The Gathering is a paranormal police procedural set in a small Alaskan town. When a young boy is found murdered, Barbara is sent to investigate the killing. Barbara is not only a homicide detective, but a specialist in “vampyr” killings, which this has all the hallmarks of. Barbara is committed to discovering the real killer, but the locals push back, wanting her to authorize a “cull” of the vampyr colony (kill them all). The relationship between vampyrs and humans is distrustful and tense to begin with, but even more so here because another young boy was murdered by a vampyr 25 years ago. Barbara must navigate angry locals, pissed off vampyrs, and her own hangups, all on top of an Alaskan snowstorm with a murderer on the damn loose.

This novel is extremely atmospheric. Tudor does a really nice job of setting the scene of a cold, remote Alaskan town with lots of secrets. Several of the characters have layered and interesting backstories. A perfect book to read while curled up with a cup of coffee and a kitty in your lap.

The book was really slow for me. I tried to get into the plot but I felt like I just couldn't connect with the characters. I thought this book would be a past paced vampire book. It was a slow burn mystery. It was an okay read for me and definitely not the best for me.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -NetGalley ARC

In a small Alaskan town called Deadhart, a teenage boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The citizens of Deadhart know who’s responsible: a member of the Colony, a community of vampires once again living in an old mining settlement deep in the woods, a colony they drove out of town 25 years ago after a similar murder.
Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampire killings, is called in to officially determine if this is a colony killing, but after more bodies are discovered she enlists the help of a former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker, who investigated the previous murder.
As they investigate, secrets, bigotry, hate, and heinous acts of violence against the vampire community come to light. A beautifully crafted story about how hate against a group of people can cause a ripple effect through a town and eat at your own heart.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House/Ballentine Publishing for the to read this book for an honest review.

Big Thanks to Random House Publishing for an advance copy of The Gathering by CJ Tudor!
CJ Tudor is an auto-buy for me, so I was over the moon to see that I was approved to read it before it hit the shelves. The Gathering is a dark, twisty and gritty paranormal thriller set in the tiny town Deadhart, Alaska, Population 873, Living. When a boy of found, blood drained and throat ripped out, suspicions fly to "The Colony", A group of disgraced vampyres who have been shunned and sent to live apart deep in the mines and dark forests. There hasn't been a killing like this in 25 years....
Special Detective Barbara Atkins, who specializes in these type of killings, is called in to investigate and uncovers a horrors like no other in this tiny icy claustrophobic town. I was kept guessing until the twisty and shocking conclusion. Can't wait for more wild rides from CJ Tudor!

I really like the world of this book - vampyres are real, and subject to a lot of restrictions and laws. There's a lot of hate on both sides. And Detective Barbara Atkins gets sent to a tiny, isolated town in Alaska to investigate a killing. It was spooky, with a lot of mysterious events, conflicting evidence, and quite a history.

The plot was fast moving, and kept me engaged. I especially liked the main character and her determination to proceed carefully and legally in the midst of such chaos.

thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and to c.j. tudor for the advanced reader copy of "the gathering". when i read the synopsis of this book, i knew i had to get my FANGS into an ARC as soon as possible. i was raised on a plethora of vampire media, so i jump at the opportunity to find more. this book had all the little tropes i love, in fact: small town, string of brutal murders, vampires. this book takes place in the town of deadhart, alaska (what a badass name) after a teenage resident's body was found. i loved the air of mystery surrounding the murders; the idea of could it be an actual vampire, or is it simply a deranged psychopath getting creative with his kills?

i had a good time reading this, but what put a drag on my reading experience is the police procedural aspect. i kind of knew that was what i was getting myself into when reading this, but i've come to realize that that trope in thrillers just is not for me, but that's okay!

When I saw that this was a vampire book I eagerly put in a request to read it. That, along with the author being CJ Tudor, whom I’ve previously read and reviewed, and greatly enjoyed.

The Gathering isn’t your typical vampire book. It’s set in an alternate universe where humans live along side vampires and there are laws and regulations in place to keep the peace. The main character, Barbara, a vampire anthropologist ,is sent into an isolated town called Deadhart, AK to investigate the murder of a young man and determine if it was a murder committed by a vampire, in which case a cull of the local clan of vampires would be called for.

I enjoyed this through and through. There’s twists and turns and it’s a very unique plot. There’s a lot of history and characters in the story to follow so be ready for that going into The Gathering. That is the one drawback I had. I got a wee bit lost at times. I do believe the author may have set the ending up so that there will be a second book? If so that’s very exciting!

My thanks to Random House- Ballantine, CJ Tudor, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

C.J. Tudor is one of my favorite authors and this book proved why! She gave the vampire story such an fresh and original take in this book!

This is my fourth C.J. Tudor novel and I think this one might be my favorite. The first line of the teaser hooked me immediately and I really enjoyed the whole novel.

Set in rural Alaska, we follow a large cast of characters as they navigate a tricky relationship between humans and a colony of Vampyrs after a human child turns up dead and drained of all his blood. As you can imagine, tensions are high and an expert detective is called in the solve the case before the whole town is over taken in violence and death.

There are a lot of positives to this book. The setting is icy, desolate and unforgiving and you can definitely feel that while reading. In typical C.J. Tudor fashion, this story is fast paced and doesn't shy away from the gore. I would actually say this leans much more horror than mystery/thriller and I'm obsessed with the author going more in that direction. There's some typical themes if you're familiar with the author and I think the story telling moves the plot along effectively. I love a police procedural/detective story so this was right up my alley and really turned the book into a mystery/horror.

The biggest issue I have with the book is a common complaint with this author - way too many characters. I struggled to keep them separate and decided to just kind of go along with the story assuming the characters would sort themselves out eventually. This isn't a deal breaker by any means but it did take me out of the story from time to time.

If you have enjoyed previous works from this author I think you will also enjoy this one. It's fast, exciting and puts the bite back into Vampyrs, something sorely missed from other recent reads. I would recommend holding off until the colder months if you can, the atmosphere really lends itself to ideal seasonal reading.

C.J. Tudor's book have continuously caught my interest since her very first book. I am fascinated by the way she can write stories that are so completely different from each other each time.

The Gathering is one of if not, my favorite book of hers and I can see HBO or Apple TV picking this book up as a series. The Gathering centers around a detective making a trip to a small Alaskan town to investigate the recent killing of a teenage boy. The boy is believed to have been killed by the town Vampryes and a culling has been called. What unravels next is an account of what really happened and also the back story of the town folk and vampires who have been "co-existing" for centuries.

This book had just the right amount of spook and would be a perfect winter or snowy read if you can wait that long.

I loved this book and it is going in my top books of the year category.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read an early copy!

Do you like detective stories? How about vampires? I was eager to enjoy the combination of those two things! I'm a longtime CJ Tudor fan, so I was excited for her latest book. The world building was detailed and complex when it came to the vampire lore. Taking place in a remote Alaskan town, isolation and secret come into play. I would have liked a bit more information about our main character detective, but the door is left open for future installments and I hope I get the chance to read more stories of her travels.

This book lived up to the hype! It's hard to write a vampire story that doesn't dip into corny tropes, but The Gathering steers clear.of that, allowing the reader to explore the idea of what a world with vampires might be like.
If you're looking for a unique, fantasy-crime novel, this is a great one!

Every time I start a C.J. Tudor book I'm hoping it's finally going to be the one that I LOVE. Unfortunately, this wasn't The One but it came close! I really enjoyed this world where vampires exsist and are more or less seen as "normal" and I loved the setting. My biggest issues with this book was honestly the hatred some of the characters had towards people that are "different" and not just the vampires. It does make sense considering it's set in rural Alaska but it always brings my enjoyment down if it's not done in the right way. I don't plan on giving up on this author yet, I think she has the potential to write a favorite book for me!

I'd describe this as a small town murder mystery that is a police procedural with strong horror elements. I think if you go into this expecting straight up horror, you may be disappointed, but if you are cool with it being a strong flavor in what is otherwise a detective story, this would be a great one to pick up. Aside from some pacing issues early on, this was super fun and entertaining - a very "me" book. I'm not sure I'm interested in continuing with what seems to be a series set up in the epilogue but I enjoyed this quite a bit.

I loved, loved loved C.J. Tudor's previous novels, but the last couple have gone in a bit of a different direction. I'm still trying to adjust, but am finding I really like them as well. She is such a fantastic writer and very vivid descriptions of horror. I so look forward to reading more of her future novels!

I am so sad to say that I am having to DNF this book.
I honestly tried reading it a few times and just can't get into it.
It makes me sad bc the blurb about it sounded good but it was just not my thing.

There is a vampire revival in media right now, but Tudor’s The Gathering truly stands out in a sea of fangs. The Gathering is set in a world where vampires aren’t a supernatural secret but are a known entity, complete with human laws to govern them. Detective Barbara Atkins is tasked with investigating the death of a boy in small town Deadhart, Alaska to determine if the local vampire community is to blame. What follows is a harrowing unraveling of family secrets, closely held beliefs, and the true meaning of what it is to be a monster.

I loved this unique take on a vampire murder mystery, and I encourage anyone in the mood for a supernatural thriller to dig their fangs in.

Grab your garlic necklace and head into Deadheart, Alaska where a vampire is on a killing spree!

C.J. Tudor’s books are on auto-request for me, so I jumped at the opportunity to read her latest! While her horror novels are always dark and disturbing, Tudor has an ability to turn readers onto topics they ordinarily wouldn’t enjoy. Do I read books about zombies? No, but I loved The Drift. A new book about gay vampires? Sure, why not?!

Tudor uses themes of revenge, racism, and fear of “the other” in a plot about vampires as a commentary on the depravities of human society. This atmospheric horror story packs a punch without punching the reader in the face with gore.

Barbara Atkins (the vampire anthropologist) is an intelligent, likable, and relatable character. I really enjoyed getting to know her and hope that a sequel is in the works to complete her story.

While the plot is quite complicated, Barbara’s master sleuthing skills will impress this small town, as well as the reader.

4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the ARC of The Gathering in exchange for an honest review.

After I first read "The Chalk Man," I made sure to get my hands on Tudor's new releases each year. While none of them has particularly lived up to the excellence of "The Chalk Man," "The Gathering" comes the closest. At first, I honestly wasn't entirely sure I was going to be solidly along for the ride, because I have very particular parameters that determine my reading when it comes to supernatural territory, but after about thirty pages, I was definitely engaged. The characters are vivid, the setting is totally atmospheric - and the general vibe? Man, the tension. The anxiety. The "what else could possibly be lurking in the shadows in this creepy Alaskan town to wreak havoc on its citizens?" Last year's "The Drift" was underwhelming, and I did sort of question whether or not I wanted to tackle "The Gathering" in light of that; I'm glad I took the chance on it through NetGalley, and Tudor will remain on my list of authors I look forward to!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣.

I’ve read two books by this author before and wasn’t the biggest fan, however, the premise of this book had me so intrigued and invested… so I decided to pick it up - cause why not?!

This book had so much potential and while I liked certain aspects of it, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I’ve seen pretty mixed reviews on this one, so I would definitely still recommend it to certain readers.

I really enjoyed the chilly atmosphere, it was done so well to the point where it gave literal chills. I loved the take on vampires (in this case ‘vampyrs’). The murder mystery element of the story also had me invested.

I did have trouble remembering who was who with a bunch of random characters being introduced left and right. I also feel like our MC (who happens to be a detective) lacked character depth.

This was definitely a fun story - at least for what it is. I just never really connected to the story as much as I wanted to. It’s still a solid supernatural-esque thriller!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!