Set within the isolated Alaskan town of Deadhart, the murder of a teenage boy has shattered the already-tenuous relationship between the local human residents and the vampire-or vampyr-inhabitants of the nearby Colony.

Detectice Barbara Atkins is dispatched to determine whether the Colony is responsible for the murder and if a cull that would eliminate the vampyr population in the area is necessary.

The Gathering is a dark and gripping novel that depicts how the insulated nature of a small town where fear, mistrust and religious fervor have allowed bigotry to fester. It’s uncomfortable to read, as the characters that might be otherwise be tolerable clamor for the deaths of members of a species-including children-without hesitation or consideration.

The vampyrs in The Gathering are depicted sympathetically, as their existence is brimming with hardship at every turn: they are denied the possibility of associating with humans, of utilizing modern technology and of finding jobs to stimulate themselves beyond mere existence.

Coupled with the horrific history surrounding Deadhart and its treatment of vampyrs, it’s hardly unexpected that the Colony’s current leader Athelinda is furious regarding the new threat to her existence. Her character is a tragic one, honed by the circumstances surrounding her birth and the painful experiences thereafter into the weary sovereign of her people.

Detective Barbara Atkins is a unique protagonist: a compassionate and pragmatic older woman with a desire to do the right thing rather than what is expected and someone who is also struggling with her own shortcomings and trauma pertaining to vampyrs.

The mystery that propels The Gathering is an engrossing one and as always, I tried to figure things out while the characters did as well. The ending is satisfying and coupled with the epilogue has me intrigued for the potential of further installments.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and to C. J. Tudor for providing this ebook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Barbara Atkins is a Forensic Vampyr Anthropologist sent to the small town of Deadhart, Alaska to investigate the murder of a teenage boy. The townsfolk suspect a neighboring colony, a community of vampyrs that live nearby and claim to only drink the blood of animals. In a small town with plenty of secrets, everyone is a suspect.

This book is perfect for someone who wants to incorporate vampires into a small town crime mystery novel that screams “Twin Peaks” with the amount of twists! C.J. Tudor spent time with all of the citizens of this small town individually, giving them all their own unique personalities, motivations, and secrets. It was never an overwhelming amount of information. The small town vibes of this were impeccable and atmospheric. I love a good isolating setting and this book absolutely nailed it.

I loved how fast paced this book was and how perfectly the story unraveled and wrapped up all loose ends by the finish. It was engaging to discover the mystery behind the boy’s death and so satisfying to find the truth of it. There are a lot of themes of prejudice throughout this book that are covered brutally but also appropriately.

I would recommend this book for those that love a mix of unique vampire lore, murder mystery, and small town secrets. If those elements interest you, The Gathering comes out on April 9th.

Going into this pretty blind, I was super intrigued by the circumstances surrounding the mystery! I felt like I hadn’t read something like this in a good long while and it was different from other thrillers I’ve been reading lately that have felt pretty run of the mill.

C.J. Tudor always brings the creepy factor and that was no different in this story. Dark, snowy Alaska, paired with a group living on the fringes of society - who is responsible for the murder of a teenage boy that brings our detective to the scene? I enjoyed the full cast of characters in this novel and interspersed flashback scenes. These didn’t take much from the novel but added another layer of mystery.

Barbara was great and the ending feels like this could be the start of a series?! If so, I am so down because this was a breath of fresh (Alaskan) air!!

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The pace is fast throughout with multiple twists and turns, the threat level continues to rise making it a gripping page turner as you try to second guess things and mine get a bit wild! It’s creepy, eerie, macabre in places (well, it is CJT so don’t expect it to be pretty) and oh boy, does it ever ramp up in danger with accompanying hysteria at every turn. The whole thing is written in full technicolor, it’s vivid, it’s believable as I can buy into it and praise the lord, the ending is terrific. This is how you write a horror story and it has a cover that will entice you to pick this one up. It’s another winner for me. I wish it had been longer but that's okay it was still great!

4.25 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


Whoa. This book is WILD.

Vampires. Actually vampyrs. They live amongst us in this world. In colonies alongside humans. Of course vampyrs are sort of human. They are not the undead as much as they are not living. Outside the small town of Deadhart, Alaska, is a Colony at the old mining town. Vampyrs lived there for years before they were shoved out by the humans after a human murder, supposedly at the hands of a young vampyr.

Eventually the Colony returned to Deadhead with its leader Athelinda. She’s a vampyr that was turned far too young and still looks like a child. But Athelinda is hundreds of years old. The Colony keeps to themselves, mostly, until another murder occurs. This time a teenage boy is murdered. It appears to have been by a vampyr, but sometimes looks aren’t always what they seem. This murder was recorded on a phone, by the teenager that was killed.

Enter Barbara Atkins, a detective who specializes in vampyr lore and crime. It is up to her to determine if the murder was at the hands of a vampyr and whether a ‘cull’ is in order. Culling is basically wiping out a vampyr colony, so it has to be quite clear that is what is needed.

When the town Sheriff is injured, the previous sheriff comes out of hiding to assist Barbara with her investigation. What the two of them discover along the way might shake the town to its boots.

I could not put this down, even though I had to. What an incredibly creative and vibrant story. Yes, it’s utterly dark, and murder happens, but wow, I was riveted. There are so many backstories to some of the characters, nearly everyone could be a suspect. Tudor does an incredible job of putting together all these storylines to make this novel one to be devoured (pun intended.)

Sometimes the ones you think are the bad ones, in fact, may not be. Read it.

Are you a fan of any of these genres:
Paranormal
Horror
Thriller
I'm a fan of all three and I was in luck, because this author's latest release combines them all!!

It all begins with the tragic death of a teen, Marcus Anderson. How he died and who might be responsible, seems obvious given the state of his neck and a video capturing the killing. But Detective Barbara Atkins isn't so certain that someone is from the vampyrs colony. Given the Vampyr Protection Act, she doesn't want to rush to judgement and order a cull, much to the dismay of the local townsfolk.

I admired Barbara's methodical approach to the case. Given her personal history with vampyrs, is she sympathetic to them? Maybe, but ultimately, she does the right thing by not rushing the case. The only problem is the bodies begin to pile up and each one seems to point to the vampyrs.

As the story progresses, it seems a lot of illegal activities were taking place in Deadhart (the perfect town name for this story), and maybe Marcus' death along with the others, was part of a coverup to those illegal activities.

The book title, The Gathering, relates to a battle between humans and vampyrs, "the victors gathered the souls of the fallen." Is this the end game the vampyrs want? It seems some do, but one, Athelinda, tries to hold back the colony from doing anything rash. Did I trust her? No, but I don't think she was Marcus' killer, as many others suspected.

Ultimately, Barbara's patience pays off. The truth about what went down wasn't what I expected but did make sense once revealed. Overall, another great read from this author!

This was a wild ride that I could not put down. I thoroughly loved the characters and the world and thought it was extremely well done and fast paced. CJ Tudor is quickly becoming a must read for me, I love meeting her characters and spending time in her world.

Whoa!!! I've been a fan of CJ Tudor's books. They often have religious elements and a very dark tone.

The Gathering was a very creepy vampire horror story, something that is way out of my lane. It just wasn't my kind of book, but it is a very cool book and I hope it finds its (horror/vampire) audience.

The Gathering is alt-history,, set in modern-day Alaska in a world where vampires (or vampyres as the book calls them) uneasily co-exist with humans. When the body of a teen boy is discovered and the locals suspect vampires are to blame, they call in a special investigator who is familiar with vamp killings. Her probing takes her places she never expected!

It's to the author's credit that I, an avowed scaredy-cat, actually finished this. It's really well done and if you are up for scary vampires, you will absolutely LOVE it.

Barbara Atkins, a vampyr specialist, has been called in to assist the Sheriff of Deadhart, Alaska, a remote town where vampyrs and humans live alongside each other. A teenage boy’s throat has been ripped out and Barbara must use her expertise to determine if this is a vampyr attack and if so if a cull, or killing of the nearby colony of vampyrs, is necessary. The residents of Deadhart are restless and impatient as Barbara investigates.

CJ Tudor definitely does not disappoint with her newest book. I enjoyed the character of Barbara, who enjoys burgers and beer. I also enjoyed the details of the different characters living in Deadhart. I like how the action built up throughout the book and the ending surprised me. I could definitely see a sequel here and would read it. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys CJ Tudor or stories about vampires! I give it 4/5 stars.

THE GATHERING
By C.J. Tudor
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book to review!

Fantastic author ! Tudor could write about anything and turn it into an exciting novel. After reading all of the author's previous novels I had no doubt that this would be another winner.

Upon starting the book I was a slightly disappointed to discover that the subject of was not a favorite of mine however, by the end of chapter one I was hooked. Character and scene development was pitch perfect.

To give a broad idea, this is a mystery horror novel about vampires which is set in a very old and small community known as Deadhart, Alaska. The story itself reminded me of the most recent True Crime series on HBO which was fabulous.

What it is that makes Tudor's writing so special ? I would have to say the clear and descriptive way she can translate a characters emotions, appearance, thoughts and motivations along with adding a severe sense of tension to the story. In addition, the twists and turns along the way will blind side the reader with something they never saw coming.

Without spoilers there is not much I can specifically write in this review except it met each and all of my very high expectations for a C. J. Tudor novel.

An exceptional author with and intelligent and twisted mind !.

5 Stars!

I love this author!!! She always writes creepy and eerie books. This was no different and didn't disappoint!

I really liked the MC the detective Barbara that has to go to Alaska to solve a crime and to figure out if a cull is necessary or not. The character build in the story is flawless! With the plot and story i just wanted to keep reading and find out what happens.

I highly recommend anything the author writes. Another great story.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

I requested and early copy of The Gathering hoping for a thriller but what I got felt much more like a horror story. We follow Barbara Atkins (forensic vampire anthropologist) who comes to help the police in Deadhart, Alaska (population 673 - living) determine whether or not a local boy was murdered by a vampyr. Marcus Anderson seems to have been murdered by a member of the nearby vampyr colony, which could be cause enough to call for a Colony cull. With all the snow and the lack of daylight hours, it’s the perfect place for our story to run amuck.

There is a host of characters in this story! Get your notes (or kindle highlighting finger) ready.

Though this book was well written and I enjoyed the story - it also left me with a really heavy heart. The treatment of the vampyr colony is visceral and hard to stomach. Clearly Tudor takes gruesome inspiration from historical (and modern day) treatment of indigenous people groups around the world. The Gathering barely felt like a fantasy world and I think it hit just a little too close to home at this time in my life. It’s very realistic, dark, and not for the faint of heart.

Lots of trigger warnings for anyone interested in reading: extreme violence, “racism” against vampires, lots of disparaging comments about the weight of our main character, child abuse, and mentions of s*x abuse towards minors and women. Eek.

This book is a great example of how to scare me without really scaring me! I really liked C. J. Tudor's other books so I must have skipped over the vampyrs bit in the synopsis! But this is vampires done right - Tudor has humanized them and treated them like any other community of outcasts, showing the fear of the townspeople which is bred on myth, suspicion, and tradition. I loved the portrayal of vampires living among us, and I was thoroughly invested in the fate of the Colony.

Then we have the police procedural portion. Deadhart Alaska's Police Chief Pete Nichols is required to bring in a detective from the Vampyr Anthology Department to determine if the killing of a young boy was vampyr related. This is not a traditional portrayal of a pretty young detective breezing in to save the town. Tudor's detective Barbara Atkins (Fang Doc) is middle age and as the former police chief, Tucker, tells her, "overweight and unfit". And while Barbara's job is to determine if there should be a "culling" of the Colony, she's not one to make snap decisions or bow to pressure. She is skeptical of both sides version of events.

And Tudor's skill was in making the reader skeptical as well as feeling compassion for both sides. So I am happy to continue to auto-buy C.J.'s book without reading the synopsis because I know they will be both readable and engaging!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advance reader's copy

Alright Tudor, you’ve done it again. Every time I read one of her books, I am even more convinced that she’ll remain a favorite author of mine. Her books always keep me on the edge of my seat, including a light paranormal aspect, and are fill with atmospheric and vivid imaginary.

Detective Barabra Atkins is a vampyr specialist. Her current assignment has her heading to Deadhart, Alaska to investigate the murder of a teenager in the small town. The townsfolk are convinced that the local Vampyr ‘colony’ is responsible for the murder, a murder very similar to the murder of a teenager 25 years ago. On edge, the town is looking for any reason to stage a ‘cull’ (an act that would sanction the massacre of the Colony members) and extract their revenge. But Detective Atkins’ isn’t so sure of their reasoning and is set on solving the murder before the towns folk take matters into their own hands.

What a gripping story. I saw one reviewer compare this as a ‘True Detective’ meets ‘True Blood’ and that is a spot-on assessment of this book. I devoured this story and had to force myself to put it down to sleep. This gritty and atmospheric read is shaping up to be my favorite of the month and (dare I say) my favorite C.J. Tudor book to date?! Everything is just *chefs kiss*.


The Gathering comes out April 9, 2024! Huge thank you to Ballantine Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok @speakingof.books

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

C.J. Tudor sets up a creepy, vampyr world in The Gathering. I enjoyed following the MC, a detective, as she tries to determine if the murder of a teenage boy in a small town in Alaska is the crime of the closest Colony and if a cull is justified. There were a lot of characters to keep up with but they intertwined seamlessly. Sometimes it’s easy to get confused when you have so many characters with so much history but I really couldn’t put this one down and I liked how they all had depth. The plot was not lacking and it felt as if I was watching a movie as everything played out. I highly recommend if you enjoyed The Chalk Man and The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor or supernatural thrillers.

**4.5 stars**

CJ Tudor is one of my favorite writers as she combines mystery and supernatural- horror in every book with engaging characters and story’s. The Gathering is no different! The cover draws you in with the moody red sky and the vampire teeth in the title. The story was a unique mix of alternate universe Alaska and world where vampires coexist with humans but are not classified as citizens, they can’t even hold a job and many humans hunt vampyres as they are called.

Our main character, Barbara Atkins, is an overweight middle aged female detective (WOW that hardly happens in fiction) who is smart, patient, and very polite (when I’d just want to smack some of the people she meets). I for one hope there will be more books forthcoming with Barbara, I’d love for this to be a series.

The vampires in the story were very interesting. I see the vampire leader being compared to Claudia from Interview With A Vampire.
.
The 2 reasons I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 are simple: early on there’s a medical mix up involving naming an incorrect artery on a victim’s body (if you’re non-medical you probably won’t even notice it) and though the author is British the book is set in the States so American words and phrases should have been used not British ones. We say sneakers not trainers, sweaters not jumpers, windshield for windscreen, Uhm not Erm. That was very distracting and does pull you out of the narrative a bit.

Overall The Gathering is a great mix of detective fiction, thriller, and horror that will appeal to Ms Tudor’s current fans and for those wanting a unique mystery that is different from the routine. Highly recommend.

Thanks so much to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I also preordered a hardcover months ago and I’m glad I did.

I loved it! This is definitely my favorite C.J. Tudor book so far. In a world where humans and vampyrs are living side by side there are bound to be issues. (Or more accurately each is out for the other's blood). When a local boy is killed in a way that seems to implicate the vampyrs the town wants a cull. This book often reads like a police procedural given our MC POV is a detective, but with vampires and I love that. She teams up with the former Sheriff and the two work together to piece together both the past and present mysteries. The multiple POVs helps to keep up the pace as we gain bits and pieces of the story along the way. I personally was intrigued how our capitve vampyr POV was going to come into play! The atmosphere of a small, remote Alaskan town in the winter really sets the scene as desolate and harsh. There were times I felt freezing! I thought the mystery was well thought out and the different threads weave together well in the end. Why do the people in small towns always seem to have so many secrets!?

The Gathering by C. J. Tudor was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I have read this author before and I will read more if the opportunity arises. That being said, this book, based in a small Alaskan town is more a murder mystery than a horror book about vampires. Having lived part of my life in Alaska and having been a criminal investigator my whole life, I understand the inner workings of an investigation, the politics of small towns and how you can never trust a vampire. This book, to me, had too many characters and had too much down time where people were just talking. If you read my reviews you know too much down time costs stars and it cost this book one star. If you liked the newest True Detective series, based in Alaska, this book is head and shoulders above that, but if you are looking for "horror," this is not it.

4 Stars

This was my first C.J.Tudor and it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed reading this book. This is my second vampire book I’ve read this month and I couldn’t be happier. I loved seeing Tudor’s interpretation of vampires and how they are living in colonies somewhat peacefully alongside humans. I thought that was a new take on vampire lore and enjoyed it. I enjoyed the characters in this book, especially Athelinda. I thought she was the most interesting character, I almost wish we got more scenes with her. I liked that there was an uncomfortable and eerie feeling throughout the Alaskan town and you didn’t know who you could trust and if there was going to be a cull towards the vampires. I thought Barbara was a fair detective who had her own history with vampires. I loved how this book ended and I would definitely read a sequel.

Thank you to Netgalle and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is for sure my new favorite vampire book! My only complaint is the amount of characters- too many to keep up with!