Deadhart, Alaska. Barbara Atkins is an out of state detective from the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department who is assisting a murder investigation. A teen has been brutally slayed; his throat slashed and body drained of blood in what appears to be a copycat killing from 25 years earlier. The townsfolk believe the local vampyr colony are responsible and want them destroyed in a mass cull. But Barbara isn't so sure. As tension mounts, a fierce storm threatens to cut the town off from outside help. Can Barbara solve the case or will she be too late?

C. J. Tudor is an incredibly talented writer whose stories are diverse and immersive. The Gathering was another excellent read. I thought the plot with humans and vampyrs co-existing in a melting pot of high tension and conflict was eerie and suspenseful. Vampyr leader Athelinda, centuries-old yet still a 9-year-old girl, was menacingly scary. The freezing, isolated town added hugely to the foreboding atmosphere and elevated my unease. It was another superb read from this gifted author. I'll be at the front of the queue for her next book and I can't wait!

A chilling gothic murder mystery. In the Alaskan town of Deadhart, humans live alongside a colony of "vampyres" in an uneasy truce. But when a boy is found murdered, the townsfolk demand a cull of the colony. As tensions mount, can 'fang cop' Detective Barbara Atkins find the killer before more bloodshed? A clever and creepy fang-tastic thriller.

Honestly if I had known that the book was a out Vampires I would never have chosen to read it, but I’m so glad I did as it was we written, exciting, enthralling and had be hooked. C.J. Tudor is a force to be reckoned with.

Detective Barbara Atkins is sent to the town of Deadhart, Alaska when a boy is killed – seemingly the work of a large colony of Vampires (spelt Vampyr) who have recently returned to their homes nearby. They had disappeared long ago when another boy was killed but just turned up in time for another boy to die. Are the colony responsible for the murder in which case the colony will be culled, or is there another monster on the loose?

Exciting, and full of murders, mystery and intrigue, this book will capture your imagination and keep you riveted – even those like me who don’t like vampire books 😁

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186872450-the-gathering

Set in inhospitable Alaska a young boy has been killed perhaps by vampyrs who are allowed to live in their own colonies but must only feed on animals not humans .Detective Barbara Alkins is a specialist in vampyr killings and has been called in to investigate. This is a very enjoyable if chilling read .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

C.J> Tudor knows how to write a novel that is similar to Stephen King, and will definitely be one to watch for future releases

BIg fan and can highly recommend

Always an amazing journey of twists and turns but I seriously loved this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this title.

This wasn't quite what I was expecting, very bloodthirsty.!! Having read C J Tudors books before I should have remembered, that it is always wise to expect the unexpected. It was a fascinating story with a variety of characters and an interesting conclusion.

CJ Tudor does vampires—and it's every bit as cool and creepy as you'd hope. This "fang noir" is atmospheric, twisty and compulsively readable. A truly original take on vampires, I drank it up like a big goblet of blood.

It took me a couple attempts to get into The Gathering, but not for any fault in the writing, I simply couldn't stop envisioning 30 Days Of Night!
Once I sat and pushed past that preconception The Gathering is so much more than just vampires in Alaska.

Tudor has imagined a world where vampires are legally accepted but with this comes a whole host of arising criminal activity- not limited to killing.
Enter main character Barbara, initially drafted to investigate and decide whether a cull of the local vampire colony is justified following the murder of a teenaged boy.

At times I struggled with the amount of characters involved in this small town mystery, although they are well fleshed out there are many innocuous names to catalogue and Marcus, Jacob, Dan, Nathan, Michael etc did blend together once or twice.

Written in third from multiple POVs, Barbara was a fantastic no-nonsense, head strong female lead and I enjoyed her story most of all. Tudor put me firmly on her side as the only character we can trust in this twisting tale.

The Gathering is both police procedural and horror with enough fictional history, law and politics to build an entirely new world to play in.
I was thrilled to find Tudor ended on an epilogue with an opening to continue Barbara's story elsewhere, fingers crossed there's more to come...

In a small Alaska town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The town hasn't a killing like this in years. They know who is responsible a vampire from a nearby colony. Barbara Atkins a detective who specialises in Vampyr crimes is called in to investigate. The town is convinced the colony is responsible but Barbra is not so sure. She insist the help of a former Sheriff and together they begin to uncover the town's dark secrets. While the town becomes snowed in and cut off from the world Atkins is searching for the killer before time runs out but is it a bloodthirsty monster or a twisted psychopath and which would be more dangerous

C J Tudor never disappoints this was a brilliant twist on a police procedural story and I had a great time reading this. A really creepy dark isolated setting read with lots of suspense and twists ! Would definitely recommend giving this a go even if you are not into vampire stories.

Thank you to Netgalley, Michael Joseph and C J Tudor for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This book was a tale of murder mystery with some added vampires.

This wouldn’t usually be a book I’d read, but it surprised me slightly. The author made great work of giving the feel of a small town, in fact she nailed it. The book also had the right mix of suspense and chill factor, it really made the book what it is.

I would recommend.

C.J. Tudor has done it again. A horror story that both thrills and terrifies, while still inspiring compassion for those involved. An easy 5 stars to award!
Deadhart, Alaska, is a small rural community which is also home to a colony of vampires. A young teenager is found with his throat torn out. Early indications are that vampires are responsible, so many in the town are calling for a cull of the colony. Our main character, Barbara Atkins, is a vampire specialist and detective. She is tasked with investigating the crime and deciding whether to authorise the cull.
Unfortunately, upon her arrival things are not so clear cut. There are many townsfolk with a vested interest in what happens. The similarities to a killing decades earlier are not lost on Barbara and someone seems to want to stop her making a decision.
Before we know it we’re immersed in a world where nobody can be trusted. Secrets are revealed and long-held grudges are brought into the open.
From start to finish this is a story that demands your attention. I had to force myself to read slowly and take breaks just so I could savour it. The ending also indicates strongly that there may be more to come. I really hope so!
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication. And thanks to the author for creating a story that was so captivating.

In the small, dark and claustrophobic town of Deadholt Alaska, already simmering tensions reach boiling point following the brutal murder of a young boy. The Gathering will capture you in its thrall and soon this tense and gripping thriller will have you realise that this time it's not just the vampyrs who are out for blood.

4.25 *
This book is a whole load of fun! Set in Alaska where the original natives were vampires. Yep, vampires exist in a protected space. So when a teenage boy is found murdered suspected from a vampire attack, a specialist detective is brought in to inspect the legal way, the towns human settlers aren't too happy. They want the community of vampires culled and exterminated once and for all. Upon further enquiries, things aren't quite as they seem, and the true evil is lurking in the most innocent of places.
This isn't a new way of vampires, they drink blood, try to live in human society, some good, some bad - but the way this story is told, as a thriller with vampire characters is new. So if you're thinking it's JUST another vampire book you may be pleasantly surprised

The Gathering is a decent read if a little lacking in action.
Barbara Atkinson is on her way to Deadhart in the remote Alaska when we meet her, she is adjusting to the temperatures of both the climate and the locals. Barbara has been brought in to help investigate the brutal murder of a teenager that rumour has it has been committed by the colony of vampyres. Barbara meets resilience through the locals as they believe no investigation is needed and a culling must be called but things aren’t adding up for Barbara and with the help of a few new and old faces she gets down to the nitty gritty without being swayed to one side or the other.
This was a different kind of read for me but I did enjoy it, I have read most of this author’s previous works and enjoyed them. This book was I thought very different to what the other books have been like. I enjoyed the storyline I just wish there was a bit more gore and action considering it was about a colony of vampyres.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Another superb read from C J Tudor, her writing keeps getting better and better. She hooks you in and once the ride starts you are locked in. Atmospheric and dark, I wasn't too sure of the vampyric element but it really was good and gave this tale a whole new slant on the genre for my reading. Would highly recommend.

Out-of-State Detective Barbara Atkins isn't given the warmest of welcomes when she arrives at the remote Alaskan town of Deadhart but then she has been sent to investigate the horrific death of a teenager who the townsfolk believe to have been murdered by one of the vampyrs who live in the out of town colony. However, there is little evidence to support this and with tempers running high Barbara is fighting not just the townsfolk whose hatred of the vampyr community is legendary but also the vampyrs themselves whose ancient malevolence is as palpable as it is threatening.

Thanks to this author's atmospheric description of life in small town Alaska I felt as if I had stepped out into the cold and snow with Barbara as she sets about challenging misconceptions and untruths, whilst at the same time she hunts a violent killer who will stop at nothing. In linking the bigotry and hatred of the townsfolk with a similar loathing of humans by the vampyr community you have a combustible situation which threatens to spiral out of control. With its creepy atmosphere and challenging characters, Deadhart, with its community of bigoted townsfolk, and violent vampyrs is very much a central character in this chilling story, and even though the town and its people really scared me, I can't wait to go there again. The cleverly controlled ending of The Gathering certainly hints that there might well be a return visit. Bring it on!

I’ve read a few of C.J. Tudors books and I absolutely loved the drift last year it was one of my favourite reads, so when I saw this I knew I had to read it!
Now this is slighty out of my usual comfort zone I’m usually a straight up thriller reader and when i found out this had vampires in it I was worried I wouldn’t like it. However I was proved wrong and thought it was a great stepping stone into more of a fantasy or supernatural read. The main story is really great and it is all about solving a murder and the whole stories just sprinkled with the vampires so it doesn’t feel too much of fantasy which for me was really great.
Can’t wait to see what she brings out next now!!

I very much enjoyed thriller writer CJ Tudor's turn to schlocky horror in The Drift, and so I was eager to pick up her follow-up, The Gathering. Definite shades of Stephen King here: The Gathering is set in a world where the existence of 'vampyr' colonies is acknowledged and feared, but where laws govern the ways that humans are allowed to interact with them. Culls of colonies can be authorised if they prey on humans, but otherwise locals are expected to leave them alone. Our protagonist, Barbara, is a no-nonsense detective who is, refreshingly, an older lesbian: she travels to a small town in Alaska where a teenage boy has been found with his throat ripped out. Given the town's history of mysterious killings, its inhabitants are keen for Barbara to call for a cull of the nearby vampyrs. But is there more going on here than meets the eye? Sadly, I'd say this is more of a crime novel with a touch of horror than an actual horror novel, and so will appeal more to crime fiction fans. While The Gathering starts well, as Barbara adjusts to the freezing weather and her run-down motel, it swiftly loses much sense of place. I was also frustrated by the lack of worldbuilding - Tudor relies very heavily on existing vampire lore and barely explains her rules (frankly, the lifecycles and biology of vampires are better developed in LJ Smith's Night World series, which is YA from the 90s, and so has the pace and page count you'd expect). Barbara is supposedly an expert on vampyr anthropology, but there's little sense of what that means, as the vampyrs could be replaced by an outcast human community in this novel with little knock-on effect. I got lost in the cast and felt that the climax was merely set-up for what looks likely to be a continuing series, with a number of significant loose ends left trailing. Love vampires, but I won't be reading on.

I've been a fan of C.J. Tudor's books since "The Chalk Man" came out and this is one of her best books yet (I'm yet to read "The Drift" though)

I wasn't keen on reading another novel on vampires but her take on "vampyrs", as she calls them is a mix of fun cliches and unique twists. Set in winter in Alaska, the atmospheric setting drew me in and the sassy MC, Barb had me hooked.

I loved the characters, the rich backstories and the impressive twists in the book. I hope to read more of Brad, Tucker and Athelinda.

Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph for the e-copy!

4.5/5