood.

The town wants justice. They believed the vampire Colony living close by was responsible for the death and the humans wanted nothing more than to get approval of a Cull. They want to eradicate the vampires which can only be done if it turns out that the vampires are responsible for the death of fifteen-year-old Marcus Anderson.

Detective Barbara Atkins of the Forensic Vampire Anthropology Department is sent to investigate the case. The town is distrustful of outsiders making things harder for Barbara. More so since Reverend Colleen Grey wants a Cull too.

Barbara decides to enlist the help of the ex-sheriff, Jenson Tucker. He was the last one to investigate a murder twenty-five years ago and very similar to the current case.

Besides, Barbara and Tucker, there is also Athelinda. She is the leader of the Colony although she looks to be a child. She is very old and deadly but she insists the Colony is not guilty of the killing.

Quite a great atmospheric novel with an amazing character. I liked Barbara from the get-go. She was smart, funny, and determined to learn the truth at all costs.

The author leaves the door wide open for another book with this character and I hope it does happen. I would buy that book for sure!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Ballantine Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read, although slightly forgettable. Definitely will read more by this author though! Overall worth it.

3.5 rounded up. I'm a huge fan of CJ Tudor, she does an amazing job with world-building and fleshing out unique lore. The sense of dread and isolation was super present and I found myself really wrapped up in the mystery. I think this could have dialed up the horror in order to leave a bit more of an impact, as I was definitely missing some emotional investment. Also I'm not really sure what to do with the epilogue?

⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️ / 5

THE GATHERING by C.J. Tudor

thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for access to the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

quick thoughts:
🧛🏼 specialist is called in to investigate suspected vampire attacks in rural Alaska
🩸 mix of mystery, thriller, horror
✍🏼 multiple POVs, short chapters
👍🏼 would recommend to horror-thriller lovers!

i’ve enjoyed every Tudor story i’ve read because she does a fantastic job of making you feel like you’re in the story. i’m not a visual reader, so it’s often difficult for me to follow a lot of the details. however, this is why Tudor has become one of my favorite authors—she knows how to tell a story and engage her readers from the first page!

🎶 “don’t sing if you want to live long, they have no use for your song”

i wouldn’t necessarily call myself a fan of vampire stories, but i’m definitely a fan of Tudor’s, so i was eager to see what this one was all about. and now… i might consider myself a fan of vampire stories as well 🙃

this was so good and such a unique take on a police procedural! i never saw any of the twists and turns coming, and i was on the edge of my seat the whole time. the vibes were perfectly spooky and dark, and it was the perfect time of year to read this one 🦇

The Gathering is a story of vampires the way it should be - dark, gritty, mysterious and bloody. This is the best vampire story I have seen in years, if not ever. In a time in the media world where it seems like there are endless vampire stories, with no variety, C. J. Tudor brings you a completely novel story!

In small town Deadhart, Alaska there has been another teenager murdered, the blood drained from his body. The last time this happened, 20 years ago, the Colony was blamed resulting in the death of several Vampyrs. Detective Barbara Atkins has been called in to verify that this was a vampyr killing and a cull can be mandated. But the town is already convinced, and as well all know sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, and angry and scared people are capable of truly horrific things.

I loved this book because it was such a different take on vampires. Yes, there are little hints at others use of vampirology, but just enough to know that these vampyres followed some similar lore. The story was so intricate and mysterious throughout, that it really kept me guessing. There is so much going on and so many pieces of the story that come together at the end in such a perfect way. It is a lot, but not too much. By far the best vampire book I have read.

This is a dark and gritty book. There is death, rape and abuse of all kinds mentioned. If any of these things trigger you then it might not be the read for you. This is a convuluted mystery so it might not be for everyone.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book! It is the first book that I have read by this author, but it certainly will not be the last. I know so many mystery and paranormal lovers that will eat up this book and I can't wait to rec it to them. At the end of the book, I immediately wanted to start it over and see if there were any small nuances that I missed the first time around that feed into the whodunnit and ending. Perfect read for the season, but also just an amazing twisty mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of The Gathering in exchange for my honest review.

This novel tells the story of a detective who is sent to a small town in Alaska to investigate the gruesome murder of a teenage boy. But all is not as it seems. Did a fellow human or a vampyre end the life of Marcus Anderson? Chock full of secrets, prejudices, and small town antics, you won't be able to guess until the end who the good guys are.

This read was a bit slow at the beginning, but picked up speed after about halfway through. I loved the mix of supernatural elements with reality, which helped suspend disbelief. I also enjoyed the snowy setting, which added to the panicky, claustrophobic atmosphere.

This isn't my first from C.J. Tudor and it won't be my last. 3 1/2 ⭐️

I am very thankful for the opportunity to read this, however this was not a book for me. I felt like the book moved really slow in the beginning through or past mid way. Everything happens at the end of the book and I didn’t really enjoy this one as much as I thought I would.

Perfect read for this time of year , and read it as a buddy read, which I enjoyed doing , and other thing I loved about his book was how I actually knew a lot of the references that was used in the book as well as how it reminds me of a movie that I've seen more then once about vampires coming and attack people in a small Alaskan town.

I was so sad to have to give this two stars. This story had so much potential. The plot line was great and so unique for a vampire story, and the setting was perfect. It was the characters and their relationships with each other that did me in. There was too many characters to keep up with and I kept getting them mixed up. Also the relationships between all of them were (for lack of a better term) eye rolling. Something would happen or a piece of history on a couple would come out and I'd roll my eyes and think "oh great, here we go again." It was too much and brought down the whole book for me.

***Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the E-Arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.***

When I saw this book took place in Alaska and it was about vampires, I got excited because I loved the movie 30 Days of Night. But it was nothing like that. It was not scary and the vampires were tolerated as citizens and protected by the law. More police procedural. Too many characters to keep straight. Not a fan of the biblical aspect. Just not for me in general.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for this eARC.

I've been a C.J. Tudor fan for a while now, and this was definitely an interesting book. It was very different (about a vampyre colony in Alaska) compared to some of her previous works that I read, but I was interested nonetheless. It held my attention throughout, but it was a bit of a slow burn, which is usually not my cup of tea. All in all, I give credit for the creativity and capturing my attention, but the mystery element was lacking just a bit for me. 3.5!

Five stars. Loved it! That's all you really need to know, right? Here's the thing: this really is such a me type of book. A book set in a small, isolated town in Alaska? Check. A mystery with a female detective lead trying to figure out the whodunnit? Check. Cold, snowy atmospheric vibes? Give it to me. And then you add in C.J. Tudor's writing and vampires - this is totally a very me book. And I loved every single minute of it. I loved the way that Tudor straddles the line between horror and mystery. I both flew through the pages/and didn't want this book to end. And then that ending!! I will not say any more besides we NEED another book featuring Detective Barbara Atkins. That is all.

Readers who enjoy dark, suspenseful reads that are borderline horror need to pick this book up. It's just SO good! Five stars - C.J. Tudor is absolutely a favorite author for me at this point. Also, I was going to share an author ranking but I honestly can't decide if I loved this one more than The Burning Girls - I think that they are tied as my favorites by her so far.

The townspeople of Deadhart, Alaska are calling for a cull of the nearby vampire settlement after a teen boy is found drained of blood with his throat ripped out. Big city vampire expert detective Barbara Atkins arrives to determine the true culprit, be it a renegade member of the settlement or a human psychopath, to put a stop to the killings.

This novel could be described as a vampire police procedural horror thriller. Detective Atkins is a top-notch investigator with emotional baggage and strong ethics. She's wary of the townspeople and their motives as she digs deep into the local history. When she connects with the reclusive former sheriff, things begin to fall into place as they lift the veil on local secrets to solve the case.

Add this to your #spookyseason TBR if you love suspenseful small-town detective stories with supernatural horror elements in harsh environments. The pacing will keep you turning the pages and the smart and vulnerable LGBTQ detective Atkins is an engaging and dryly humorous MC.

A horror and suspense-filled murder mystery with unusually high stakes Didn’t want this one to end. I’ve read other books by this author and I enjoyed most of them! Add this one to the list.

This read was a solid 3.5 for me. I really loved the Burning girls by this author and had high hopes for this one. It’s definitely worth the read. I just found myself wanting more information on the vampire world and how it came to be open. I will definitely be waiting for the sequel though.

I have mixed feelings about this book - It kind of started off slow, which is why it took me so long to finish. Once the story picked-up it kept me engaged and vested in the ending. Set in Alaska the story involves a vampyr (spelling in book) colony and a human town set on getting rid of them.
It was a fascinating book in that it did not read as out of this world. It was written in a way that it could possible exist in this time.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and freely given.

vampires? check. freezing cold setting? check. mysterious missing person? check. this has all the parts i love of a horror/thriller, and vampires in alaska is just a great concept. I am picky about vampire books and really enjoyed this one, so even if you're not a vampire book person, I'd give this one a try!

Not the finest from CJ Tudor. I felt like this story had potential but never got the line drive and fear towards vampires lurking in Alaska. I wasn't ever on the edge of my seat.