I’m a huge fan of C. J. Tudor. With the notable exception of The Drift, all of her books have been five-star reads for me. And this one followed the trend very nicely.
Mind you, I don’t even like vampire fiction. Actually, that alone probably speaks volumes to how good this book is—someone who doesn’t care for vampires loved it. Of course, Tudor does something new and exciting with vampires, setting aside the cobwebbed clichés, and making it all very … real. Wherein vampire fiction always relies on overdone gaudy excess and shabby chic glamour, the vampyrs of Tudor’s imagination are second class citizens, barely surviving on government allotted reservations. You can draw your own sociopolitical parallels there. Tudor might be British, but she’s got America’s number down.
Needless to say, in this reality, vampyrs and people do not get along. There are … situations. Occasionally, those escalate into something a lot more severe. But to call a cull on the entire colony requires a proper investigation. And the man protagonist if the novel does just that when she is requested on the case in the tiny remote Alaskan town. With the assistance of the long-retired-but-dusted-off-and-out-into-action local sheriff, she will navigate the mounting agitation between the two sides of the conflict, trying desperately to avoid the bloodshed.
That’s the basic story, and Tudor did everything right with it. She brought both her characters and her setting to life vividly. The suspense was taut throughout. The murder mystery woven into the plot was clever and threw in some last-minute plot surprises. Barbara, the lead, was compelling and engaging. Ditto for the side characters. This was a book I didn’t want to put down. Be sure to visit the perfectly named Deadhart, Alaska. Great read, oodles of fun. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This was a fun police procedural with a touch of the supernatural. It’s a very modern take on vampires (or vampyr here but I’m going to spell it normal so my autocorrect stops yelling at me 😂). I thought Barbara was an interesting MC, I liked her backstory, compassion and dedication to the truth. There were some comments made about her weight throughout the book which I didn’t think were necessary. The small town was the perfect setting for this story and it definitely helped set the tone.

There are a lot of characters and the POV jumping around made me forget who they were if they hadn’t been mentioned in a while. I was very happy to have this on kindle so I could search names to remember who was who. I was also hoping for a bit more of a vampire focus, I never got a strong feeling for the Colony and found it confusing how some vampires were easily identified and others were not noticed at all. On the plus side to that, the story is easily translated to our real world issues and could fit any persecuted group of people. I just had hoped for something a bit darker and more terrifying with a vampire story. I wouldn’t classify this as a horror story, or even a thriller. It’s more police procedural/mystery with a supernatural component. The epilogue made it seem as though there will be a sequel and I’d definitely be interested in reading it!

This was an ARC so this might be edited before publication, but there were a lot of British terms used by American characters which took me out of the story. Surgery (doctors office) Bonnet of truck (hood) jumper (sweater) trainers (tennis shoes), windscreen (windshield) were the ones I noticed. There were also some repetitive words and phrases, lots of coffee talk and the MC used the word “sir” for too often for me.

While this wasn’t my favorite by the author, I did really enjoy it and will continue to look forward to reading anything she writes! Thanks Random House Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the DRC!

I will read anything C.J. Tudor writes and even though I'm not a fan of vampire stories, this one is appealing for many reasons. Barbara is a forensic detective who travels to Alaska after several deaths attributed to the Vampyr community leaves the community scared and dumbfounded. There are several plot lines going on: Athelinda, the leader of The Colony mingles among others, there's a Captor who tortures the young captive in a dark cell, and the townspeople are in a frenzy as the dead bodies are piling up! It's a crazy, mind-blowing plot that may keep you awake at night, but it's worth every sleepless second!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Genre: Horror/ Paranormal
Pub Date: April 9, 2024

I LOVE anything by C.J. Tudor. She meshes paranormal and horror perfectly, leaving you feeling eerie.

This was a dark and twisty read that will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what is happening in the small town of Deadhart, Alaska.

From the beginning, tension is high as a teen is found with his throat ripped out from what looks like a Vampyr attack. Barbara Atkins, a Forensic Vampyr Anthropologist has to complete an investigation to show cause for a “cull” of the colony believed to be responsible. Too bad the rest of the town doesn’t seem to be willing to wait to strike back, as history seems to be repeating itself. Barbara’s investigations quickly becomes bigger than what she thought she signed up for.


This was a very atmospheric story and the narrative explores many different themes. The fear of the unknown during a winter storm that leaves the town stranded. The longstanding animosities between the vampyr colony and the town threatening to explode. One thing after another will have you wondering where the boiling point is and if a resolution is even possible.

I admit, I judged this book by the cover (I loved it!) and went into this without even reading the blurb. And I couldn’t have been more thrilled that I did so!

This is so unlike any other vampire book I’ve read before. With an isolated Alaskan town as its backdrop, the feel of the story had a stark, cold undertone to it. Throughout the story I felt myself pulled back and forth between my suspicions of the who, what and why. While there were times that it all seemed so apparent, this author quickly twisted things around to make me question my beliefs. By the time I reached the end I felt limp and exhausted but deeply satisfied by this incredibly wild journey.

This book really sank its teeth into me (get it) from the first chapter. A vampire colony, death, gore, ice cold setting, small town secrecy … what else can you ask for? Bravo to C.J. because captivating me enough to binge read a book that I can’t stop thinking about it is pretty difficult to do

This was a good book. I felt less engaged than I did with Tudor's The Drift, but that book was truly exceptional. This was a good one, and while I didn't necessarily feel like all of the storylines were tied together satisfyingly, they perhaps didn't need to be - especially if Tudor plans to continue it as a series. I would definitely continue if she did.

I like to write reviews right when I finish a book to try and remember my thoughts, and that is true with this book. This book is well-written, and while in the beginning there was a lot of description, and it seemed to take a while to get to the meat of the story, I was eventually quite drawn into the story. I didn’t really get to know Barbara as well as I would have liked, but the writing and the suspense are excellent. I didn’t figure out what was going on until it was revealed and there was one plot twist I really didn’t see coming. All in all, I really enjoyed this book, I was blown away by the ending, and it really makes me eager to read how everything led up to this act. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Detective Barbara Atkinson, a specialist in vampyr killings, goes to Deadhart, Alaska, to investigate a horrific murder of a young boy. She needs to determine if it was a vampyr murder or human, and if she can authorize a cull for the whole colony. She becomes embroiled in the small town and their secrets. She must enlist the help of the town’s former sheriff, Jenson Tucker, to solve this mystery and expose some long buried secrets.

This book is a fantastic mystery with secrets being revealed at every twist and turn. It is told in multiple POV, with Barbara being the main character. There are also POV from Tucker, the former sheriff, Beau, a hateful human, and a mysterious girl being held captive, all sprinkled throughout. Going into it I wasn’t entirely sure about is, as I haven’t read a vampire book in a long time, but it sucked me right in. It isn’t so much about vampyrs as it is about hate and racism towards others who are different. On both sides. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the grisly story it tells.

This is really not what I expected it to be. I was looking for more of a horror/thriller vibe like The Burning Girls, but this was not it. The story was interesting and kept me reading, but it's more of a character study than a thriller. I would have enjoyed more scary parts.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

C. J. Tudor’s latest novel takes us to the freezing town of Deadhart, Alaska.
This is a book about vampires but in reality, it could’ve been about any group that has been persecuted or discriminated for being who they are. It is a really fun novel to read, with an unlikely hero, Detective Barbara Atkins, who I really enjoyed reading about, and after reading the Epilogue it looks like she will return with another case (hopefully soon!).
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC.
Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

The best book I’ve read this year. Set in a world where vampires live in colonies adjacent to humans in an uneasy truce. This is a murder mystery, with both human and vampire suspects. Barbara, the detective, must walk a fine line as tensions cause both groups to be on the edge of war. This was a fun read, and very interesting. I was never bored.

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

I've read all of CJ Tudor's books so I was delighted to be able to read the ARC from Netgalley. And once again, she did not disappoint!
The Gathering is a creepy story that grabs you immediately, pulls you in, and doesn't let go! I highly recommend it! It's quite a ride!

A paranormal murder mystery in a quiet Alaskan town.

I felt that <u>The Gathering</u> was bogged down by a large array of characters that were hard to keep track of due to their one dimensionality. Otherwise, this was an entertaining enough vampire murder mystery. I've only read three of Tudor's novels but this was definitely my least favorite as it was relatively predictable and the one big reveal (the killer) still wasn't all that shocking to me.

This is a really talented writer which is why I was thrilled to get an ARC to review. The gathering starts with a murder in Alaska but the mode of killing requires the talents of Barbara, vampire anthropologist.

The killing occurs in a very small town full of secrets and sins. They don’t take it well when she comes into town to investigate.

This is a story of the animosity between humans and a colony of vampires. To be honest, I did not think I would enjoy it because this is not my genre. However, it is so well written you just get past that part if that is not your thing. I thought, I am going to give it a chance. I read it in one day anxious to find out what would happen next.


So thank you to Netgalley, Random House Ballantine, and C.J. Tudor for bringing me something new to read and enjoy. I will be waiting for this authors’ next book.

A police procedural mixed with vampires? I'm 100% in. I loved everything about this story; the creepy alaska setting perfect for a thriller, the untrustworthy collection of crooks in this small town where you don't know who's in hiding, and the perfect mix in of vampire horror. This was my first CJ Tudor read and I'll be back for more!

The Gathering by C. J. Tudor takes place in a world where humans and vampyres coexist. The vampyres live in colonies and are protected by law. However if they break the law, then the government can issue an order to cull the colony. The Gathering is a story about Detective Barbara Atkins, from the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department, who is assigned a homicide case in Alaska. She must determine how the boy died and if it was by vampyr, in order to assess whether a cull should be authorized against the colony of vampyrs that lives there.
I loved this story. The mix of murder mystery, police procedural, and paranormal, made this an unique plot line. The story touched on cultural differences and stereotypes as they showed the reactions of the townspeople towards the the colony and vice versa. The characters were diverse and each were fully developed. The desolation and despair of the town was amply described. I imagined that I was in this dark, cold environment with them. I would be interested in riding along with Barbara again in a future book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

I’m a big fan of the CJ Tudor and I loved her newest book, The Gathering. I wasn’t sure how the whole vampire vs human angle would work, but I loved the story and the mystery. It was a very original concept and I loved how everything came together at the end. I’m also excited the story ended with a possibility of Detective Barbara Atkins coming back with another murder to solve.

Thanks to NetGalley & Ballantine Books for the ARC!

This premise is so unique and the characters are really compelling. There are so many layers of history and clues and little crimes wrapped in bigger ones which made it such a fun and interesting reading experience. Unfortunately, the end seems sort of rushed and didn’t feel totally satisfying— is the epilogue a set-up for a sequel? I definitely feel there was a lot more to say here, for better and for worse.

This was not quite what I expected. Maybe I didn’t read the description properly but I was expecting a colony of human wanna-be vampires, not actual vampires (or vampyrs, as they are called in this story). A bit of a departure from the other CJ Tudor books I have read, which had some supernatural elements but didn’t go whole hog into a race of non-humans. It was an interesting story and the setting made it extra creepy. I would have liked some more world building but it still worked for me.