CJ Tudor does a great job crafting a horror story that feels real. The Gathering is set in a small Alaskan town where ostracized vampyrs also live. When a boy is found killed with his throat ripped out, the people know that a vampyr is responsible, thus bringing in Detective Barbara Atkins who specializes in vampyr killings. While the townspeople want to call for a cull to kill their nemeses, Barbara cannot authorize it until she finds the truth since there are some inconsistencies in the killing, and there are definitely people keeping secrets.

I loved the dark, chilling setting of the small town. The town is filled with so much hatred and mistrust because you can't necessarily tell for sure who is a vampyr and who is human. This is a novel crafted for people that enjoy thrillers, even if you don't like a good vampire story. Barbara was a great main character, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a follow up to this book.

4⭐️

After a boy is found with his throat ripped out and his body drained of blood in a small town in Alaska, Detective Barbara Atkins is called in to investigate. As a specialist in vampyr killings, Barbara is the one who can authorize a cull of the local clan should they pose a risk. But what she finds in Deadhart doesn't sit right with her.

Barbara is determined to find the truth, regardless of the towns suspicions of the colony. She asks former Sheriff Jenson Tucker to help in her investigation and the two uncover many dark secrets the town has kept quiet. In the middle of a snow storms, the two officers must find their killer before more citizens of the town die.

This was interesting! I liked that vampirism was a well known affliction that faced it's own prejudices. I liked the isolated locale of a small town in Alaska in the middle of a snow storm. Alaska is such a vast land where it's easy to hid the dead and that really worked with a vampire story. The characters were interesting and their backstories really added to the ambiance.

I did feel like the heavy focus on characters weight to be a a bit off putting. Barbara's weight was the main focus rather than her being a successful detective and Barbara's internal monologue was mostly talking down about herself. And Barbara wasn't the only character that we saw this with. Using the weight of your character to show that that character is flawed or bad just feels like lazy writing to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for providing this ARC to me!

I really enjoyed The Gathering by C.J. Tudor. Dark and atmospheric, with tense situations and characters so complex that you never know what secrets people are hiding. Can't wait for the next one!

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

This is such a chilling vampire tale, both because of the frigid Alaska setting and the poignant social commentary.
In this creepy tale, vampyrs are an endangered species and segregated to a colony on the outskirts of town. But many residents of Deadhart, Alaska are not happy with their presence. Tensions run high and prejudices run deep. When a young boy is found murdered, the townspeople take it as a sign to terminate the vampyrs once and for all. When Detective Barbara Atkins (a specialist in vampyr killings) is sent to investigate, she isn't so sure this is an actual vampyr killing. Is someone in the town trying to frame the vampyrs in order to enact a cull against the colony?

This is such an atmospheric and deeply unsettling novel full of rich characters (many of which you'll come to hate).
With a 30 Days of Night feel, this is both a police procedural and social horror combined into one. This was such a wonderful and unique rendition into vampire lore, and a book I highly recommend for lovers of the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and, after reading The Drift last year, C.J. Tudor has become an author I really enjoy. That said, I think I preferred The Drift to this one. That said that said, I did think The Drift was a 5 star, so this being not as good is still pretty good. The story was centered around trying to solve a mystery, but the twist was that in this world. vampyrs exist and coexist with humans. I love seeing "normal" life with a twist that makes this alternate world so realistic and C.J. Tudor gives us that world here. A highly enjoyable book and I didn't guess any of the twists. Can't wait to read the next book by this author

I am a big fan of C. J. Tudor. She tends to dance close to the line between the natural and supernatural--sometimes slipping right over that line--and she has the best sense of voice. I enjoy reading her characters no matter what the storyline turns out to be (and the narratives tend to be compelling and creepy, which I love). So when I saw a new novel by Tudor, it was an automatic read for me. I had no idea what I was getting into.

This book deviates a bit from the others I've read (though, in hindsight, maybe The Drift was a bit of a heads up for the direction Tudor might be heading). Honestly, had I only read the synopsis, I might have been hesitant to rush for this one--but I'm glad I hadn't read that synopsis and launched into this one. The Gathering is set in an alternate world where vampires exist. They have bad a tumultuous relationship with humans, and now an unsteady truce exists in most communities, one that can be quickly broken if the vampires (or, ala John Polidori, the vampyres) strike out against humans. Detective Barbara Atkins, a detective in the Department of Vampyre Anthropology who also holds a PhD in the field, is called to a remote Alaskan village where a teen has been killed--seemingly by a vampire. And she discovers that this isn't the first such tragedy to befall this community.

The cold, dark Alaskan setting is perfect for this book. Not surprisingly, I felt Tudor wrote a really likable and readable protagonist. The narrative was a little uneven at places, but the mystery started to take over the storyline and, soon, I forgot I was reading about an alternate, fantasy world and found myself drawn into the cat and mouse thriller. I suspect, too, that we might see Detective Atkins again in the future.

Overall, a fun read. If this doesn't sound like your cup of tea, know that I didn't think it was mine either but ended up really enjoying it. If you like Tudor, you will probably enjoy this one!

Although I’m a fan of C J Tudor this book was not up to par with her other works. I was hoping for more of a “are vampires real?” instead we got a world where vampires are real. Just wasn’t for me.

I’ll literally read anything by CJ Tudor.

This book has a perfect freezing, dark and isolated setting and I really liked how the supernatural was blended with the normal world and now vampyrs were just a part of life.

I guessed one twist but for most of the book I had no idea where it was going so I stayed in constant suspense.

Again, the atmosphere and vibes of this book were so good. I loved the tiny Alaskan town setting so much (even if all the people are shady and not that great lol).


Lowkey hoping for a spin off book.

3.5 stars. I really love C.J Tudor, I was just slightly confused at the end. I didn’t understand the whole Nathan thing which left some loose ends for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Ramdom House Pub for an ARC of The Gathering by C.J. Tudor

I’ve liked and really enjoyed previous C.J. Tudor books unfortunately this was not one of them. I really struggled to get through this book. I just think the theme of vampyrs just wasn’t for me. Also the whole whodunnit didn’t really hold my interest.

The Gathering by C.J. Turdor follows Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings. Barbara is assigned to a remote town Deadhart to investigate a teen murdered by a vampyr. The Colony is adiment that they were not repsonsable for the killing of the teen. Barabra must follows the clues to solve this murder before the town call for a cull, an authorize killing of the vampyr colony. Barabra enliists the help of the former sheriff Jensen Tiucker when the current sheriff gets injured on the job. He has history with town as well as a simliar killing 25 years ago that ultimently caused hiim to step down as the sheriff. This is a great book that had so many twists and turns that I couldn't believe the ending. Barabra and Tucker were characters that I loved form the begining. They were so sarcastic that it made me laugh at the comments that were made. This is the first book from C.J. Tudor that I have read and I really enjoyed it.

I don’t know what it is about Alaska, but it makes a perfect setting for a vampire book. I’m assuming it’s the bleakness of the landscape, when you’re considering the amount of darkness and snowfall. It gives it that dark setting that is perfect for a battle between humans and vampires.

Going in to this story, you have a set up where humans accept that vampires are living along side of them, but they have set certain rules and regulations to keep everyone separate and on their own part of the land. Acceptance is a strong word here though, there’s a history of vampire slaughter and a thriving black market for vampire “parts”. Barbara Atkins is a detective specializing in vampires, investigating crimes to decide if a colony of vampires has overreached the law and deserving of a cull. She’s here in Alaska to investigate the murder of a teenage boy that has hallmarks of a vampire attack.

This book was so good. It has all of the horror and action that you would expect from a vampire book, with a bit of historical fiction to give it some support. As I was reading I could see the scenes playing out in my mind. It definitely would make a good movie. I was really glad to see from the ending that we might get a follow up Barbara Atkins book, we need more!

Thanks to CJ Tudor, Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Set in a remote Alaskan former mining town, The Gathering by C.J. Tudor is a suspenseful mystery with a supernatural twist. Barbara Atkins is a detective with the Department of Forensic Vampyr Anthropology, and is sent to Deadhart, Alaska to investigate the murder of a teenaged boy and determine if the local vampire colony is responsible.
This book is more of murder mystery with vampires, than it is about vampires, and I did like this take on the genre. This book uses religion to justify the townsfolk's hatred for the vampires, not dissimilar to the racism, xenophobia, homophobia that is prevalent in many religions today.
My only real complaint about this book is the almost constant references to Barbara's weight. It added literally nothing to the plot, and being fat is not a personality trait, it just added completely unnecessary commentary throughout the book.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I look forward to reading more by C.J. Tudor in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of The Gathering in exchange for my honest review.

This is the best vampire book I've read since Twilight! Except this isn't a romance.... C.J. Tudor is the master of suspense and horror, I have not read a Tudor book that I don't like.

This book takes place in a small town in Alaska. Detective Atkins is called in to investigate a horrific crime that has been committed. The town is blaming it on the colony, the local "vampyr" group. As vampyr are outcasted in society, many of the townspeople want revenge. This book has so many twists and turns as dark secrets are uncovered with this investigation.

I’m not usually a big fan of classic monsters; Frankenstein, Vampires and Werewolves. But I loved this more modern take on society (in the form of rural small town Alaska) and vampires.

What if Vampires were known? And a protected class? They don’t have rights; can’t get an education or get a job. But their colonies are protected from bigoted and frightened humans.

I loved the unique take on Vampires in this story. Yes they lived on blood. But they weren’t solitary, lonely creatures skulking in the night, Anne Rice style. They have families, can reproduce and can live (with limitations) in the light.

World building was fantastic and main character, Detective Barbara Atkinson, was genuine and likable. I’m hoping there will be more from this universe!

In the small town of Deadheart Alaska a young boy is found with his throat ripped out and drained of blood. Although there hasn’t been a murder like it in twenty five years; the residents know who’s responsible…the Colony. Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist, is called in to determine if this is the work of a vampire and if so to authorize a cull for the safety of the human residents. Barbara enlists the help of former sheriff, Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life. As they begin their investigation, clues lead them down a rabbit hole of criminal activity and the bodies start piling up…are they looking for a vampire or a sadistic serial killer?

The Gathering is a fantastic new thrill ride by author C.J. Tudor set in small town Alaska where humans and a group of vampires coexist…but not peacefully. Honestly, I went into this one somewhat blind without reading the plot synopsis only to realize that it’s a murder mystery with a twist…vampires. I will say most of the townsfolk in this story made me root for the vampires to go on a killing spree and annihilate the whole town. I enjoyed the main characters ability to remain aloof to the pressures and comments she is subjected to throughout the investigation. I would actually love to see Barbara’s reappearance in a future vampy murder investigation. This was definitely one of my favorite reads so far for 2024…so check it out.

I give this book 5 stars! Vampyrs are real and the whole world knows about them. They live separate from humans in groups called Colonies. Barbara is a detective for a special unit that investigates supposed vampyr attacks to judge whether a complete annihilation of the vampyr Colony. When a murder of a 15 year old child happens in Deadhart, AK, she's called to determine if the killer is a Vampyr. In this isolated town, each person has their own secrets that they are unwilling to share with the detective in order to help her solve the case.

This is the perfect blend of investigative murder mystery mixed with supernatural. I really enjoyed how this story unfolded piece This is my first C.J. Tudor read and I'm interested in reading the rest of their works. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of “The Gathering” in return for an honest review. In C.J Tudor’s latest, Barbara Atkins is a detective specializing in vampires (or ‘vampyrs’, as they are referred to throughout). In the world of The Gathering, vampires live among humans, though in an ostracized and often violently oppressed manner.

Barbara is sent to the aptly named town of Deadhart, Alaska to investigate the murder of a boy that the townsfolk believe was committed by a local ‘Colony’ of vampires. The town seeks Barbara's approval to implement a “cull”, which is basically an extermination of the vampire colony. Mayhem ensues, with more death and questions as to whether it is the humans or vampires that are the true monsters.

Aside from a somewhat lackluster climax, the story is intriguing with well-developed characters and a very timely notion of herd mentality that permeates throughout. If Tudor was so inclined, this is a fascinating world that would certainly warrant further exploration in future volumes. 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4).

This is a DNF for me at 30%. I enjoyed this author's earlier books but now she is into full horror and vampires??

Thanks for the opportunity to read this title but it's just not for me.