Superb!! C J Tudor is building a formidable backlist and this latest offerring is her finest to date. Set in Deadhart, Alaska where a colony of Vampyrs has returned after a long exile. When a man is found with his throat removed all the old prejudices come back. Barbara Atkins is sent in from out of town to support local law enforcement in their investigation but she will find local prejudices are the least of the issues to overcome in trying to understand what has happened and the dangers still to come. Great pacing and characters as Tudor creates a fabulous setting and lets the characters loose to roam. Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for an advance copy of The Gathering, a stand-alone set in the fictional town of Deadhart, Alaska.

Barbara Atkins, a detective with the Department of Forensic Vampyr Anthropology, is sent to Deadhart to investigate the murder of a teenager in what looks like a vampyr attack. The town is calling for a cull of the local vampyr colony, but Barbara isn’t ready to take such drastic action when she is being lied to and the evidence doesn’t stack up. She works with Jensen Tucker, the former sheriff who investigated a similar murder twenty five years ago, to get to the truth.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Gathering, which has an inventive, compulsive plot with some good twists. I must admit that vampires are not normally my thing, but I like the author’s work so I decided to take the plunge and give it a go. It was well worth it as the novel has a matter fact of approach and could be seen as a police procedural (with a hint of exotica), which is right up my street.

I think that there can be no discussion of the novel without first mentioning the theme, which is otherism. Vampirism is perhaps an extreme way of illustrating this mindset, but the human feelings, antagonism and reactions are all too recognisable. It is not particularly pleasant to read and some of the historical actions are downright sadistic, but, then, that has ever been the case for “others”.

The plot is very moreish as it follows Barbara’s investigation. There are dark secrets in Deadhart and they are not easy to uncover, but gradually they come to light and they aren’t pretty. I like Barbara who is relentless in her investigation and that gives the novel momentum. There are enough developments and strategic reveals to keep the reader turning the pages. There is one odd note with the intermittent voice of a young girl kept prisoner, whose identity is not revealed until the final pages in a neat irony.

The Gathering is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

The Gathering is the first of Tudor’s novels I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. It adds something very interesting to not just the crime genre, but also the vampire genre which made the novel feel so unique. It’s world building and understanding of itself without being too serious is something that not many authors can accomplish, and it worked so well here. Vampires are well and truly BACK and I love to see it!

THE GATHERING is a paranormal murder mystery, by author C.J. Tudor.

Her novels include:
The Chalk Man (2018)
The Hiding Place (2019)-aka The Taking of Annie Thorne
The Other People (2020)
The Burning Girls (2021)
The Drift (2023)
The Gathering (2024)

This is my review of The Gathering.

Barbara Atkins, a forensic detective was on her way from New York to Anchorage, Alaska, to investigate a grisly crime in rural Alaska.

The setting for this book is in Deadhart, Alaska which is a very small town with a population of only 673.

A teenage boy had been found in the woods with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. There has not been a killing like this in twenty-five years. The residents of the town feel it is the work of a member of the Colony, a community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods.

Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings, has been called in to determine if this is a Colony killing—and authorize a cull. Barbara recruits the help of a former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life…and Tucker knows the Colony better than almost anyone.

As the pair investigate, they discover dark secrets…and then another body is found. Is this the work of killer or a psychopath?

Atkins and Tucker are on a race to determine the truth.

This was a past-paced novels full of twists and turns with well-developed characters. I am not usually a fan of vampire-based books, but it pleasantly surprised me. It proved to be an enjoyable read.

Many thanks to Penguin Random House, Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my digital copy.

Unfortunately not for me. I struggled to connect with the writing style and story. I would still recommend if you are a fan of the authors work. This was just not my cup of tea.

The first time I read C.J. Tudor (in her debut novel, The Chalk Man) I was utterly compelled to review it, though I didn’t start reading it with that in mind. I was simply so floored by her crisp characterization and ability to weave deftly back and forth between various plot points and timelines that I simply had to. She put me flat on my ass with her skill and her voice.

I’ve tried to score ARC’s of her books since then with no success…until now. I was giddy to receive the opportunity, as I’ve become an unabashed fan of her work. She’s continued to get better with each passing novel, and that’s a bold statement for a lady who started with the high bar of The Chalk Man. Upon finding out the novel was a supernatural crime thriller about a vampire murder in an isolated Alaska town, set in a world where vampires are an endangered species hated by society at large, I kind of started to dance about a bit.

This was going to be good.

In the isolated town of Deadhart, Alaska, a young man is murdered by what has to be a vampire (or “vampyr”). The townsfolk are in an uproar and demand a cull of the local colony that lives on the outskirts of town. Enter Barbara Atkins, a homicide detective with a Ph.D. in forensic vampire anthropology. Her job is to find out if it truly was one of the colony that killed Marcus Anderson and potentially to decide if a cull (i.e. extermination) of the colony is called for. Tensions are high in Deadhart. Barbara isn’t your average detective- she’s a bit of a bleeding heart who doesn’t want to see the colony hurt unless it’s legitimately necessary. The citizens of Deadhart want justice the old-fashioned way; they want some more vampire heads to go on the wall of the local watering hole. But as Barbara peels back the layers of this bloody onion, she finds that there are a slew of dark secrets and hidden relationships in the town of Deadhart, Alaska. What’s a conscientious homicide detective to do in the face of a growing mob and rampant bigotry?

The Gathering opens with a high level of tension and its foot on the gas, never letting up while stacking up revelations and further murders like cordwood stacked against the freezing Alaska nights. There’s plenty of social commentary at work, too, and that’s a damn good thing. The use of vampires as “the other” (as opposed to people of color, LGBTQ+, indigenous, or what have you) is no less potent for all its fantastic nature. Tudor makes the premise immediately believable. It’s not subtle, and that’s perfectly okay. There’s a message you’re supposed to get that mirrors the tense times we live in in 2024.

Meanwhile, there’s an interlude that keeps cutting in concerning “the girl”, a captive in an unknown time and place. This adds another mystery to keep you hooked that counterpoints the main mystery succinctly. Just who that girl actually is…and what it means for the present and future of the story…is stunning shit. It’s the kind of thing that makes you tell yourself afterward, “I should have seen it coming!”

C.J. Tudor knows how to weave together a nest of characters both large and small with a deft hand, mingling multiple secrets and dark desires with aplomb. The Gathering is one of those books that lead you down one path only to bring you out somewhere completely unexpected in the best way possible. Barbara Atkins is a simple protagonist that you warm up to instantly for precisely that reason- she’s a good person with straightforward motivations born out of a tragic past and a deep well of personal pain.

Where the book really shines, however, is in the aforementioned social subtext just under the surface of Deadhart, Alaska. I’m not from anywhere near Alaska; actually, I’m from South Carolina. But I instantly recognized this town. The human-vampire relations in Deadhart are instantly relatable to our own tumultuous times. Vampires as second-class citizens is a brilliant twist that gives you a reason to feel differently about bloodsuckers, and that’s exceedingly rare for a vampire novel. Tudor knows how to make you look at things differently while being just heavy-handed enough. That’s a rare talent. The Gathering is a one-of-a-kind vampire novel/police procedural that challenges your preconceived notions and makes you question where you would fall in that scenario.

How’s that for something juicy to sink your teeth into?

Having read The Gathering by C J Tudor I am currently wondering why I have not picked up any of her books before. She has always been one of my TBR authors and I will definitely be playing catch up with her other books very soon.
When Barbara Atkins is called to Deadhart Alaska to investigate the murder of a young boy she knows that she is going to have a tough ride. Not only is she an outsider but the townsfolk are convinced that this murder is at the hands of a part of the community that they want rid of, lawfully or otherwise. It is quite evident early on as to why Barbara is there as she has an expertise that is needed but as even she does not know who to trust or even who the good guys and bad guys are its going to be one interesting time for her.
If you are looking for a straightforward detective story then this will not be for you but if like me you love the slightly supernatural, more than slightly dark kind of read then this is one you should definitely pick up. Deadhart has a very diverse community although on the surface you wouldn’t know it. Most of its residents are just like you or I, but there is also a colony of vampires living on its outskirts and they are not accepted. They want to live their lives, but they are not trusted and with the recent events you could understand why but not everything is as it seems, and the more Barbara investigates the more you have to wonder what really happened and why. What is definite is that more than one person is hiding something. Barbara is a prickly character who clearly prefers to work alone and knows that she is probably not perfect but I kind of liked her for it.
The book takes us through the present-day investigation and also gives an insight into the past, but there is more, an unidentified narrator that will have you wondering who they are and how they fit into Deadhart and its story. When all the strands come together at the end it does answer those questions but kind of left me with a few more.
CJ Tudor has given her readers something different but still manages to provide relatable themes of prejudice, distrust and misogyny and I am hoping that there will be more outings for Barbara Atkins as I got the feeling that her story was not yet over.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 4*
Plot: 4*
Pace: 3*
Characters: 4*
Setting: 5*

When I saw this on NG I leaped at the request button. Having previously read The Drift through NG I had high hopes I'd be approved but still felt triumphant when I received the YES email, and the book didn't disappoint. I went in blind, even the typeface of the title on the front cover didn't seem to give me any indication of what the story was about, so when I saw the word 'Vampyre' in the text I was thoroughly excited. I have honestly never felt colder reading a book ever before. The Alaskan setting hit me deep in my bones. It was perfect for those chilling vibes, along with a twisty who-dun-it, this all made for an exciting, creepy, cold read. The twist came right at the end so you were guessing the whole way through. And boy was I glad for that epilogue. If you've read this author before and enjoyed you wont be disappointed. If this is your first endeavor, then I suggest you clear the next months calendar as you'll not want to stop making your way through the back catalogue.

Barbara Atkins, a detective, travels to Alaska to assist in an investigation where a boy is found with his throat ripped open. The locals are sure this is the work of a colony, a community of vampyrs. It’s up to Barbara to determine if this is right and if so authorise a cull. What will she discover?

I have read all of C.J. Tudor’s books and enjoyed them. This one is leaning more towards the horror side which isn’t my usual genre but I wanted to read due to the author. This proves why you should take a chance sometimes and read outside your comfort zone!

I found the story very intriguing with a great mystery running throughout, I could never tell where it was going and there were some good surprises. The writing style is great with an intense, creepy atmosphere. The main characters are written well and could easily come back for a series. There are definitely creative, original elements within this story.

Although I enjoyed the majority I did find the pacing on and off. Overall, although not my favourite book by this author, this was an entertaining, chilling horror/thriller and I would be happy to read more. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

The vampire fiction genre can be a little saturated at times but this is like nothing I’ve ever read before. Coexisting societies of humans and vampyres and then tensions between the two factors simmer all the way to boiling point. I really enjoyed reading this, the tension was palpable and I was hooked from the beginning.

I absolutely loved this book. I’ve now read all of C.J. Tudors books and this one is undoubtedly my favourite. I went into The Gathering with trepidation as I really don’t like anything about vampires normally. I’m glad I was brave and read it because it’s one of my favourite books this year to date! It’s a horror/mystery like nothing I’ve read before. I can’t recommend it enough or for that matter any book by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Deadhart a small Alaskan town and a teen boy is found dead. His throat has been ripped out and drained of blood. Could the killer be one of the Vampyrs from the Colony. Detective Barbara Atkins is sent to investigate and if so there would need to be a cull.

I have read all the books by C J Tudor. Some I've liked very much one being The Drift and others have been just ok. This offering was very much average for me.

I enjoyed the setting of the small town. The atmosphere was spot on with the snow, dark nights and lots of Christmas lights. There certainly was a very tense feel. I also liked the main plot of the story and it was only a matter of time until the author produced a book about vampires.

I found the story a slow but enjoyable burn. The ending I felt was packed in a last minute with a lot going on and this I felt let the book down. I did enjoy the odd twist with one in particular which I didn't see coming.

I will definitely read more by the author in the future as every book she does is different. This one just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the book to review.

5⭐️

I am a big fan of this authors work, a go to author for me. I was excited at the prospect of reading the latest release asap without reading the blurb. When I saw the subject matter was Vampyrs I wondered if I’d made a good choice. It has some rave early reviews, so in I plunged with some trepidation, but trusting the author. Having read it, I am blown away by the unique premise of the storyline.

I don’t know if it’s accurate to describe it as ‘world building’ as it’s more chiller than fantasy, but it’s so cleverly done to give it a very modern Vampyr setting and it feels very believable and realistic. Set in Rural Alaska in a small town called Deadhart we have a colony of Vampyrs who are tolerated on the outskirts of town living in isolation and draws parallels to other discriminated against and persecuted sections of society.

Detective Vampyr Hunter Barbara Atkins is called in when a boy is found with his throat ripped out. Barbara is ace, she refuses to be pressured into making an easy choice, determined to get the correct answers. There’s lots going on throughout. Plenty of reveals to enjoy along the way.

I highly recommend this book, don’t be put off by the subject matter, you don’t need to be a horror fan to enjoy it.

Tudor is often compared to King in her writing style, but don’t go expecting a Salem’s Lot with her new novel The Gathering.
An alternative folk lore for Vampyrs is quickly established:
Colonies move about in America based on length of day, although sunlight isn’t a killer to them. They can have their own children - turning children has been outlawed as part of the agreement.
They also have rights, so when the murder of a teenager in the Alaskan town of Deadhart looks to be vampire and the citizens are calling for a cull, Forensic Vampyr Anthropologist Doctor Barbara Atkins is sent to investigate.
This horror murder mystery has a high body count and a frenetic pace that, for me, made it difficult to keep track of who was who and what their stories were. There is an interesting story that brings nuances to the vampire characters - some develop relationships with humans, some want to enjoy the trappings of human lifestyles and others go the whole way and file their teeth and hide as human. This ‘they live among us’ aspect provides opportunities for suspects and motives but avoids going down the paranoia, ‘reds in the bed’ avenue.
A backstory on Barbara Atkins sets up a possible sequel and I would be interested to see where this storyline goes.

The remote town of Deadhart in Alaska is the latest setting in this chilling novel by C.J Tudor. Away from the town live a colony of Vampyrs, they pretty much try to keep to themselves after a murder twenty five years ago, but when a young lad is murdered, Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in Vampyr killings, is called in to assist. Its a small Town and all the inhabitants want is a cull of the colony, Barbara soon upsets them as she insists in investigating everything. Is it another case of a vampyr killing or is it someone closer to home. As the bad weather draws close, and more people die, time starts running out for Barbara.
This was a chilling atmospheric read, you got a sense of the residents frustrations but also had to feel sympathy for some of the vampyrs. Barbara was a great character, and maybe we'll see her again......

Colonies of vampyrs exist on the outskirts of some towns. When a teenage boy is murdered in a small Alaskan town the inhabitants immediately assume it's a vampyr attack and want to cull the colony. Detective Barbara Atkins has to investigate if this was a vampyr attack or not.

I wouldn't describe myself as a fan of horror fiction. I'm not against it, I've read my fair share of Stephen King (Gerald's Game is the scariest book I've ever read), Dean Koontz and Joe Hill to name a few, but it wouldn't be my go-to genre. Having read a couple of C. J. Tudor's earlier novels, I was immediately drawn to The Gathering. I would categorise this as more of a thriller than a horror story. The fact that vampyrs exist gives the story its unique twist, however they could easily be seen as any marginalised group, living on the edges of society.

The premise of the story is well thought through and has its own spin on the vampire myth. Vampyrs and humans co-exist, to a degree. Vampyrs live on the margins of society, they aren't allowed access to schools, medication or employment. As a result, they live in colonies where they take care of their own, surviving by drinking the blood of animals. There are strict laws governing both humans and vampyrs, for each others protection.

Deadhart, a remote Alaskan town, has a vampyr colony on its outskirts. When a teenage boy is murdered in an apparent vampyr attack the residents want to cull the colony. A cull is only permitted if the vampyrs are seen as a threat, a decision that can only be made by a specialist.

Barbara Atkins, a detective and a Doctor of Forensic Vampyr Anthropology, is sent to the town to investigate the killing. The inhabitants of the town are hostile towards Atkins, not only is she an outsider but they perceive her to be sympathetic towards the vampyrs. As Atkins investigates she discovers that there is an old murder case that connects the town and the colony, a case that still causes hostility.

This is a story filled with anticipation, as the investigation digs deeper and deeper into past events you can feel the tension rising. It is impossible to know who can be trusted and who is hiding a dark secret. There was certainly one point, late at night, where my heart was racing and I wasn't sure if I could read on until morning. I really liked the characters of Detective Barbara Atkins and ex-police chief Tucker. I hope that the ending of the novel is a hint towards a possible sequel.

I am a complete and utter wuss and hate all things horror. But I love all things C.J Tudor, so this was a tough call as to whether I felt I could read it or not. But read it I did, and in less than a day too! It is just so addictive that it's impossible to part with.

It wasn't actually as scary as I thought, which for me was a good thing. It is still thrilling and gory and has everything you want from a Tudor book about vampyres (this is how it is spelt throughout the book) and whatnot, but I felt I could sleep at night which is what I was worried about.

She gives a fantastic sense of space, and location. You can feel the chill of the weather, the darkness of the sky, and the terror among the community. She makes a very fake place feel very real, which until you start adding vampyres, is a little unnerving, like this could really be a real place! I have seen some of the photos she has been posting on social media about the places that influenced the book and I feel she has really captured them perfectly.

The town she's in is a very small one, and by setting it there, it makes the whole story feel very claustrophobic and it adds to the fear that the characters, and the readers, feel. It's almost as if the town becomes a character of its own.

We have many characters - teenagers, parents, friends, strangers, vampyires - but I won't go into detail about all of them as we'll be here all week. But none are wasted, they all play their part no matter how small and they all feel very real and familiar. But let me just mention a couple.

Barbara is our main character, a Vampyre expert, detective and doctor. She' stoic and strong, doesn't mess with anyone, she's curious, short and overweight and underestimated, she's a woman in a man's world but she stands out so well. There did seem to be this sadness around her to begin with that I was intrigued by, and by the end of the book she was so well developed that she felt like I knew her.

Then you have Nicolls who is the local police officer, who isn't in it much for reasons I won't go into, but whilst he is there, his scenes with Barbara are fabulous. He's used to one way of working and she's used to another, and somehow they have to find a middle ground otherwise they will never succeed. Alongside Nicholls you have Rita who is the local mayor. I wasn't sure about her at first, I thought maybe she was a bit too perfect, like something was hidden up her sleeve, but whatever her journey is (I will not spoil it), she soon became one of my favourites. And then the other main character is Tucker. Again, I won't spoil it by saying who he is or why he's there at first, but he really grows into himself and I loved every scene he was in.

And finally, we have this voice. Every so often there's a chapter where we read about a woman being held captive. We don't know who she is, where she is, and why she is there, but it trickles in every now and again and adds to this chilling, thrilling feeling.

When you think of vampyres in modern books, they're a bit watered down, more friendly, more romanticised. Whereas this book gives you that traditional, classic fear and blood and terror that vampyres always brought to stories. And I think we've been missing that, and I for one really enjoyed it.

There are lots of twists and turns and surprises that I never saw coming, and I'm excited to see what other people think of it.

I really want a sequel. I don't know if it's necessary or something she's planned, and if it ends how it ends then that's good enough, btu I want more. I don't want it to end yet.

Vampires are my absolute favourite supernatural creature, and it’s great to see more books including the undead. This is my first ever C.J. Tudor book, and what a way to kick off my introduction — I loved The Gathering, and I already have the rest of C.J.’s backlist ready to read!

The Gathering is a horror mystery set in a small Alaskan town reminiscent of 30 Days of Night, where darkness descends and vampires roam the town’s edges. Barbara Atkins is called to investigate the murder of a teenage boy, seemingly at the hands of said vampires, and she has to decide whether it warrants a vampire cull.

This is such a unique idea, and I’ve personally never read anything where vampires are at risk of legal culls. It’s refreshing to have them be known to everyone, rather than a big secret confined to the shadows. It reminded me of Let the Right One In, though still completely different, with a whole new spin on vampires and how they live.

The Gatherine is a chilling detective story with horror undertones and a cast of characters - both dead and alive - that immediately grabbed my attention. Its short chapters make it an addictive read, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m so glad I read it and that it didn’t disappoint; vampires are back, and hopefully this is the start of many appearances in popular fiction!

I have given The Gathering 4 stars.

Initially I thought I was going to find it difficult to get into as the formatting of the ARC, made it difficult to follow but once it sorted itself out, I found myself drawn into the story. There was also a lot of characters and the chapters were often told from a different POV and trying to remember who they were was a bit of a nuisance.

So it was quite a unique story and one that kept me guessing. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I realised that I hadn't. I hope there is going to be a book two!

Detective Barbara Atkins a Vampyr Specialist has been called to assist the Sheriff of Deadhart, Alaska. A remote town where humans and Vampires live together. A young boy’s throat has been ripped out and with Barbara’s previous experience they need to ascertain if it was done by a Vampyr as evidence suggests. But there hasn’t been a killing by a Vampyr for 25 years.
At first, she assists the Sheriff with his findings, but he gets injured in the process. So, Barbara’s on her own for the rest of the investigation. She assists ex -sheriff Tucker who was leading the investigation 25 years ago to get to the bottom of it and find the killer.
The Gathering by C J Tudor is a Mystery/ Horror, which is different from her other books but found it to be a fantastic read. This has an imaginative and original storyline and likeable characters, and I was engrossed in this from start to finish. The ending was left in a bit of a cliff hanger. Is there going to be more of Detective Barabara Atkins? I hope so, it will make a great series 5 stars from me.