I really liked the way that this book unfolded. It was exciting and engaging and there were some very worthy twists and turns. Some of the action became a little convoluted, but I appreciated how Tudor tried to wrap things up and explain some of her choices for the characters. I would've loved to have had more with Tucker, his story was probably the most interesting.

The idea that vampires live among us in colonies that are subjected to laws and codes that were built for them by government agencies is a fascinating concept. I liked the build-up on this and of course, the very apparent analogy that this creates for our situations that are present right now can't be ignored, so bravo to Tudor for writing a book that has us looking at our society and what they're/we're doing to completely foul things up. If it wasn't for some of the unnecessary characters and lack of development this is easily a 5-star read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

The author creates a vivid and atmospheric setting, transporting the reader to the small town of Arnhill, where something sinister lurks beneath the surface. The book also explores themes such as guilt, revenge, forgiveness, and redemption, as well as the power of memory and the bond of friendship. The characters are well-developed and realistic, each with their own flaws and motivations. The book is told from multiple perspectives, switching between the present and the past, which adds to the complexity and mystery of the plot.

The Gathering is a book that will haunt you long after you finish reading it. It is a brilliant debut from CJ Tudor, who has proven herself to be a talented and skillful storyteller. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, horror, or mystery, you will not want to miss this book. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good scare, vampire novels, and a thrilling ride..

Thank you to @randomhouse, @netgalley and CJ Tudor for the ARC of The Gathering!

This was a deliciously creepy read, perfect for a long winter afternoon. It’s based in Alaska and has all things vampire and crime 🥶🧛🏼‍♂️

This book will be released on April 9th

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#cjtudor #thegathering #alaska #detective #arc #netgalley #randomhouse

Ok this book was creepy. I had no idea it was going to have vampires or I might not have requested it but I had read C.J. Tudor's books before and I knew they were slow burn mystery that I liked and this one was no exception. A kid is dead. Everyone assumes it must be the vampires because, come on, they are vampires! Right? Well, of course not right because if it was that obvious, it wouldn't be a novel. At least not a good one, and she writes good novels. This is creepy, and fun, and interesting. I wasn't crazy about the vampire bits but I loved the book.

with gratitude to netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Random House/Ballantine for letting me read this eArc.

This mystery novel gets a 3.5⭐. A detective arrives in a rural Alaskan town to help investigate the murder of a teen and determine whether the local colony of vampyrs had anything to do with it. There are several twists I wasn't expecting and the pacing was decent. While there wasn't enough scary scenes for my taste, I still enjoyed it. The remote wintery setting was described perfectly without being too vague and played a significant role in how the story played out. I felt the author nailed all the various characters so well. Each one has their unique voice and it made me really connect with them and Invision them in each scene. I enjoyed the FMC Barbara's quirky, sarcastic personality and her interactions with the other cops. The vampyres in this story were very unique and I loved that the author had a background story for them. This book felt like a combination of Fargo and True Detective and I'd definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys suspense with a supernatural element

This was a fun, creepy read. I wasn't sure what to expect with the vampire aspect but it was worth a read for sure!
Thanks NetGalley!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and CJ Tudor for this ARC!

A few things I loved about this book…

1. The Setting. The small down of Deadhart, Alaska. I have never been to Alaska but it is on my bucket list! This setting was the perfect vibe IMO for the story Tudor set out for us.
2. VAMPYR. VAMPS. VAMPYRS. VAMPIRES. The inner Twilight loving child in me craves and highly enjoyed this subject matter. And then I realize, I am 32 but why am I still not reading more books with vampires in them? I may or may not have sought out and bought 4-6 vampire-themed books during the time I read this.
3. The main characters. Barbara. Tucker. Athelina. Colleen. Beau. Their present stories and back stories made this an incredibly curated story.
4. Short chapters. Enough said.

The things I didn’t love…

1. The being said, there were a LOT of characters. I should have written them down including their relation to the other characters. It was difficult to keep track of them all and made the resolution and the way the author ended the story a bit confusing and didn’t feel quite as neat and in a “bow” - at least in my head.
2. This author is pretty derogatory and dare I say verging on fatphobic. There are SEVERAL mentions of being thick around the waist…overweight and unfit…needing to cut the carbs…all framed with a character who was neglected and abuse by a parent who was too fat to get off the couch and defend their child from abuse by the other parent. All of those things can be true about a person, but it was evident to me the way these descriptors and conflicts were used, the author may not think highly of people who are any version of overweight. As a plus size girlie, it only took away from the story for me. Of all the negative things you could say about a character - and especially in this book, I would suggest just leaving out the comments about their waist line.

4.5 stars rounded down to 4

This publishes April 9, 2024! I hope you all give it a read and enjoy it as much as I did.

A mystery with vampires, how much fun is that? Quite a lot actually. Good story, but not much horror for a book with vampires. Definitely worth rrading. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I think this was a very interesting take on the vampire genre! I haven’t every really seen it done before where the vampires kinda assimilate into society as best they can and I think it was really unique. There are some things I didn’t love that are more personal preference. I don’t love when politics are loudly shared in books but I do appreciate when important subjects are talked about that need light cast on them. Overall I think this is an engaging story and unique take on a common horror theme!

I loved everything about this book, setting, characters and pacing were all excellent! I really enjoyed the different take on vampires and specifically them having colonies in Alaska.

In a world where vampires (spelled in the book as vampyres) and humans co-exist, there is a quiet town called Deadhart, Alaska. A teen boy has been found with his throat ripped open and his blood drained. It is a crime reminiscent of another similar crime many years ago. The humans and vampyres may co-exist, but it's not always peaceful. This appears to be a vampyre killing and the town wants justice.
Enter Detective Barbara Adkins, an expert in the field of vampyres. She arrives in the small Alaskan town to examine the crime. She's familiar with what's called "The Colony" which is what the vampyres who live together are called. She is there to get to the bottom of the crime. Her character is well developed and endearing. She's a hardened cop with a love of beer and burgers.
Secrets are uncovered, the worlds of the vampyres and the humans who hate them are examined. There is a sense of questioning the difference between "good and evil."
This is my 5th or 6th novel by C. J. Tudor. She crafts an excellent novel with true to life characters and a thoughtful examination of human nature and prejudice. She also entertains as always. I was glued to the pages, which I have come to expect from her writing style. The ending was SUPERBLY done, and I was left feeling completely satisfied. Tudor has a secured a spot in my TOP authors and a MUST-READ status when it comes to her writing. This book will surely take a spot in my top reads of 2024! It's a MUST for lovers of thriller with a twist of horror. Thank you Ms. Tudor, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to enjoy this novel early. Publishes April 9th, DO NOT MISS! 5 big, huge, excited stars.

This certainly was a murder mystery with a twist. Welcome to Deadhart, where 873 people live in an area that is not too far from a colony of vampyrs. Twenty five years ago a killing occurred and now with the colony returned and another dead boy killed with blood drained and his throat ripped out, it seems to point to a vampyr killing.

Tensions increase and as Barbara Atkins,a vampyr specialist, deals with a town clamoring for a culling. Kill all the vampyrs. Barbara is sent to determine whether this is the cure for what ails Deadhart.

Barbara teams up with the former sheriff, Tucker, who has spent the last twenty five years as a recluse. He was the one responsible for the colony leaving the last time.

As expected there are many secrets and as the weather becomes more treacherous, the tensions between the humans and vampyrs increase to a furious point.

Will Barbara and Tucker be able to stop the oncoming massacre?

This was an interesting look at a murder mystery with a very diverse cast of characters.
Thank you to C.J. Tudor, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this book due out in April of 2024.

This is interesting twist on a murder mystery. It incorporates horror elements without becoming a true horror story. I liked how the vampyrs did not fit the traditional mold and had more human-like qualities than most other vampyr tales. There are many different storylines and mysteries at play here. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with each one but overall I enjoyed how it all came together. This is a great read for anyone looking for a mystery/thriller with a unique horror spin. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

What a ride!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. As a fan of CJ Tudor this was my most anticipated release of the year and it did not disappoint. What a ride!
New York detective and vampyr killings detective Barbara Atkins is sent to the small town of Deadhart, Alaska in the middle of winter to investigate the gruesome murder of a teenage boy. Deadhart residents are convinced the killer is a vampyr and are demanding a cull.
But Barbara isn’t so sure. As she teams up with former Deadhart sheriff Jenson Tucker, who 25 years prior led a similar investigation, Barbara slowly discovers that everyone in town has secrets, and she is determined to unearth them all.
I could not put this book down. Fast paced, amazing cast of characters (Detective Barbara Atkins is a dead ringer for actress Melissa McCarthy to me), each with a very unique and fascinating story, this is a book that still keeps me thinking and makes me want to read it all over again. Fans of CJ Tudor and of small town mysteries will love this book.

The Gathering is a riveting murder mystery that takes place in a world where vampires exist and are both protected and regulated by the government. I really enjoyed this book! It's fast-paced, engaging and full of twists. I had no idea what was really going on and who the murderer was. So many of the characters had their own secrets and hidden agendas that it kept you guessing until the end. The isolated Alaskan town was the perfect setting and added to the chilling atmosphere. Barbara was a great main character and I loved seeing her solve the case while holding her own against the townspeople who didn't want her there. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so hopefully that means we'll see her again soon! Highly recommended!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the ARC!

In the small town of Deadhart, a boy is found murdered with his throat ripped out and the blood drained from his body. The town believes this is the work of the Colony, an ostracized community of Vampyres.

Detective Barbara Atkins is commissioned to determine if a culling should be authorized. As she starts digging, she deals with a town who is determined to make the Vampyres pay, but the deeper she digs, the darker the secrets she finds.

I love this author. C.J. Tudor writes such amazingly descriptive novels and she is so captivating. As I was reading this book, I felt myself being transported to the bone chilling town of Deadhart Alaska. I’m not sure if it’s coincidence or what, but when I got into this one, I got so cold I had to cuddle under the blanket on my couch, I just felt like I was there because the writing was so good. It was wonderfully atmospheric.

I loved how the Vampyres were written into the story. The backstory and world building was eloquently pieced out over the course of the book. Usually, I prefer to know the backstory going into the book, but the way this one was done, I enjoyed it being pieced out. Once the pieces started coming together, and things started clicking it was amazing. I just loved how the Vampyres were seemingly a normal part of the world. I do wish that there would have been a little more history, but this one already dragged a little for me in the middle, so I didn’t mind.

The characters had a lot of depth and felt very real, even the side characters who didn’t have a large role were well done. The characters felt like real people, and I could envision them right in front of me as part of my world. Even the Vampyres were easy to picture and came to life easily.

I loved how the twists were presented as well, they were done in a way that made sense and everything just went with the natural progression and flow. Nothing was truly surprising except the final reveal, but everything was chilling. It was perfect. The ending was just great and made a lot of sense with the rest of the book.

The pacing was well done for most of the book, though as I mention things did lag a little for me about the 50-70% marks. I wanted more details on some things, but then got a few too many on others. It didn’t really deter from my overall liking of this one, I still loved it and wholeheartedly recommend it to others.

I do think that even though this book contained Vampyres and some chilling aspects, it wasn’t horror heavy, and won’t appeal to those who prefer more horror heavy reads. However, I tend to lean more toward horrors that are written like thrillers, and this book delivered in that way for me.

I will continue to seek out books by this author. Each one I have read has been a five-star read for me. I’m not even sure how I could rate them in order of preference, because they are all just so good in their own unique way. I love how the author writes and am excited for what she comes up with next.

Thank you so much to Random House Books, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc. All thoughts are my own.

This review will be featured on my blog, speedreadstagram.com during publication week

A terrific novel full of twists and turns. The plot was quick, yet well developed, just like the characters. And the surprise ending was the cherry on top

I am going to be the first to admit that this specific genre and books about vampires are not my typical go to at all, HOWEVER… C.J. Tudor is a phenomenal author and does it in a way that had me questioning… my go to genres! But truthfully this author is what hooks me! Love the writing style and development of every book.
I am going to try to summarize this book as neatly and quickly as I can because there is a lot to cover, but I don’t want to ramble on forever. This book starts out with the brutal killing up a 15-year-old boy who has his throat ripped out and his body, drained of all of its blood in a small Alaskan town. Two people in this town it mirrors the killing of a murder that happened over 25 years ago and seems pretty open and shot that it is the doing of what is known as the colony the colony is an ostracized community of vampyrs that live in the woods, and are considered, obviously to be on the outside of the residents of this community. They decide to bring in detective Barbara, who specializes in vampyr killings, and she enlist the help of a former sheriff named Jensen Tucker , to help her solve this murder. Of course, Barbara is met with a lot of resistance from the people in this town because they feel this is an open and shot case and do not want to hear any theories or other explanations for this murder because they have their mind made up but that does not deter Barbara from her own investigation to find out the truth. I did like learning more about the character of Barbara as we do learn about her past, and why she is the way she is now and many different ways. However, I do wish that it would dive a little bit deeper into her character, and a little bit more emotion would have come out from that. Together these two are on a mission to find out what truly happened and if this is a result of a murder of the colony, or if there is a serial killer on the loose that is using the colony as a cover.
Overall, this book was an extremely wild, crazy, weird and wild ride especially because this is not my typical genre but if you are into this type of novel, this author or this genre, then this is going to be a book that you will love because it gets crazy, and in the best possible way. I did enjoy this book and found myself as I stated to become even a more of a fan of this author, and look forward to more books that she will write in the future.
Thank you to the Author, Netgalley, and Random House Publishing Group/Ballentine for an ARC !

Many thanks to C.J. Tudor, Random House - Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel. I’m a big fan of Tudor and I’ve read and enjoyed all of her books. This novel hooked me right from the beginning and I was intrigued to read a genre-bending mystery/police procedural with such an interesting twist. The Gathering held my interest until the end, though ultimately I was a bit disappointed. Alternative world building is hard, and building a world where vampires are intended to be sympathetic characters — all while telling an allegorical tale about hate and bigotry — is very tricky. I’m not sure this effort was successful. Also, this novel is set in Alaska and is told from the point of view of an American detective, but it is full of many British-isms (“windscreen” instead of “windshield”, “jumper” instead of “sweater”, “smelt” instead of “smelled,” etc.) These are tiny things but they are jarring enough to repeatedly pull the reader out of the story. That said, this is an interesting blend of genres and as always, I will look forward to Tudor’s next novel.

This made me want to sleep with the lights on but I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review