𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
I love a good isolated and snowy setting in my thriller books, and this one was just that. Isolated setting + murder is definitely my jam, and I loved every minute of this book! The author hooked me in from the very beginning and I read this one in a couple of sittings as it is one of those books you just cannot put down once you start it because you want to know what happens next. This is fast paced, dark, gruesome, with dark secrets, and plenty of twists and turns throughout. I really enjoyed the characters as well, my favorite being Barbara (a vampire anthropologist detective.) Yes, you read that correctly..vampires, but not your typical vampire book. Honestly, I am not really into books about vampires…but this one is different and I loved it! I am definitely looking forward to seeing what Detective Barbara Atkins gets involved with next. This is definitely one worth sinking your teeth into soon!

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
✦An amazing thriller book with a snowy and isolated setting
✦Amazing characters and lead
✦A unique take on a vampire story
✦A great premise and plot with a spooky setting (an island and a psych. hospital=perfection)



𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫4.5/5

Set in small town Alaska, if you want vampires and murder, here you go. I loved this book because it kept me guessing all the way until the end. It didn’t leave many clues to who the killer was - vampire or person - and just when you thought you figured it out, you were wrong. I enjoyed the different viewpoints from characters within the town but was happy that it wasn’t overloaded with too many character opinions.

10/10 would recommend!! CJ never disappoints me.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review on Goodreads.

The Gathering is so different from C.J. Tudors other books but I still ate this one up! I was hooked from the beginning all the way through to the end!

This mystery follows Barbara Atkins, detective with the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department, as she arrives in Deadhart, Alaska. There, a teen boy was found with his throat ripped out and the town is calling for Barbara to authorize a cull of the local vampyr colony. However, Barbara isn't so sure this case is as open and shut as the town believes it to be. With an impending snow storm and tensions in the town growing, Barbara is on limited time to find the truth behind the killings. Enlisting the help of a former sheriff who almost lost his life the last time the vampyrs were accused of killing, the two dig into the town's history and reveal more than they could have ever expected.
This was such a fun read and it wasn't what I was really expecting. I thought this would lean much more on the sort of vampyr hunter trope but I loved how it was pretty much a regular police procedural. We have a full investigation, suspects (both human and vampyr) and a town full of red herrings. We get right into the action and the investigation hooked me from beginning to end. We also get a set up at the end for a potential series which I would love if we got.

I know police procedurals aren't everyone's preferred mystery sub-genre (I really enjoy them). However, I think this has a good mix of the horror and supernatural elements layered in. This had everything I want from my police procedurals - protagonist with a bit of baggage, a seemingly straightforward case that ends up being more than expected, a solid investigation thread, and a satisfying and surprising whodunnit ending reveal. The layers of vampyr lore and the every day horror of living in a remote area really intensified the main mystery elements. I also loved the choice to have Barbara be in her 50s and overweight as opposed to maybe the more typical hot shot newbie female detective.

I was thrilled with how Tudor introduced us to the vampyrs of this world by giving us a few quotes from various publications and legal documents in the opening of this read. While these quotes are obviously fake, they did a great job of setting up the history of the vampyrs in this world in a way that was extremely easy to digest. This meant that the reader goes into page 1 with a basic understanding of what a vampyr is in this setting which was extremely helpful given the vastly different types of fictional vampire types to choose from. This also helps avoid any heavy handed or odd exposition dump by a character or plot device like listening to a radio. As the story progresses, we learn more about vampyr history as well as the vampyrs themselves. If we do get a series, I would love to see the vampyr side of things explored more.

I absolutely loved the theme of outsiders and 'us vs them' which play out beautifully in this remote and isolated setting. I know those are themes for a lot of 'monster' books because it is such an easy line in the sand to draw, but Tudor also gives us some examples of how those lines get blurred, especially over time. I didn't feel like any character were caricatures, but we certainly saw the whole range of responses to the alleged vampyr killing. I also loved the world building around anti-vampyr sentiments. I don't want to go into details because of spoilers but I found these touches of the lore to really help make it feel like the vampyrs were living beside humans for ages, they weren't some creature that came out of the darkness recently. We have that generational trauma and prejudice that comes out in many different ways - some more obvious than others.

Overall, this was a great procedural read with a good sprinkle of fun vampyr on top. I absolutely loved the investigation as well as lore and world building. I hope we do get a series (or at least a sequel) out of this world because there is a lot more I want to see.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC. Expected publication date is April 9, 2024.

Wow!!!!! I was able to read this as an ARC and it just blew me away!! Vampires you say???? YES!!! Such a different take on a Vampire story and I absolutely loved it! I really hope there is a sequel to this!! Highly recommend this book! 4.5/5.

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This is the 2nd book I have read by C.J. Tudor and I feel like while coming up with great concepts that The Gathering is just an ok mystery that rarely kept me guessing or enticed

This was my first CJ Tudor book and it will not be my last. I loved the atmosphere, writing style and world of the story. I enjoyed reading about a world where vampires and humans co-exist. This will be for people who like a mystery and horror combined. I felt invested throughout the story and this was a quick read for me. Thank you to Netgalley & Ballantine Books Publishing for a copy ot this e-arc in exchange for my review.
4 star

A special investigator is sent to a small Alaskan town with a dark history to look into to the death of a teenage boy. Oh and yeah, there are vampires. A mash up of True Blood meets True Detective - I could not put this book down. Detective Atkins is sent to Deadhart, Alaska, to determine if the teen was killed by a “vampyr” from the nearby sanctioned vampire colony. Of course, things become a lot more complicated and soon the reader is plunged into small town secrets, corrupt townsfolk, and the politics of labeling vampires as a “protected species” with different rights as humans. Very entertaining! Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

C.J. Tudor is a phenomenally talented author that does not disappoint! Fast paced, suspenseful mystery was a definite nail biter. I absolutely loved all of the characters. The setting was a perfect location. Extreme detail written by Tudor makes the reader feel as if you’re actually there. I cannot wait to read more of C.J. Tudor’s novels. I am sad to have finished this unputdownable book quickly! It left me wanting more.

This author goes automatically to the top of my TBR list. I’ve loved every single one of her previous books. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed with this one. It may be vampire-fatigue (or vampyr, as they are called here), or maybe it has too many details, but I didn’t connect with any one of the characters. It is very well written, and some passages are truly creepy. The plot had surprising twists and a shocking ending, but it didn’t engross me as much as usual. I enjoyed the setting, a small, isolated Alaskan village close to a vampyr settlement called the Colony. A murder that could have been committed by a creature of the night, or maybe a human. A cast of flawed characters who are not all good or evil. The world-building is fantastic, how would our own lives work if vampyrs were real and our neighbors? This will be satisfying for a lot of readers, I just didn’t connect with it as much.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.

I really enjoyed this book! I devoured it so quickly and was enthralled from the first chapter. I did go in blind, and I recommend readers do. I expected a crime novel from the cover, but had such a fun supernatural twist and the claustrophobia of the setting really increased the tension of the story.

First line: It would be wrong to say that life had passed Beau Grainger by.

Summary: In the small Alaskan town of Deadhart, a teenage boy has been found with his throat torn out and all of his blood drained from his body. It appears to the anxious townspeople that the local vampyr community is to blame but before a cull can be initiated an investigation is ordered. Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr attacks, has been called in to discover who the killer is. As tensions rise between the human and vampyr communities Barbara enlists the help of former police chief, Jenson Tucker. However, when another death is discovered Barbara pushed to dig deeper into the town’s history and what she finds may lead her to answers but also more questions. Who is doing the killing? And is it really a vampyr or is a serial killer on the loose in Deadhart?

My Thoughts: When I started reading this I realized that I had not read the description of the story. I saw C.J. Tudor as the author and immediately requested it. When I realized it was a vampire story I was shocked because it was different than their other books but at the end I was not disappointed.

The atmosphere and setting is perfect for a story of vampires. Set in the remote parts of Alaska during the cold, dark winter days there is a vampire stalking the isolated town. However, in this world vampires are a known and protected community. They have some rights as long as they do not harm humans. It is different than many stories about these creatures. But they are still feared by many and hunted by those who fear them.

I found this to be a darkly fun thriller, perfect for a cold winter night. At times I was at the edge of my seat waiting to see how the next scene would unfold. For those who love an atmospheric paranormal story then this is right up your alley. I wish it was coming out in the short days of winter but maybe just turn up the AC, turn down the lights and imagine being stuck in Alaska with vampires stalking through the trees around you. Enjoy!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Mystery Thriller + Horror

The story of this book is set in a small Alaskan town called Deadhart. A boy who went missing some time ago has his body discovered with his throat ripped out and his blood wholly drained. Barbra Atkins, a detective, is sent to this town to cooperate with the town’s local authorities and investigate this murder case.

I will not go into further detail about the story because I believe that it is best left up to the reader to discover on their own. However, I will give you a few keywords to ignite your interest if the small synopsis still doesn’t sound appealing to you. You have a small town, a murder case, a cold, icy climate, and vampires!

I have read several C.J. Tudor books by now, and fortunately, they are all entertaining to a varying degree. The Gathering is not my favorite, but it is quite a fun story due to multiple factors. The first is the atmospheric setting, one constant strength I find in the author’s books, which makes me return to her stories.

Another element that I really like is the supernatural element of her stories. It is strongly present in this one, too. This blend of the horror and mystery thriller genres made this premise more interesting. The two aspects of the story that I wish were stronger are the pacing, which I think was slow in the first half. And the other thing is the ambiguous ending. Sometimes, I’m OK with such endings, but in this case, I really would’ve liked answers to some of the questions.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I'm not really sure what to think of this novel. On the one hand, it was very original, the setting was pitch-perfect, and I was incredibly drawn in by the police procedural style. On the other hand, I felt that Tudor tried too hard to make this a Deep Book by including a lot of social justice undertones that, at least in my opinion, really kept jarring me out of the story and felt incredibly clunky and forced. Without this, I feel like The Gathering would have been an easy 5-star read for me. There's so much this book gets right. I absolutely loved the vampire lore. It was very different from other vampire books I've read, while still keeping some of the basics. The setting, rural Alaska, was perfect for a creepy small-town mystery. The characters were fascinating. I felt that the author really left the door wide open if she decides to write any sequels in the future. There's no doubt in my mind that C. J. Tudor is an incredibly talented and versatile author, and I'm very eager to read her entire backlog now!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this advanced copy!
I’ve read several C.J. Tudor books before, and was looking forward to a horror book. I was thrilled when I found out it was a vampire (or vampyr in this telling) book!
I’ve always found the thought of a vampyr mythology in a northerly area, where daylight is in such short supply especially intriguing, and this book did not disappoint. Here is a world where humans and vampyrs are trying to coexist, with varying degrees of success. The hate and distrust they face harkens back to several marginalized groups and cultures, and as is often the case it’s much harder to determine who the monsters are than you’d suspect.

I recieved an eARC of this book, which comes out in April, from the publisher via NetGalley and at their request will hold a full review until closer to the release date. I will say that this is the first C.J. Tudor book I’ve read and it made me want to pick up more of her books and that readers who enjoy unique horror/mystery stories will like this!

I just realized I finished The Gathering a month ago but never wrote a review for it...which was definitely an oversight because I actually really liked it! A detective is sent on an assignment up in Alaska to investigate a murder that possibly (probably) is vampire-related. In the world of this story, vampires are a part of society...which doesn't mean that humans like them or accept them, but they are there to stay. And, of course, this causes a lot of tension. If you enjoyed this latest season four of True Detective, I imagine you will like the frozen isolation of this small-town supernatural murder mystery.

This was a murder mystery that also had vampires. !!! LIKE WHAT my favorite things!!! hehe the Atmosphere is amazing!!!!! when I think of a thriller this is exactly what I am thinking of ,this is what I long for ! Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampire killings, this was the first C.J Tudor book I have read and i looooved every second!

The pace of the story is relentless and guaranteed to keep you reading on the edge of your seat with baited breath. I love this book with a great lead character, well thought out plot and excellently paced.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

I'm not usually a fan of vampire-based books, so I approached this one with some trepidation. However, it pleasantly surprised me. With excellent character development and unexpected twists in the story, it proved to be a highly entertaining read. I'm eagerly hoping for a sequel!

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.