https://lynns-books.com/2024/04/04/the-gathering-by-cj-tudor/
4.5 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Murder Mystery, Prejudice and Vampyrs

My first thoughts upon finishing The Gathering – I hope there is more yet to come from this world and these characters. What an unusual combination of murder mystery and vampyrs (I’m not spelling it wrong, that’s how it’s spelt in this story). This is no typical immortals story. The setting is dour, there is no glamour here or false romanticism and the vampyrs, well, they’re not movie versions. They are strong and fast, they live longer, although not forever as we witness in this story, they can recover from injuries that a human would not walk away from, they are. naturally, predators, but they’re also survivors and over the years have had to change in order to survive. There are more humans than vampyrs, and they are well armed.

Deadhart, Alaska. 873. Living.

Deadhart is a small Alaskan town. It’s a town of extremes. Cold weather, short days, few prospects and a back history of harsh brutality. This is a former mining town, no stranger to vampyrs, the occupants have had run ins before and have dealt with ‘matters’ themselves. However, in this more enlightened age, vampyrs being almost extinct, they are now protected and so we have a ‘colony’ of vampyrs living cheek by jowl with Deadhart. The situation is one of tension to say the least and so when a local teenager is murdered, and the signs clearly point to a vampyr attack, the gloves are off, the residents demand a culling and a special detective, Barbara Atkins, of the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department, is sent to investigate. Barbara is no pushover, she’s not going to simply rubber stamp the culling of an entire colony to satisfy some of the town’s more enthusiastic haters. She’s a determined woman and she’s going to investigate this killing thoroughly.

So, what did I love about this book.

Well, firstly, this isn’t a traditional vampyr story at all. The vampyrs here are more an analogy of minority groups and the abuse and prejudice they suffer. There’s a good degree of small mindedness and unwillingness to change. Something bad happens in Deadhart and the first reaction is to break out the torches and pitchforks and, well, questions can be asked later. There is plenty of bad blood between the town’s occupants and the vampyrs, they have a long history, that has not been forgotten, and to be honest, this is mostly one-sided, the town people hunting, killing and tormenting the vampyrs whenever they see fit.

As you may imagine, Barbara isn’t exactly welcomed with open arms and her work is not made easy by some but she is determined to uncover the truth. Barbara is a fantastic character. I really liked her. Her own story slowly unfolds and gives you a welcome insight about why she is so relentless in pursuit of the truth. She is eventually joined by a retired, former sheriff known as Tucker, who reluctantly returns to the role. They make a great team in more ways than one.

Tudor has totally nailed the small town feel of fear, prejudice, ignorance and tension. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife and you’re reading with this ever increasing fear that you know what is going to hit the fan and it’s going to be nasty.

I really liked the mystery aspects to the story. Barbara is a great investigator and her and Tucker make a good team, bouncing ideas off each other. His own story and knowledge of Deadhart are invaluable and Barbara is both clever and trustful of her own natural instincts. She immediately feels like something is ‘off’ about this killing and starts to dig deeper, eventually uncovering not only a horrific black market in vampyr artefacts, a brutal history concerning an establishment known as the ‘bone house’ but also a potential serial killer. There is some dark material here for sure but at the same time there’s almost a toned down delivery of the story that prevents it from becoming too bloody or unpalatable Like I said, this isn’t your typical vampyr story and the murder investigation is the main focus.

In conclusion, well this is another fantasy murder mystery that I couldn’t get enough of. I was glued to the page and gobbled this up in literally two sittings, staying up well into the night to read ‘just one more chapter’.

A really good start to what I hope will become something more. Fingers crossed that Barbara will grace the pages of another story where her investigative skills are put to good use.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Vampire books aren't really my thing and if I had read the blurb for this one I wouldn't have read it but as it's a C.J Tudor book it's an automatic read and I'm glad I read it as it was really good I liked all the dark secrets that unfolded throughout the book and I may just look out for some more vampire books

Unfortunately not for me. Vampire books are just not my cup of tea and I learned that through Stephen King's Salem's Lot and Needful Things. I love C.J. Tudor's books and would most definitely request/review her books without hesitation but this one was not my cup of tea I'm sad to say, purely because of the subject matter.

I am not a fan of vampire books. But I am a big fan of CJ Tudor books... Dilemma...? No, a no brainer. If anyone can get me to read a vampire book willingly, CJ Tudor can... and I did... AND I blooming well loved it... TBH it's not just a vampire book. It's so much more than that. But, my point is, even if you don't do vampire books, you might want to do this one...
So... We begin in Deadhart, Alaska. A small town. And a boy is found with his throat cut out in a scene reminiscent of something that happened way back when. The last time it happened, after some shenanigans, the Colony, a community of vampyrs moved away. This fresh killing has occurred not long after their return. Coincidence... or otherwise...?
Enter Det Barbara Atkins to investigate. She is a vampyr specialist and has been called in to determine what exactly happened and whether that is enough to call a cull on the Colony. She is under pressure by many of the town's inhabitants but is determined to do her job without cutting any corners. Pressure or no pressure. Circumstances determine that she pairs up with the former sheriff, Jenson Tucker, who investigated the original incident of 25 years ago. But as the two of them start investigating, they throw up more questions than answers as they uncover deep dark secrets...
I loved this book. It was all things creepy and wonderful and not at all what I was expecting from, and yes I'll say it again, the last time, a vampire book! It is so much more than that. It actually also highlights persecution and ostracism just cos of who you are - typical racist attitudes, directed towards the vampyrs. It also - and there are those who will hate this - re-writes the rule books about vampires. Me, I love all that maverick stuff!
And then when you also throw in am overzealous Reverend - all good books should have one of these - and you have got yourself a doozy of a cracking read. And it was, and I loved it.
Pacing is perfect and matches the narrative throughout. Twists and turns guide the reader through a multifaceted storyline which ebbed and flowed as it culminated in a rather shocking, but wholly satisfying ending. It is also a bit brutal and not for the faint hearted as the author pulls no punches.
All in all, another winner from a now well established and respected author, with a rather impressive back catalogue, Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

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.