Detective Barbara Atkins is a Forensic Vampyre Anthropologist (her alma mater was not mentioned) is sent to a remote town in Alaska for a murder case involving a teenager whose wounds look familiar and considered to be caused by a vampyre. 
    Another "human" teenager was murdered similarly in the town many years ago, vampyres were implicated and subsequently murdered by some townfolk. The colony emigrated but it seems they're back and taking their revenge.
    The book describes an interesting society where vampyres manage to coexist with humans----and have done so for centuries. Their  symbiotic relationship, if disrupted, can result in the culling of the vampyres, a legal procedure that wipes them out .    
    The author describes a remote, frigid town whose residents all seem to have a past history with these vampyres and it's all catching up with them resulting in their death. The freezer in the local cafe is posing as a temporary morgue and filling up fast.
    Barbara is a wonderful character. She knows her credentials cause eye rolling but she is impressive in her job.
    A eerie adventure in a series of macabre events that has the reader totally absorbed in this other world.

I don’t read vampyr (spelling as it is in the story), but this was a great little mystery. Vampyrs have been active in the works for hundreds of year. Most live in colonies. They live amongst humans, neither side happy about this, as cohesively as possible. Detective Barbara Atkins, a forensic vampyr detective is send to Deadhart. A small town in Alaska in the middle of nowhere, decorated all year long in Christmas lives. She is investigating murders that appear to be vampyr related and the town is calling for a complete cull to get rid of the colony.
Barbara is not convinced this is the doing of the colony and as she investigates, she finds more and more hidden secrets that ultimately lead to the truth.
I enjoyed this very much and there were many twists and turns and an ending that was unexpected. There were lies, betrayal and angry townspeople with many secrets. As the body count begins to add up, so do the mysteries of people in the town that should be trusted figures in the community.
This was my first Tudor book and won’t be my last. Her writing style suits my taste

Similar to 'The Drift', The Gathering is an isolation murder mystery with a vampyric twist.

Entertaining read, plenty of depth to keep your mind working and active as you turn towards the final page. A small Alaskan town's long-held secrets begin to come to light as the hunt for the killer becomes more and more intense. Complex lives of both piety and sin are blended together in a small community with a dark history.

It was fun to see the author play with time and age for vampires and humans, as well as the complications of different cultures living side by side.

Middle of the road for me,

In Alaska, humans vampyrs coexist, but vampyrs are ostracized, living deep in the woods in The Colony. Imagine the American South during the Civil War, but with vampyrs. Now, vampyrs have rights, and killing them is only allowed in self-defense.

Detective Barbara Atkins, an expert in vampyr killings, arrives in Deadhart to investigate a human teenager’s brutal murder, caught on video and seemingly committed by a vampyr. The town is outraged and on the brink of violence.

Barbara was a compelling character with a complex past that explains her motivations, touching on themes of sexuality, race, and abuse. However, she sometimes comes across as emotionally dry, a common issue with female detectives in fiction. Despite this, the story’s unique premise and Barbara's character make it an intriguing read.

This is not your classic vampire story, it’s much better. So many twists in this book it will keep you engaged. Many murders happen in this investigation but they end up figuring out who did these things. But that ending 🫣😬 seems as if another book is possible 😅




Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine for allowing me to read for an honest review.

A gripping tale blending police procedural with supernatural elements.. The vivid descriptions evoke the desolate Alaskan landscape and the characters leap off the page. The Gathering awaits you.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Being a slow reader has its disadvantages like being last to the party. Already released I got around to reading this C J Tudor vampire thriller and it did not disappoint. Caught in a snowstorm a small town has a murder of a teenage boy pitting humans against vampires. As a special agent is assigned to the case it’s a race against time to find the killer before one race destroys the other in what’s known as a gathering. Fast paced and not a glittering vampire insight this novel brings horror back to us and what can happen when fear rules a town. As all her novels I’ve read well done. 5/5⭐️ thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouseballentine. Another home run

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

This is a small town murder mystery with vampires. Even with the vampires, you shouldn't expect a straight up horror. I loved it and felt for the detective just trying to do her job.

Rating: 4/5

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book!

Wow wow wow! That's all I can say! I was a fan of C. J. Tudor and her snow-covered, locked-room mysteries with a twinge of science-fiction and "extra" dangers woven into her story, then to find that the twists had time as a factor, and she played with timelines, was so intriguing. She's done it again with a mountain, a locked-room story, and of course, lots of cold snow! The use of setting creates tension just with how she describes the area, the forest, how she can manage to describe loneliness and danger with descriptions of vast and dense trees. She really is a master storyteller!

TV-series worthy, I'm really enjoying this stylistic shift C.J. Tudor has been exploring since The Drift, where her stories venture beyond the 'real world' setting of typical thriller mysteries, and start taking place in more fantastical alternate universes — in this case, one where vampires live (with social tension) alongside human civilization.

C.J. Tudor did an excellent job interweaving The Gathering's world building, without coming across as info-dumpy, and the Alaskan small town setting provided the needed chills and atmosphere (though I still wonder why was this not released during a colder season). A signature to C.J. Tudor's narrative style, we had a laundry list of character, alongside a complex relationship/connection to keep track of; while this one isn't as mind-boggling as in the The Burning Girls, some reveals did lose their shock value a tad as I tried to recall in the moment who they were and their relevance to the plot.

Overall, The Gathering has a very polished, 'Hollywood' sheen to it—the plot moves fast, the characters are memorable and appealing (appreciate the sprinkle of humor), and the writing strikes the perfect balance between descriptive and digestible. It has a generally mainstream appeal that might not be everyone's cup of tea (I see the inclusion of more action set pieces and paranormal elements as such tactics), but for me C.J. Tudor is one of a few that blends the marketable influences with enjoyable personal flair. Can't wait for the next one!

It has been a minute since I tore through a mystery, but I had a really hard time putting this one down. A perfect combination of horror and mystery with vampires, this is an ideal read for anyone looking to sink their teeth into a darker mystery. I hope that Tudor writes more stories in this world because I really enjoyed their take on vampires and how they felt so believable and a natural part of the world. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine books for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

CJ Tudor is having her very own Renaissance and I am HERE FOR IT! The Gathering and her last book have been leaps and bounds better than anything else she’s ever written. I liked her first books, but I LOVED her last two. Amazing. The Gathering in particular was phenomenal. Gave me True Detective: Season 4 vibes in the best way. I cannot wait to read her next novel.

I don’t love books about vampires (spelled ‘vampyrs’ in this book), but vampire hunters? Ooooooo. When a boy is found dead in the town of Deadhart, Alaska, Chief Nicholls is immediately convinced the nearby community of vampyrs (otherwise known as the Colony) is to blame. There is a law that if the Colony is posing a threat to humankind, the government may authorize a cull to essentially wipe them out. 😳 Dark! Detective Barbara Atkins of the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department is assigned the case to determine whether the boy’s murderer was in fact a vampyr or perhaps something more sinister. While this story was so unique, I had trouble following its many characters. There were simply too many to keep track of! Once I got to the book’s ending, I had to do a quick recap in my brain, and there wasn’t any space left for me to be excited about what I learned or what Barbara uncovered. I wouldn’t recommend this if you are looking for a quick read; it was more of a mystery with many (too many, in my opinion) threads for your brain to follow. I’m also not sure what the epilogue meant. ☹️

"The Gatheringt" is a thrilling novel that combines mystery and the dark secrets of a small town in rural Alaska. With its atmospheric setting, compelling characters, and a gripping storyline, this book is sure to captivate readers.

In Deadhart, Alaska, a gruesome murder takes place, reminiscent of a killing that occurred twenty-five years ago. The blame falls on the Colony, an ostracized community of vampyrs residing in an old mine settlement deep in the woods. Detective Barbara Atkins, an expert in vampyr killings, is called in to investigate and make a crucial decision about a possible cull.

CJ Tudor effectively builds suspense and creates an eerie atmosphere by skillfully blending the haunting superstitions and secrets of Deadhart. The sense of isolation and the weight of the town's history enhance the tension throughout the story.

At the heart of the investigation are Atkins and Jenson Tucker, a former Deadhart sheriff who experienced his own brush with danger during a previous murder investigation. The dynamic between the two characters adds depth and intrigue to the narrative, as they race to uncover the truth before the killer strikes again.

While the pacing starts off a bit slow, the story soon finds its footing and evolves into a thrilling ride. The gradual unveiling of secrets and the twists and turns keep readers engrossed, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the identity of the killer.

Although the novel leans more toward mystery than horror, the author's vivid descriptions of the Alaska setting create a chilling backdrop that perfectly complements the overall tone of the story. The cold, dark winter months seem like the ideal setting to delve into the depths of "The Gathering."

Overall, Tudor has written is a compelling and atmospheric mystery that will appeal to fans of small-town secrets and thrilling whodunits.

In the gathering by CJ Tutor we learn about a town called Dark Heart, Alaska. Just like the rest of the world vampires which are called vampiers live along side humans and just like all newcomers humans hate them or at least most of them do. When a boy is killed in what looks like a vampier attack national vampire investigator Barbara is called to Dark Heart to find out the truth. We follow her investigation and learn more about the town and Barbara’s past so we understand more of Barbara’s point of view we also get a POV of a kidnapped girl chained up but throughout the book we don’t know who she is more and more it looks like vampires or causing trouble in the town people want Barbara to call a cull which is where the government legally takes out all the vampires from a certain colony causing trouble for the human neighbors. Barbara knows someone is up to no good and things only get murkier when the doctor is murdered in the church goers or harassed which leads the priest to call a community get together which Barbara feels will only insight the residence. There is so much to the story and it was all so good if Ceejay Tutor sees fit to make this Siri‘s I will be the first to pre-order I love the Barbara and felt so bad for her because of her childhood but OMG that only made the story that much better I really love this book and it really says a lot about how people are quick to judgment in fear of the unknown transforms into hatred quite quickly. Anyone who loves good mysteries with the vampire stories and good versus evil will definitely love this book it is not your average cutesy sci-fi vampire tail but a more credible telling of a great story. I want to thank Random house Valentine for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This type of book is never my go to but I do love this author's work. And this one did not disappoint. Scary in all the right ways! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

Detective Barbara Atkins of the Forensic Vampire Anthropology Department is on her way to Deadhart, Alaska, to investigate a murder in the tiny town. They hadn’t had a murder in 25 years, but this one is strikingly similar to the last, and the town is calling for a mass cull of the vampyrs (I’m going with the author’s spelling, because, pretty!). Barbara understands vampyrs better than most, and she refuses to make that call without a thorough probe; legally, a mass cull can only be done when there are mass casualties or imminent threat of the town’s humans being slaughtered. As a vampyr “sympathizer”, she can’t let that happen.

When she gets there, she meets Chief Nichols, Mayor Rita, Reverend Colleen Grey and her strange sidekick, Grace. Everyone wants to know why 15-year-old Marcus Anderson died. His throat was ripped out, and it’s up to Barbara to figure out if the killer was human or not. There are a lot of other characters in the book, maybe too many, but their names aren’t important. This story is about the two groups, and how they live (or don’t) together. A Gathering is a small war between the two worlds, and someone is trying to make that happen, possibly with this murder. Which side are they on?

My favorite character was Athelinda, leader of the Colony. Centuries old, but trapped in the body of a nine-year-old, it is her who makes the call on killing humans. She looks like an angel but acts like a devil, and she is trying to save her fellow members of the living dead while calming her desire for human blood. In the book, we also hear bits from a vampyr being taken care of by their Captor, and it’s not until the end that you discover who they are.

The ending of this was great, but as is usual with this author’s books, the thing that stands out the most is the writing. Her books are consistently flawless when it comes to the words used and emotions provoked. I’m not one for vampire books, but this is without a doubt the best one I’ve ever read. 4.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Ballantine Books, C.J. Tudor and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

✨Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ✨

The Gathering 📚 by C.J. Tudor

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you @netgalley for this #advancedreaderscopy 🧛‍♂️

A female detective, who also specializes in vampyrs, gets sent to Deadhart, Alaska to investigate a killing of local town boy. The towns people believe the local vampyr colony is behind it and are determined to authorize a cull. The detective works with the town's previous sheriff to get answers, and along the way they learn about the town's dark history and secrets.

I really enjoyed the plot twists in this book - I didn't predict any of them. I also loved the setting of Alaska and vampires (hello, 30 Days of Night vibes). I struggled with the pacing of this book and felt it could have wrapped up things sooner, but overall enjoyed it.

A good pick if you like all things vampires (or in this book, vampyrs) 🧛‍♂️
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I am a huge fan of the author after absolutely burning through the Chalk Man and Burning Girls but this one was not quite the same caliber in my opinion. I kept waiting for something to happen but it never really came. Vampyres are portrayed as victims in the story and weirdly the author has chose to apply all the “woke” stereotypes into their story. Vampyres are meant to be scary abs threatening but these most definitely were not. This was meant to be a murder mystery but it really ended up being more of a study of vampires in America and a lot of the prejudice got tired and I found myself skimming parts.
I will definitely be reading more from CJ Tudor in the future, but this one just wasn’t my favorite.
Thanks to Penguin Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

This is a super unique story. I wasn’t sure how I would feel reading about vampires in a real world scenario like a murder investigation, but it was really enjoyable and kept me hooked. I would describe this book as weird and dark in the best way! I would recommend this book, especially to someone looking for something out of the ordinary.

Review posted on Instagram @readwithkendall