4⭐️

Overall I enjoyed my time in this book. Similar to other books by this author the end and reveals at the end usually changes how I feel about the overall book. I might have felt that this book really dragged at times I knew the pay off would be worth it and I really enjoyed thinking of the hints I might have missed or caught.

This book had a really interesting premise. That colonies of vampires live with the humans. It's the against the law to kill or harm a vampire vice versa. However if a vampire from a colony is found to have killed a human, that entire colony could be culled. In this book this is where Barbara Atkins get involved. She is a detective in vampire crimes and has been sent to an isolated mountain community to determine if a colony is risk and if a cull should be authorized.

At first, I found this book to be a bit confusing with the number of characters and got a bit lost. There is quite a few point of views, they are well done but some readers may struggle keeping them all straight. I thought Tudor did a really great job though presenting who truly are the monsters. How much bigotry and hatred that could be present in this world.
Some these examples were really hard to read.

The way this book ended seemed as if it could possibly turn into a series. I would be really interested in continuing this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin, and Ballantine for this advance reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own,

Vampyrs?

........Yes, Please.

Instead of breadcrumbs, we're following droplets of rich red blood here. Those of you who are faint of heart.......your bus will be takin' ya down a far detour avenue than this scheduled one. All aboard or exit immediately.

The Gathering has shed a light beam on a much different adventure for the talented C.J. Tudor. If you go back as far as The Chalkman, then you know Tudor doesn't pale at the sight of the strange or the macabre. She's taking us on a romp into the frigid zones of Alaska. Darkness prevails in more ways than one.

Barbara Atkins is a forensic detective.......only thing is that she specializes in Forensic Vampyr Anthropology. The call comes in from her boss, Decker, who has assigned her to a new case. She's headed to Deadhart, Alaska near an old mining settlement. It's also the location of a colony of vampyrs who have lived in proximity to humans for over twenty-five years. There are laws that have protected the vampyrs. Live and let live. But the body of a young teenager has been found. From all indications, it may have been the work of a vampyr.

That's where Barbara comes in. Her job is crucial. The town's people are gearing up for a cull which would wipe out the vampyr colony. But maybe, just maybe, this murder was committed by one of the fangless community members. And if not, The Gathering will be unleashing a mystical battle between man and beast. Whoa! And Double Whoa!

C.J. Tudor has created quite the character in Barbara Atkins. She doesn't seem to fit the bill for vampyr slayer in the least. She's in her fifty's, overweight, single, childless, and packin' some heavy-duty baggage of her own. But don't discount her. Barbara will light a fire in Deadhart as she trails the clues that will bring a thunderous crescendo in the end. It is my hope that Tudor will have planted the seed of an intriguing vampyr series. Ol' Barb has made a sizzlin' impression marking the tundras of Alaska. Where to after this?

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Ballantine Books (Random House) and to the talented C.J. Tudor for the opportunity.

This is a hard book for me to review, it was more horror than i like so the subject matter was hard for me, unpleasant, it is also a mystery and a study of human nature and prejudice, good and evil and how they overlap. It was a unique book and a ambitious one. well written but can't say i enjoyed it. Did like the main character.

While I wasn't fond of the vampire theme, i am a fan of the author. I think my students will really like it and there are many ethical issues that can be discussed after reading this book

Deadhart, Alaska. 873. Living.

After The Chalk Man, I will read anything Tudor writes! And this is just as suspenseful!

In Alaska, a remote town is not happy that a vampyr colony has returned. It’s been 25 years since the last killing and the people of Deadhart are ready to force a cull to kill all of them when a boy is discovered with his throat ripped out and his blood drained.

The local sheriff has called in a specialist in vampyr killings, Detective Barbara Atkins. She is not at all welcome either. As Barbara finds evidence leading to something very different happening, everyone wants her gone.

When she asks the old sheriff for help, he isn’t keen to help since the last time he nearly didn’t make it.

This one just kept throwing me for a loop. There were so many awful things going on and everyone had secrets and I suspected all of them!

Excellent story!


NetGalley/ Random House/ Ballentine April 09, 2024

This ARC was received through Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

Imagine a world where Vampires existed alongside humans, but were in colonies, and seemingly hated by the human race. Through in a murder every 25 years or so, and you get this tale of mystery. I found the story to be mildly entertaining, and the plot twists kept my attention that I was able to read the book in a couple days. Tudor has a way of making a mystery feel real, even in a fictional setting.

My thanks to Random House/Ballintine, C.J. Tudor and Netgalley.
I'm keeping this one short!
Pretty great book if you're looking for a mystery. Rotten freaking tomatoes if your wanting some scary arsed vampires.
This was a murder mystery that also had vampires.
These vampires weren't necessary for a successful story. Yet..
Also, in the U.S.A, we wear sweaters, not jumpers. Jumpers are onesies. Though I did get a chuckle just thinking about all those hairy Alaskan men running around in their onesies! Lol!
I did have a good time reading this book, and in spite of there not being enough vampire action, I have no problem recommending this story.

Get ready to bundle up, because CJ Tudor's "The Gathering" takes you on a wild, icy adventure in the small Alaskan town of Deadhart. Picture this: a boy found with his throat ripped out, blood drained, and the locals pointing fingers at the mysterious Colony of vampyrs in the old mine settlement. It's a murder mystery that'll give you chills, both from the Alaskan cold and the spine-tingling plot.

Meet Detective Barbara Atkins, the vampyr expert, ready to crack the case. But hold your hot cocoa because things get even wilder when she ropes in Jenson Tucker, the former Deadhart sheriff with a penchant for recluse living. These two make an oddball team, diving into the town's secrets like they're on a treasure hunt for the creepiest skeletons in the closet.

With snow thickening and nights growing longer, Tudor serves up a mix of supernatural suspense and small-town quirkiness. You'll find yourself on the edge of your seat, wondering if they're dealing with a bloodthirsty vampyr or just your run-of-the-mill psychopath. Spoiler alert: Deadhart has more layers than a snowflake, and each revelation is juicier than a gossip session at the local diner.

"The Gathering" is like a rollercoaster through a winter wonderland of murder, mystery, and unexpected alliances. Tudor spins a yarn that's as unpredictable as an Alaskan snowstorm and as entertaining as a blockbuster movie. So, grab your detective hat, sip on some hot cocoa, and join Barbara and Tucker as they uncover the frosty secrets of Deadhart. It's a killer ride!

30% dnf. I feel like this is very unfocused. There are so many interjections of characters' pasts making their way into the story for what appears to be no reason. It's seemingly one big monologue for how terrible rural small towns are with their racism and ignorance. Pretty much any one-liner you can think of. Not good taste. 😐

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for this advanced copy of The Gathering by C.J. Tudor to be published April 9, 2024.
Detective Barbara Atkins has been called to Deadhart, Alaska to investigate the death of a young boy. The death is eerily like one that happened twenty-five years ago.
What makes this investigation a little different is that both victims were drained of blood and thought to be killed by a member of the Colony, a community of “vampyrs” living deep in the woods.
Together with the former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker – now a recluse – Atkins wants to find out the truth. Was it a monster or a psychopath? And which would be worse?
Had I known this would be a book about vampires, or vampyrs, as they are called in the book, I probably would not have requested it since this is not a genre I usually enjoy. I had just heard a lot of talk about it.
But, I actually found myself laughing out loud at some of the witticisms that came from Detective Atkins. If her character were to be in another book not about vampires, I would certainly read it!
I did finish the book – it was better than I thought it would be, but not exactly my favorite kind of book even though the ending was quite a surprise.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is into the fantasy or vampire genre!
#netgalley #thegathering #cjtudor #randomhousepublishing

Instead of a murder mystery with supernatural elements, Tudor’s latest book is a deep dive straight into Vampire horror with a sprinkling of detective thrown in. The entire novel is set in a small rural isolated Alaskan town (Deadhart), where a colony of vampyrs (note the spelling) has existed before the settlers came to mine ore. In fact, there are apparently colonies of Vampyres here and there in the world, coexisting on reservations and there are explicit laws on how to deal with Vampyrs. Yet, often people finding themselves alone without the security of armed society sometimes take it upon themselves to do a culling, that is, a progrom to end the nearby vampyr colony, particularly when unexplained deaths appear to be the result of vampyre feeding.

As the story opens, we are told that a storm is coming and something foul is on the air. ”They were back. It was about to begin again.” We are also told that nature has an appetite for the unwary and “You gotta make sure you’re the hunter, not the prey.”

The story is told mostly through the point of view of Detective Barbara Atkins from the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department, who was called in from New York, to investigate a suspicious death, one the likes of which had not been seen in twenty-five years. Atkins is like a fish out of water in a small town where everyone knows each other and everyone is suspicious of strangers. The townfolk (even without their pitchforks) want Atkins to finish her investigation quickly and recommend a culling so that the town can get rid of the vampyr menace once and for all. You almost get a sense that the vampyr colony is unfairly discriminated against and that the local townsfolk are just bigoted monsters themselves who want to hunt and hang trophies of creatures they do not consider human. Some even sport Helsing tattos, a hate symbol supporting the genocide of vampyrs.

It is an easy-to-read, engrossing tale that (once you accept the vampyr premise and the laws regarding how vampyrs are dealt with) captures the imagination. It is not Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but a far more modern version.

Very glad to have had the opportunity to read this. I'm not typically a reader of monster/ vampire books, so this was a departure from my norm.
I enjoyed the twists and turns that the novel took me down. I could see parallels between this book and immigration debates currently ongoing. It can be difficult to see the "other" as worthy of respect and dignity, especially when times are hard.
Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

The Gathering is a solid murder mystery set in a frozen small town in Alaska. It has all the hallmarks of a "locked town" murder mystery and crime caper mixed with all the dangerous aspects of a vampire noir to boot.

We first meet Detective Barbara Atkins as she is driving into her new job, a remote post in a small cut off town in Alaska in the heart of winter during what might be a snow storm; and yes, it is exactly as you expect but it brings the most wonderful atmosphere to this thrilling story. Barbra is an expert in vampire killings, still a formal detective she has been asked to find out who killed a teenager in this town and if it was one of the local vampires (they live nearby in their own colony), then she has the capacity to order a cull. A cull is the killing of the entire colony for the safety of the humans.

Not only is this a story of murder and crime but it is one of human and vampire rights. A story of the soul and where the line should be in terms of life and death. There are some pretty graphic scenes talked about in this story and it really brings up a lot of feelings and thoughts about human rights (regardless of wither one is "undead" or not).

The storyline is there, the characters (and there are A LOT of them for being such a small town), the atmosphere, it is all there are works to some degree. But there is also the point that the story just unwraps so nicely and that there really aren't any surprises. It's all so perfectly potted and directed that I wasn't as engrossed in the story as I felt I could have been. I mean I guessed one of the major "twists" that is revealed near the end from almost the introduction. It is a great story, it is interesting and fun, and really scary if you think about it in terms of real-life human behavior, I just wish it was a bit messier and that I was a bit more hooked.

I love this author and I look forward to each new story. I think readers with enjoy this read as I have and I look forward to more. After all that epilogue... Yeah, I will be back!

This one was a very interesting vampire thriller with dark elements and really interesting use of vampires in ways I've rarely seen in other works, with a large focus on racism against them and such. thanks for the arc.

This was my first experience with this author, and it did not disappoint! While I loved the complex vampyr and human relationships, what really kept me reading was the character development and the obvious comparisons to real-life marginalized communities. The main characters were complex and likeable, and I really cared about their lives in the end. I hope there is a sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me get my hands on this book early! I’m normally not one for vampire novels, but goodness gracious, CJ Tudor has written another fantastic novel. Vampires, crime, and murder. A must read!

C. J. Tudor has proven yet again why she’s one of my favorite authors. This book introduces an alternate reality in which humans and vampyres know about each other and live near each other.

The Colony resembles refugees, along with anyone else who has been ‘othered’ by society. In the end, though, nothing is as simple as ‘this side is good, that side is bad.’ Much like in real life.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased feedback.

Welcome to the snowy Alaskan town of Deadhart. With the weather causing isolation, and bodies piling up, what will Detective Barbara Atkins do. Strap in folks, there's murder, mystery and paranormal swirling on the icy winds! Where does the corruption end, and the facts start to pour through. I really really enjoyed this book. Not my first by this author and it definitely won't be my last.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Gathering. Wow. I thought The Drift was excellent. The Gathering is a totally different story and genre. This is dark, gloomy and set in Alaska! Luv the setting and atmosphere.
This is a world where human beings and vampires live together. And they don’t live happily but this relationship has been going on for hundreds of years.
In the small town of Deadhart a killer is on the loose and Barbara is a detective charged to find him or her. She has her own personal history with vampires but wants to see justice done correctly. Because many of the townsfolk have killed for less and they hate the vampire community a lot.
With a cast of colorful suspects Barbara is determined to solve this case.
This is not a typical comic like book. This is a big read with a great back story and is pretty scary.
Atmospheric and cold. Tudor is a master storyteller. This is really good. 5 stars

a unique and plausible take on the vampire (vampyre) myth, #thegathering really made me think. ms. tudor (@cjtudorauthor) provides a lot of social commentary here, wherein the vampires are the minorities who are profiled and discriminated against. so we have an interesting premise, of humans and vampires co-existing, along with a really great detective (who is an expert in vampirism) trying to solve the case of a young man's murder, while keep the two factions from warring. really, really cool. i hope we continue to read of barbara's adventures! also, some really, really chilling moments!

p.s. thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.