This is something I have not come across before - a vampire (or vampyre) detective story! Unfortunately I could not relate to this at all and did not finish it.

Imagine a world where vampyrs exist, living in outcast communities, tolerated as long as they don't kill humans. If they cross the line they risk being hunted and culled. C. J. Tudor has brilliantly committed this vision to paper.

Barbara Atkins is a Detective with the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department, if there's a crime with suspicion of vampyr involvement, she's the expert. She gets called to the town of Deadhart, where a teenager boy has been found dead following a brutal bloody murder with all the hallmarks of a vampyr attack.

I love the complete realisation of the vampyr lore, and the speculative vision of a divided society. It's superbly imagined, and you can draw parallels with Apartheid, Gypsies or prejudice and discrimination in many forms. I actually preferred this overall vision and the plentiful vampyr bits to the murder mystery case, but the whole thing comes together very well indeed.

Having read all of C. J. Tudor's books I really like this exploration in weird and wonderful directions, from A Sliver Of Darkness and The Drift to The Gathering. The only vampire book I've read before is Dracula, and The Gathering is perfect for our times.

John Marrs has already called The Gathering as a book of the year, I won't go that far -but this book is crying out for a sequel or series of books, and a movie.

Very highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House

Barbara is sent to Deadhart to investigate the death of a teenager possibly killed by a vampyr (that's good they spell it)) the village wasn't blood bit like vampyrs only not human blood

So all Barbara has to do is confirm if this was a human or vampyr who murdered him. This is a thriller so plenty of twists along the way suspense and dodgy characters to grapple with. Guessing which are and aren't is fun and this has plenty to keep you guessing.

I really enjoyed the story and the undercurrent the ending is fantastically well worked, all in all this is a great read and well worth getting in my view that is.

The Gathering by C. J. Tudor

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Here we follow Detective Barbara Atkins from the Forensic Vampyr Anthropolgy Department, as she arrives at the isolated town of Deadhart, Alaska. A teenage boy has been murdered and the townsfolk suspect an individual from the neighbouring vampyr community is responsible. In the wake of this most recent murder (for the crime resembles one that took place several years ago), the locals call for a cull. But for her own reasons, Barbara doesn’t detest the vampyr population like the others. A good detective, she’s here to find out who really is responsible and in doing so, uncover a myriad of dark truths about Deadhart and it’s history.

I’ve read most of Tudor’s work and I have to say that The Burning Girls has remained my favourite… until now. The Gathering blew me away! A supernatural horror about a smalltown murder mystery, this one is great for fans of Let the Right One In and ‘Salem’s Lot. Tudor’s vampire narrative is fresh and original while retaining the eeriness, mystery, and horror we expect from more traditional tales. The plot is completely engrossing, the characters are well-drawn, and the isolated, snowy setting makes it the perfect winter thriller. Full of twists and turns, The Gathering is not to be missed! I could not put this one down and I cannot praise it highly enough. It’s one of those books I already wish I could read again for the first time.

Kind thanks to @netgalley and @michaeljbooks, Penguin Random House, for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. This was a delight to read and review!

It took me a while to get into this but once I did it was hard to put down. It’s a real thriller and quite creepy with small town vibes and lots of mystery. Highly recommend

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc

In my mind CJ Tudor can do no wrong. This book was at times a difficult read, you could feel that small town hatred for “others” so very vividly. I got a bit confused towards the end about which character was which, but that was probably down to me leaving large gaps between chapters! Really interesting story.

Blood-y brilliant!

Supernatural, horror meets edgy crime fiction - CJ Tudor has hit her stride and carved out her own style of storytelling and wow is it good.

With a paunchant for the spooky CJ cleverly writes in her scary characters into scenarios that are believable and are a bit dystopian. Woven into the plot is very much a traditional, whole-dunnit/solve the mystery tale.

Absolutely brilliant work and such an engaging and fast paced book with LOADS of twists! I literally could not put it down. The characters are all really well developed and reading this book whilst temperatures outside my home are plummeting really added to the visceral experience.

Thank to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Detective Barbara Atkins, of the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department, is sent on a mission to Deadhart (pop 673), Alaska, to investigate the death of a young boy, thought to have been killed by a member of the local vampyr colony. The plan to get into Deadhart with little fanfare is scuppered when even the taxi driver knows who she is and why she’s there. Feelings in the town are running high, with all the locals wanting the colony to be culled, and the reception that the Fang Doc gets is far from welcoming as they believe she is a vampyr sympathiser (supersizer 🤣). Barbara is determined to get to the root of the killing, but despite asking all the right questions, she doubts she is getting the right answers.

OMG what a book! Horror is my favourite genre, with vampires/vampyrs being my monsters of choice. This was absolutely the most perfect book for me. A setting of Fortitude meets Salem’s Lot. Sadly no Barlow but an equally evil, if somewhat younger at only four hundred years old, Athelinda, queen of all she surveys.

Barbara is a joy. At last an “overweight and unfit” protagonist who can hold her own against all odds, with help from the enigmatic Tucker. The mysterious prisoner in the cellar outcome was a real surprise!

Tudor has once again proved what a brilliant writer she is, a maestro of the macabre (those trophies, eeeek!!), and a storyteller supreme. Sometimes a book just finds it’s niche, and this is one of those special times. A book you don’t want to end. Bring on Barbara’s next adventure!

Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph Penguin Random House.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A solid book although I don't know which genre this fits into in terms of shelf space. It wasn't scary enough to be horror or accurate enough to be police procedural. I enjoyed it but I wasn't tearing through the pages and it took me several days to get through it. Perhaps some more action or some twists would've helped speed things up. But overall, a solid 3 stars.

A spine chilling read with everything you expect from this author. Chilling and atmospheric with twists galore.
Took me a while to get into it but well worth doing so. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

The queen of horror is back with another masterclass in horror thrillers!
Welcome to Deadhart, population 673.
Detective Barbara Atkins, a Detective from the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department gets called into the small isolated Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a young boy who at first appearances has been killed by a vampyr.
The town are scared and calling for a cull of the entire colony of vampyr’s who live in a settlement outside of the town and it is down to Barbara to investigate and make that call.
Aided by local police chief Pete Nicholls and Mayor Rita Williams, she has to calm the locals and stop them from taking the law into their own hands as well as find the killer.
But was it really a vampyr that committed the murder or a human? The chase is on to find the killer as the town gets snowed in and cut off from the outside world and people’s patience is wearing thin.
There are some fantastic characters in this book and it sucks you into their insular small town life mentality beautifully. It is a great character study as well as a fast paced murder mystery with several plot twists along the way that are not only genius but completely unexpected.
As always, the storytelling is on point. It literally is unputadownable! A completely unique spin on a vampyr story coupled with a crime thriller in a setting that will make you feel the cold coming through the pages.
I didn’t want the book to end and I would love to see the return of Detective Barbara Atkins and her world of vampyr’s!
For me, this is her best book so far and I cannot wait to see where C.J Tudor takes us next. Wherever it is I will be following!
The Gathering will be published on the 11 April 2024 and is available to pre order now. It really is a must read for everyone.