Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC! This was a very creative storyline, a whodunnit complete with vampyrs! Although it was slow at times, I was engaged throughout and especially enjoyed the big reveal and ending. I’m looking forward to CJ Tudor’s next work!

In an alternate reality, vampyrs are real and have lived in colonies precariously alongside humans for ages. Laws have been passed forbidding humans from killing vampyrs, though in cases where the creatures go rogue and attack humans, a special branch of law enforcement can authorize a cull of the perpetrators, or even an entire colony if it poses a threat to civilization. When a young boy is found dead in a small Alaska town, apparently from vampyr attack, Detective Barbara Atkins is sent in to determine if it was indeed a blood sucker who committed the crime and if a cull is to be authorized. What she finds is much more complicated, involving anti-vampyr hate groups, black market vampyr parts dealing, religious zealotry and a simmering cauldron ready to boil over in a clash between vampyrs and humans. With the help of a disgraced former police chief, Atkins will have to solve the murder before all out war erupts.
This was a bit different of a tale for Tudor, being a mix of murder mystery and urban fantasy horror. A different type of vampyr, having very few of the fabled characteristics besides longevity, blood drinking and enhanced abilities, the vampyrs are nonetheless vicious creatures not to be trifled with. The mystery aspect had a lot of depth and was not easy to figure out before the truth was revealed. There was a big twist at the end, besides the murder itself, which was sprinkled throughout the book, but upon its ultimate reveal felt a bit chintzy and unnecessary. And at the very end was the strongest suggestion this is to be the beginning of a series which, while I really liked Atkins as a protagonist, I'm not entirely sure I want to see a whole series based on vampyrs. But overall I did enjoy the book and never guessed what the motivations were behind the killings.

I definitely enjoyed this one! Tudor has been hit or miss for me, but she nailed it with this one. The setting was ominous and the tension felt within the town was palpable. This was more of a slow burn and I expected it to have a hugely dramatic conclusion, but it doesn’t. It stays true to the atmospheric dread throughout with a few twists here and there.

I do feel like Tudor did was many authors do and her twists on the folklore at times were more for the story’s convenience rather than being sensical.

Overall, this was a well written vampire story. I don’t seek out vampire stories by any stretch, but this is one I would recommend.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley. CJ Tudor is an automatic read for me. I loved everything she has put out there. This was no exception!! The storyline and world building is world class. There were quite a few characters but they were so well done it was easy to keep them straight. The town itself became a character if you will. Highly recommend

Before I start, you must know that I really love C.J. Tudor. I have read everything she has written. With the exception of Sliver of Darkness, however, it’s still on the shelf. She writes light horror, however, this one is a little darker than her previous work.

*** Trigger Warnings- violent scenes, child abuse, and I might be missing some ***

In Alaska, there is a world where humans and vampires (spelled vampyr) coexist. Only, vampyrs have been ostracized and live deep inside the woods, called The Colony. Just picture southern America during the civil war but vampyrs. It’s US or Them. Now, vampyrs have rights. You cannot kill them unless it’s self defense.

This is not a typical vampire story either. Be prepared.

Detective Barbara Atkins has been sent to the town of Deadhart. She specializes is vampyr killings, determining whether they are justified or if it’s a crime. A human teenage boy has been brutally killed and the murder caught on video. It appears he was attacked by one of Satan’s spawn, a vampyr. People are outraged and want justice. The town is in an uproar, ready to attack.

I enjoyed Barbara’s character. She was all about equality. You’ll soon find out there is a reason she is this way, as we are taken back to the past of her childhood. Subjects of sexuality, race, and abuse are mentioned here. One flaw I found was that I felt Barbara was a little dry. Not much emotion to her. I see this a lot with female detectives.

Picture a story about racism only with vampyrs. Pretty cool right? I enjoyed this one quite more than The Drift and flew right through it. If you love strange and are already familiar with her style, I highly recommend it!
Thank you so much Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and C.J. Tudor for this opportunity. Publication April 9, 2024

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I knew when I received this arc, it was going to be my next pick no matter what!
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and C.J.Tudor for the arc of The Gathering. This was such a good book, I absolutely loved it! I have read her earlier books and have enjoyed them but this was so unlike her other books. For instance, there was world building in this one which was done so well that I thought I was reading the second or third book in a series and not the first, she did a great job at introducing the reader to the vampire and human concepts. I also think the characters were fleshed out so beautifully as I remembered each one of them even though there were so many! I have always loved her writing but I liked the setting for this story so much, that I was fervently hoping for this to be a series and I am pretty sure it’s going to be because of the ending. I would devour reading the #2 Detective Atkins for sure. There were some pretty horrible gory elements and some abuse trigger warnings here - so beware but they were definitely necessary for the storyline. Would recommend this book to everyone who likes reading detective fiction with heavy supernatural element.

Detective Barbara Atkins is a vampyr specialist. She goes to Deadhart, Alaska to investigate the murder of teen Marcus Anderson. Many think it was the work of the Colony but Barbara isn’t so sure. Lots of strife exists between the town people and the Colony.
This was another excellent read by CJ Tudor. Totally different from her previous books. I was hooked from start to finish.
Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this eARC that will be released April 9, 2024!

I really loved the effortless inclusion of the notion of Vampyres into normal end everyday life. Everything aside from the Vampyres ring true to life today.

Wow! I’ve been a fan of C.J. Tudor since The Chalk Man and I’ve enjoyed every novel she’s written. The Gathering may be her best yet. The story hooked me from the first page and the characters are so interesting and well developed. I loved Barbara immediately and the villains were very “villainy.” If you’re looking to get scared or creeped out, this is definitely the ticket.

Small town Alaska, vampire colonies, C.J. Tudor’s wonderfully wicked sense of humor, great plot twists, and plenty of horror. It’s all here! The Gathering is simply outstanding. I’ll be getting a hard cover for my library and I’m planning to listen to the audiobook which is narrated by Lorelei King when it’s releases in April.

Thank you to @ballantinebooks @netgalley and @cjtudorauthor for an advance digital copy of The Gathering.

This book this book THIS BOOK!
A snow setting and vampires, what more could a girl ask for really?

I really enjoyed this one. The atmosphere was fantastic and I loved all the vampire lore. The part about “the girl” was my favorite part.

I will say this book was pretty predictable for me at points. Other than that this book was pretty good. The end of this book had my Jaw on the floor tbh! The last letter from the girl was the best twist in the entire book. C. J. Tudor will always be an auto buy author of mine.
3.5/5 Stars

I absolutely loved this new novel From C J Tudor! I have read all of her previous work, and was eager to discover how she was going to handle the vampire mythology. I initially thought that this all seemed a bit familiar, but the author quickly distinguished her vampires from the crowd and placed them square at the center of a tantalizing murder mystery. Barb Atkins is an incredible crime solving lead, and I so enjoyed getting to know her. The storytelling is top notch, the characters are well imagined and rich, and the setting is simply perfect. A vampire story in the Alaskan wilderness! Simply perfect and I am so glad I received the opportunity to get a sneak peek at this great new book from one of my favorite authors.

** I will note that Barb's use of a few Briticisms was rather off. She referenced windscreens, where most Americans would say windshields, meters instead of feet, and power cuts instead of power outages. There were times that this American story just didn't sound all that American. Still I loved it thoroughly and will enjoy recommending it.

I have loved some of CJ Tudors books in the past. I was excited to pick this up and read it. I loved the creepy small town vibe. CJ does a great job of creating atmosphere. This book is going to great for people that love sci fiction. I had no idea vampires were involved in the plot. I did feel that the storyline was a little difficult to follow because there were a lot of characters introduced and little character development. Sometimes it was hard to keep all the names straight.

I have loved every single CJ Tudor book. Every single one is so different and so very good!! This one definitely lived up to my expectations.

I have to say, I had my doubts about how much I would enjoy this one as I'm very picky about books with vampires. However, this one drew me in from the very first page, and I was gone hook, line, and sinker for the day and a half it took me to read it.

This book was so well written and had so many twists and turns that I could not figure it out, which I was very thrilled about!

I really loved the whole Vampyre colonies and how racism against them played such a huge role in the story. I quite enjoyed all the characters and the backstory on many of them.

I really could not put this one down.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review

Deadhart, AK is a small town on the verge of dispute. In a world where humans and vampyrs coexist, but not with equal rights, some members of Deadhart are ready to kill each other off. When a teenage boy is found dead, neck savagely ripped apart, townspeople are quick to assume a vampyr is to blame. The local law enforcement calls in help, enter Barbara. Barbara has studied vampyrs and has been given the authority to find justice for the boy even if it means extinguishing the whole vampyr colony in Deadhart. Quickly the human citizens call for a cull, and end to the demon kind. Barbara isn't so quick to agree though, what if something more human is at play? When more humans wind up dead, the fury takes hold. How will Barbara make a choice with all the pressure to do the right thing?

This book was very well written. A cast of characters that all seem untrustworthy and slightly insane. The setting brings a life of its own. Not for the faint of heart, there are some pretty brutal, graphic scenes. CJ Tudor created a realistic world with a tad of fantasy. Huge fan. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance copy. Worth adding to your TBR.

Barbara is a detective specializing in vampyr killings and is given an assignment in Deadhart, Alaska. A teenager has been savagely killed in what appears to be the work of a vampyr. There is a colony of vampyrs in this town and everyone is afraid. Barbara is not welcome in the town because the citizens want to cull these creatures by killing all of them. But culling is being outlawed by the government. When others are found dead Barbara knows time is running out. She must find the killer. Thank you Netgalley for this arc that comes out in April, 2024. The Gathering by C.J. Tudor was a 5 star read!

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House, and CJ Tudor for this amazing e-ARC.

I was skeptical going into this book because vampires aren't usually my thing when it comes to reading, but boy am I glad I gave this one a chance.

Vampyrs and humans are trying to live peacefully together in the town of Deadhart, Alaska. Some humans are accepting, while others are not, and would like a culling to occur to be rid of these "spawns of satan". A young boy is killed, a doctor is running an illegal blood operation to The Colony, a reverend is doing her work for God to rid the towns of such monsters, a detective from out of town is trying to find the boy's murderer, and much more.

A crime thriller, full of suspense, with a lot of nasty characters who are easy to keep track of. I'm so glad I gave this one a try. I loved every page.

The Gathering" by C.J. Tudor is a novel that seems to take the classic elements of a crime thriller and tosses them into a blender with a generous dash of the supernatural. Picture this: a small, chilly Alaskan town (because what’s a spooky story without a little snow and isolation, right?), a detective who specializes in 'vampyr' killings (yes, you read that right), and a former sheriff who’s seen it all before. This duo dives into the town’s murky past to solve a brutal murder, but are they chasing after a run-of-the-mill psychopath or something out of a vampire movie?

As our detective, Barbara Atkins, and the recluse ex-sheriff, Jenson Tucker, untangle the web of secrets, they find themselves asking a very important question: which is more dangerous, a bloodthirsty monster or a twisted human being? And honestly, aren't we all a bit curious about that?

The novel promises a mix of suspense, horror, and perhaps a few chills down your spine. It seems Tudor's not just content with being the queen of British crime fiction; she's after the horror throne now, bringing a unique vampiric twist to the classic detective story. So, if you're up for a story where the atmosphere is so tense you could cut it with a knife, and you don't mind a bit of the supernatural thrown into your crime-solving adventures, "The Gathering" might just be your next thrilling read. Just maybe keep the lights on while you read it, especially if you’re not too keen on unexpected 'vampyr' visits!

I have to say right at the start that I am not a big fan of vampire books. I can more easily picture aliens or horrifying creatures than I can a vampire, but I decided to give this book a shot because I had read "Drift" by this author and enjoyed it.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this novel. A young man is murdered, his throat torn out and Barbara Atkins, a forensic vampyr detective is sent in to assist in the investigation. The setting is in Alaska, in site of Denali, in the town of Deadhart.
There are so many inconsistencies and twists and turns that I had to just keep on turning those pages. Bodies are piling up and disasters are happening. In this reality, vampires exist and there are strict laws on what they can do and what humans can do. Discrimination and fears run both ways. Hatred is not limited to just one species.

Detective Atkins was very smart and interesting and I hope to hear about her again some day.

Thank you to C. J. Tudor, Kathleen Quinlan/Penguin Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

This captivating book unveils a dreamlike fusion deserving resounding cheers from the rooftops: Picture a riveting paranormal murder mystery, encapsulated within the claustrophobic confines of a small Alaska town, where the residents grapple with a novel term—previously unacknowledged—"vampire racism"!

C. J. Tudor, you stand as a trailblazer for redefining vampires, meticulously peeling away clichés such as vulnerability to sunlight, immortality, and weaknesses to holy water and garlic (funny enough, my garlic intolerance might make me more of a vampire than I thought).

Envision an enthralling plot: "True Detective: Night Country" colliding with the supernatural allure of "True Blood," while channeling the quirky character dynamics reminiscent of "Fargo." It feels as though this narrative has emerged from a specialized crime literature laboratory, perfectly crafted to satiate the appetite of avid horror enthusiasts!

The stage is set in the fictional enclave of Deadhart, a small Alaska town, where the discovery of a 15-year-old boy with a ripped throat and drained of blood echoes a murder that transpired 25 years ago. The townsfolk suspect a connection between this murder and the resurgence of the Colony—a group of vampires led by the formidable Athelinda, a centuries-old vampire masquerading as a 9-year-old girl, stealthily roaming the town to assert that they are innocent of the deaths.

Enter vampire anthropologist and detective Barbara Atkins—a middle-aged, overweight, yet astute and formidable presence. Her arrival stirs further suspicions among the townsfolk, eager to coerce her into granting consent for a "cull," an act that would sanction the massacre of the remaining Colony members, all in the name of their perceived righteous cause.

Barbara, raised under the influence of a racist and abusive father, remains steadfast in her determination to approach the situation with fresh eyes, unclouded by the biased vampire racism propagated by the townspeople. Adding fuel to the already blazing fire, the enigmatic Reverend Colleen Grey exacerbates tensions, intensifying the conflict between townspeople and the Colony!

Regrettably, young Marcus is not the sole victim claimed to be murdered by vampires. Barbara, an outsider drowning in the town's venomous hatred, finds herself reluctantly partnering with ex-Denhart sheriff Jenson Tucker. Jenson, once in charge of the murder case twenty-five years ago, makes a poignant return to Denhart to confront his past sins and assist Barbara in solving the escalating murder cases before an inevitable and catastrophic war breaks out—a war that pits humans against the Colony, placing countless lives in jeopardy!

I can genuinely affirm that I devoured this literary gem in a single sitting, my eyes reddened and limbs numb—a testament to its undeniable worth! This stands as my favorite among the author's works thus far and is a strong contender for my vote in the Goodreads Choice Awards this year (yes, I acknowledge it's early, but I want to underscore the exceptional quality of this book and fervently encourage you to delve into its pages).

Elevated to a well-deserved status of 5 Alaskan, long-midnight, more vampiric stars!

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballentine for generously providing me with the digital reviewer copy of this outstanding book in exchange for my candid thoughts.

A MUST read for vampire lovers!! This dark and creepy thriller set in the isolated Alaskan wilderness in a world where humans and vampires coexist will be sure to captivate your attention and have you flying through the pages at record speed. This is not a love story with a happy ending like Twilight. Think more along the lines of 30 Days of Night. This is a murderous tale laced with hatred and revenge and all sorts of guilty characters and illegal activity. I did not want this story to end but end it did.... on a cliffhanger! 🤦‍♀️Fingers are crossed for a sequel. In my opinion, this is Tudor's best book to date and my new favorite. I highly recommend!

Thank you to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for granting me early digital access in exchange for my honest review!