4.5 stars rounded to a five!

The setting in this book is in Deadhart, Alaska which is a very small town with a population of only 673.
A teenage boy is found in an old hunters cabin in the woods and his throat is ripped out and all the blood is drained from his body. They think it could be a colony killing. There is a colony of vampyrs in an old mining settlement in the woods.
There has not been a killing like this in twenty-five years. Should a cull be authorized? The law states that a cull can be sanctioned when a colony is a threat to human life.

Barbara Atkin's is a member of The Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department and is a detective and a specialist in vampyr killings. She is determined to find out the truth. She enlists Jenson Tucker to help her. He is a former Deadhart Sheriff. He knows the colony better than anyone else.

Are they hunting a blood thirsty monster or a twisted psychopath? And which is the most dangerous?

This book gave me a book hangover! I was up till 3 am in the morning reading it. I loved the setting of the book located in Deadhart, Alaska. It was a very atmospheric read.

I was hooked straight from the beginning to the ending. It was a very fast paced read with lots of twists and turns. There are lots of dark secrets that you just can't imagine. This is a vampire light horror story but it's different from any other vampire story. I do not like vampire stories but I loved this one.

The characters are very well done. My favorite character is Barbara Atkins. She was a great detective with lots of empathy and she was very nice and polite to everyone. She was down to earth. I loved everything about this book.

I want to thank Netgalley, and Ballantine Books for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

THE GATHERING
BY: C.J. TUDOR

About 4.5 Stars!

I love a good thriller every so often if it's intelligently written without graphics or gratuitously violent content. This is an author that I've been aware of but don't usually read because I have been afraid that the content could enter in the above category which I tend to avoid. I had a nudge from another Good Reads friend and I was pleasantly surprised that except for a few quick scenes which quickly moved to safer territory. I ended up really loving this story for so many reasons and found the main characters were written with depth that I was pleased to discover. It ended up capturing my attention from page one and was so suspenseful that I couldn't put it down because I was totally immersed and read it in two sittings.

It takes place in Deadhart, Alaska in a small town with a population between 800-900 people. The town is decorated with a huge blowup Santa and covered with fairy lights. I think why this one worked so well for me is because I loved the main characters Barbara and a retired Sheriff that worked well together, I really admired Barbara's empathetic nature and her ability to always keep a level head even when a lot of the close minded inhabitants were rude to her she remained polite. I think because of these two intelligent protagonists were what made the difference for me in their depth of character development which kept me so invested in this story. Their investigative skills were thorough and they were diligent and held their ground not giving in to the mob mentality in dealing only with factual discoveries They were careful and set great examples of humanity to ensure that justice was brought to the actual perpetrators.

"Like many indigenous species, vampyrs have been demonized and terrorized by human settlers, to
the point where only a few colonies remain in remote areas. Soon, we may live in a world where
they are nothing more than a legend," --Extract from The True History of the Vampyr by Professor
Benjamin Fletcher

"It is actually very rare for a vampyr to attack a human. Most exist happily on animal blood and have
done for many centuries--a way of living which is no more barbaric than that of an average meat
eater." ---Dr. Steven Barker, Head of the Department of Forensic Vampyr Anthropology (DFVA)

"Vampyrs are hereby decreed a protected species on the verge of extinction. Any culls must be and
only in the interests public safety. Culls will be approved when no other more humane option is
available. Vampyr trophies are declared illegal." --Vampyr Protection Act, 1983

Barbara is assigned to the town of Deadhart, Alaska because a teenage boy named Marcus was found dead in an old hunters lodge with his throat ripped out. I know it sounds gruesome, but it didn't dwell on that scene. Barbara checks in with the local sheriff in the small town of Deadhart. She has traveled from New York City and is with the Department of Forensic Anthropology to visit the crime scene. She notices that the crime scene video was staged. Most of the population wants a cull because they assume a vampyr killed young Marcus. I appreciated Barbara's close eye to detail and she as I said above is an above average investigator who doesn't jump to conclusions. She is up against a town that wants a cull. As she looks deeper she finds that there is a much more complicated murderer at large.

I loved that with Barbara's detective skills that the initial murder and the further murders weren't what it appeared at first glance. With her analytical prowess the murders are carefully studied and what she discovers with a Sheriff that came out of retirement to help her that everything wasn't what it appears on the surface. Through Barbara's depth of character development and that of the retired sheriff's lens I actually felt bad for the vampyr colony. I applaud C.J Tudor's talented writing to be able to change my first impression of jumping to conclusions and blaming the murders on the vampyrs. The way they are presented are not like the traditional vampires that we grew up to fear and should fear. Any book that expands my thinking the way that this thriller novel did is an excellent reading experience. I'm grateful to have read this because it was engrossing and compelling. It was the kind of thriller that goes well beneath the surface and at the same time was unputdownable. It was action packed from start to finish. I couldn't get enough of this. I hope in the future that C.J. Tudor continues to craft admirable characters like the two I mentioned to offset the bad things that happen in her thrillers.

Are these murders the work of vampyrs or are there psychopathic humans responsible and hiding out in plain sight among the community?

Publication Date: April 9th, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, C. J. Tudor and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine. Ballentine Books for generously providing me with my terrific eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheGathering #CJTudor #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantineBallentineBooks #NetGalley

CJ Tudor can do no wrong to me, and this new release was not an exception to that rule. Eerie, thoughtful, and generally unsettling, this is a great addition to Tudor's collection of work.

OMG! This was easily one of the most enjoyable books I've read recently. I always love the supernatural elements in CJ Tudor's books, and this time around, we have vampires, the atmospheric setting of a small, isolated town in Alaska, and a sharp and witty female detective. Maybe the only thing missing is the spine-chilling thrill (horror?!!!) that makes me look over my shoulder when I usually read a CJ Tudor novel because this one was more of a thriller-mystery.Still loved it and 5 stars. Hope we get to see Barbara again - can this be made into a series please?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thank you NetGalley for this thriller set in Alaska, a small town and a horrilbe murder of a teenager. This murder sets off a chain of events of violence, confusion and yes vampires. But it's not really about vampires, it's about hatred, differences, racisim and how we see these things in our world. I have to admit the Britishisms coming from the characters threw me a bit...a jumper isn't a sweater it's a onesie. Things like that..but still an enjoyable thriller! 3.5 stars

Tudor's book kept me guessing until the end. All the while wondering who exactly the monster was, humans or vampires? The social themes woven into this novel were subtle and very timely. Does someone's demographic immediately define them as good or evil? How long can generations hang on to assumptions, ignorance, and hate? I love how gracefully firm Barbara conducts herself throughout the novel. Using curiousity to combat the ignorance of others. I also loved the setting of a small, cold, cut-off town in Alaska, it adds to the intenity and isolation.

In The Gathering, we have an alternate world where vampyrs are real and protected by legislation from the US government, making killing them illegal. As the book opens, Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr related crime, is traveling to Deadheart, Alaska, a fictional small town where a teenage boy has just been killed, in a presumed vampyr attack, that happens to be extremely similar to a murder of another teenage boy in the town 25 years ago. It is Barbara's role to investigate the murder and determine if a vampyr "cull" of the nearby Colony is warranted. For the townspeople, a cull is a foregone conclusion, so Barbara finds herself stranded in a town, fighting to follow the correct rules and guidelines, all while attempting to find the true culprit of this crime.
The procedural aspect of this story was very well presented, and the locked room aspect of the small town lent itself to an atmospheric vibe. Barbara doesn't quite know who to trust and must rely on her own wits and knowledge, eventually enlisting the help of former Sheriff turned recluse Jenson Tucker.
This is a novel had multiple story threads woven together, and while the conclusion tied up most of them, one major thread was left loose and hanging, and I'm left wondering if the author intends to write a sequel. Certainly, I don't feel that it would be necessary, but at the same time the epilogue was perplexing and almost extraneous otherwise. My other main complaint would be the use of UK English words, such as jumper, windscreen, and smelt. For a book that is supposed to be sent in America, these words removed me from the experience of reading as they are not typically used by those in America. All in all, this was still an enjoyable book, and I'm rating it 4 stars, rounded up from 3.75.
Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

I have to admit I did not finish this book. I couldn’t decide whether or not I liked it. I don’t usually read supernatural books like this and I just wasn’t able to get through it. I have what I read 3 stars but I’m not really comfortable rating it.

My experience with C.J. Tudor as an author has been minimal so far, limited to a rather excellent short story collection A Sliver of Darkness that I read last year. I went into The Gathering with curiosity as to how Tudor's writing would translate from the short story to the novel, and the result for me was a rather mixed bag. The Gathering has an interesting premise involving a murder mystery set in a world where humans coexist with colonies of vampyrs who are a shunned and hated minority group protected from prejudiced hunters by law. When a colony returns to settle near a small town and a boy is killed, old hurts resurface and a jaded investigator must prevent a cull on the colony by finding the responsible party.

While the premise held promise, my main point of contention throughout the novel was that I never felt that it was focused on what it was looking to be. It's not a traditional vampire story as there's very little vampire action involved, it skirted but never really went into the horror genre, and the mystery aspects were often a bit too beguiling due to the amount of minor character and flashbacks. In the end it's a mix of small town drama and whodunnit that ended up not holding my interest as much as I would have liked.

**I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Netgalley and Random House**

Ok does anyone remember that movie 30 days and 30 nights it was about a group of vampires that attack a village when its basically snowed in for a month. Obviously its different from the movie but it gave me snowed in vamp vibes and I loved it. The death of the boy was sad of course but then the characters and the story development was so good. I love books and movies with vampires I think its my favorite creature feature in the genre.

"Soon, we may live in a world where they are nothing more than a legend."

The Gathering is a chilling murder mystery set against the stark backdrop of small-town Alaska, where the murder of a teenager sets off a chain reaction of violence and prejudice against vampires.

Barbara, a vampire anthropologist (what a cool job title), heads to Deadhart, Alaska, to investigate the murder of a teenager. Her findings will determine if the human members of Deadhart can enact a cull on the vampire inhabitants. The town’s human inhabitants are itching for revenge, tensions are high, and a longstanding conflict is on the verge of imploding. Tension escalates, and longstanding animosities threaten to erupt as the narrative explores themes of hatred, racism, and the fear of the unknown.

If I had read the blurb for this book, I probably wouldn’t have read it. Vampires are not my thing, but this isn’t really a book about vampires rather, it is a commentary on hatred, racism, and difference. There is a political divide between those who believe vampires should be killed and those who believe that minorities should be protected.

Baraba is the primary narrator, but also shared are the POVs of Tucker, the former Sheriff; Beau, a vengeful human; and a mysterious girl being held in captivity. Barbara is a likable lead who, unlike many of our heroines, is out of shape, overweight, and not particularly beautiful. She is intelligent, open-minded, and has a compelling voice.

This was an enjoyable read, but the Britishisms coming from American characters took me out of the narrative. In addition, some of the characters were underdeveloped. These are minimal flaws, as the characters and plot kept me riveted. The tone is dark, and the plot delves into darkness. Thankfully, there is minimal gore involved in the human vs. vampire war. In the end, amidst the twists, turns, and deceit, the frigid cold setting of the novel intensifies the suspense as the conflict between humans and vampires reaches an unexpected resolution.

TW: sexual assault

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

I am so excited that CJ Tudor has entered the urban fantasy thriller world! We've needed a solid adult thriller in this genre for quite some time and this book really scratched the itch.

I did not want to hang out with small minded, small town people any more since I personally evacuated the small town I grew up in... but CJ nailed the personality tropes perfectly and you can't help but loathe and suspect just about everyone in town! As someone who can usually predict the big reveal, I was genuinely guessing until the end, and I find myself still thinking about the characters and what is going to come next. And, I must say, for it's length and slower burn, there really is quite a lot of action!!

I really want to shout out the choice for lead character - Detective Atkins is not young, slim or sexy, she's raw and real and endearing. She feels like the gay aunt next door, and I want to spend more time with her IRL. This is easily a 4 star read for me, pacing being the only issue as we were jumping between a lot of different characters every chapter and I felt overwhelmed sometimes.

Book Title: The Gathering
Author: C.J Tudor
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: April 9. 2024
My Rating: 3.4 Stars
Pages: 352


Story is based in Deadhart, Alaska.
A 15-year-old boy is found with a ripped throat and drained of blood.
Okay sounds like a vampire to me.
It is suspected there is a connection between this murder and the resurgence of a vampire Colony—led by Athelinda, a vampire disguised as a nine year-old girl.
Detective Barbara Atkins is a vampire anthropologist.


This is my seventh[author, C.J. Tudor novel. The "The Chalk Man" was my first and is still my favorite. I call myself a fan and wanted to read this without knowing anything about it except that I like the author. Story is a murder mystery including racism with vampires!

Although this was not my favorite, I kept at it and when it ends with a tease for more Barbara –

Yep! We Barbara's have a bond, you can count on me for The Gathering #2!

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 9, 2024.

I have become a super fan of author, CJ Tudor. “The Gathering” was an interesting read, mixing murder and vampires. CJ Tudor is a solid author/writer and while this was not my favorite of her stories, it was still a solid read, drew you into the tale, and well written read. 😊

Early on in the book, I wondered if the author was trying to equate vampyrs with trans people as being misunderstood and abused. By the end, there were so many stereotypes and caricatures that I lost interest in the book entirely.

A fun and thrilling vampire story that will have you on the edge of your seat! I really enjoyed getting to know Detective Barbara Atkins and the citizens of Deadhart - the small Alaskan town she's been sent to for work. There's been a murder and the town wants to perform a culling (kill the vampyr Colony). The only thing, Barbara's not so sure it was a vampyr who committed the crime. Talk about an exciting read! I really enjoyed this book and definitely look forward to reading more by Tudor - such a great mystery/thriller writer!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. The gathering is the first book that I have read by C.J. Tudor, and I enjoyed it. It takes place in Deadhart, Alaska, a colony town. There is conflict between the citizens of Deadhart and the Vampyr Colony members. The story switches between a few different points of few, but mostly follows Barbara, who is in town to solve a murder that looks like a colony killing. As Barbra finds out more, there are many twists and turns. I recommend this book to people who like a murder mystery with a hint of supernatural.

I should have paid closer attention to the earliest reviews that pinged this as a procedural mystery, which I don't particularly enjoy, and not a thriller with a central detective (which is already not my favorite sub-genre, but I can make an exception for CJ Tudor doing overt horror thrillers). I did not enjoy this, and I wanted the focus to be very, very different from what we got. I think it's time for me to part ways with Tudor, unfortunately.

Listen. Stop everything you are doing and BUY THIS BOOK! It’s amazing! I loved The Chalk Man so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. This is 30 Days of Nights once people realize vampires are real and have figured out how to “tame the beast”. Not that I agreed with their methods, but that’s my closest comparison. It was a fantastic read and I had such a hard time putting it down. The characters, the pacing, the twists and turns, fantastic. I only had one small complaint, and it was just two words out of the whole book. “Tattoo gun”. Please, for the love of all that’s holy people, stop calling tattoo machines tattoo guns! Literally no professional tattooer calls their machine a gun! I own a tattoo studio, all it does is make tattooers cringe! But seriously though, that was the only problem I had with it. Am I giving it a lower rating because of two words? @&#$ no! I’d give it ten stars if I could! Please people, go buy this book. It’s one of the best I’ve read in months. Even better, it’s absolutely set up to be a sequel! CJ Tudor, I will be there with bells on when it comes out!

Huge thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review