I don't know if we are going to get a sequel to this but if there is I will definitely be reading it, especially with that ending!
I loved Barbara's determination to work this case her way, without bowing to the pressures of either her superior or the townsfolk. Althlina was a great antagonist, she was protective of her people and did whatever she needed to have the lies of the past come out.
The townsfolk, or at least most of them want nothing more than to cull the entire colony of vampires, some for personal reasons, some for selfish, and others because they are afraid. I really enjoyed that vampires are well known to be real, and even have some government protections, although it's left up to people like Barbara to make sure the laws are followed.
I loved going along with Tucker and Barbra as they put the clues together, and the other POV we get was super intriguing and I was surprised when it was revealed who it was. I immensely enjoyed this from beginning to end and I'm keeping my fingers crossed we get more or Barbara and her vampire smarts.

I have to say, I am not a typical reader of vampire books (of course, I’ve read Twilight and Vampire Academy, but that was a lifetime ago). I didn’t know this was going to be a story about vampires when I went in, but I have to say, vampire tales have come a LONG way!

I really enjoyed this story! The character and world-building were great. I felt like I was in this town in Alaska that is dealing with the possible vampire killing of a young boy.

I loved that the vampires were not ALL this book was about. It’s a big part of it, but there is so much more going on here.

Also, it’s pretty dark! There are some horrifying things that happen to both human and vampire. It’s actually really sad when you think about it.

My hope is that the ending of The Gathering is the beginning of a second book!!

My only issue with the book is that the characters are all from the US, but many things they say are decidedly European (saying “jumper,” instead of sweater, or “CV” instead of resume). It was a little off-putting.

I dont know what it is about creepy books set in Alaska. You automatically get that dark, cold, creepy vibe just from the setting. CJ Tudor is a relatively new to me author but I so enjoyed this one. The mystery was believable and compelling. Kept me on the edge of my seat! Highly recommend! Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for approving me to read and review this ARC. I cant wait to read more from this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A fantastic horror/mystery novel that was engaging throughout. The author never disappoints and the vampire plot was unique and frightening. Definitely will recommend to others!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
An excellent horror story that was also a great murder mystery. I love everything I’ve read by this author. An enjoyable yet frightening book (I’m afraid of vampires).

3.5 stars. I was so excited to dive into this book. The genre has been placed on the back burner for awhile. Vampires are slowly coming back and I’m here for it! I could have done with out the religious stuff but still
Enjoyed!

This book was really something else! A teenaged boy is brutally murdered and the blood drained from his body. Is there a murderer in the area or is it someone from the vampire colony? In any case, the book is scary, filled with so many twists and turns it could make you dizzy!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

C.J. Tudor's newest novel, The Gathering, is set in an alternate reality where vampyrs exist, have rights, and follow rules. In the isolated town of Deadhart, Alaska, a teenage boy has been found with his throat ripped out and all his blood drained from his body.

The residents of the town believe that a vampyr from the nearby Colony is responsible. Forensic Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist, is sent to investigate and see if a cull (killing of all the vampyrs) should be authorized. With a snowstorm moving in, Barbara is cut off from outside help and must figure out who the killer is before it's too late.

C.J. Tudor is one of my favorite authors. I don't think I even read the synopsis before I requested this book. But I have to be honest, this doesn't feel like a C.J. Tudor book. It's not a thriller or a horror novel. There's no element of foreboding or feeling creeping dread. There's no gruesome imagery. No one goes through a terrifying ordeal. It's basically a police procedural about a detective investigating a murder, which just happens to involve vampyrs. Most of the book is spent discussing the relationships of the town's residents and how much they all hate the vampyrs and want them gone, one way or another.

I've read all of Tudor's books and this is my least favorite. The characters all felt flat, even though the story was well written and back story for them was provided. I never felt engaged or compelled to read it. The world-building didn't feel consistent.

I know a lot of others have liked this one, so maybe it's just me. Nevertheless, I still love C.J. Tudor and will continue to read and buy whatever she writes.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, C.J. Tudor, and Netgalley for an advance digital copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and given voluntarily.

2½ stars rounded up to 3 stars

Recommended for fans of:
Thrillers, Police Procedural, Mysteries, Paranormal, Horror, Detective, General Fiction, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural

This was a good mystery. A lot of twists and turns towards the end. I just recently watched the latest season of True Detective that took place in Alaska so I had to keep reminding myself it was a different story. It ends like there could be a sequel. Interesting. I would be up for that. I liked Barabara

Yes, yes, yes! This one might be C.J. Tudor’s best yet! This was a thrilling story that kept me guessing through out. Great work!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read this.

This will teach me not to go into books too blindly. I went into this one with high hopes because I’ve read from this author before, but I was expecting something dark and scary and instead I got a police investigation into a murder. Don’t get me wrong, it was enjoyable, but just not what I wanted to read. I had to really push to get this one done because I just wasn’t connecting with the story or with any of the characters. The concept of the humans and vampires living in the same world and being protected by laws to keep them safe was interesting but I don’t know, I just couldn’t get into this one and I feel kind of bad.

The Gathering is a story about a murder in a small town that is located close to a Colony of vampyrs. The murder looks like a vampyr killing, but Barbara, a detective with the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department, believes in investigating without making assumptions. This is not a vampire (vampyr in this book) origin story. Here, they coexist (mostly uneasily) with humans.

There is no doubt that CJ Tudor is an excellent writer. The characters are well drawn. The plot is tight, interesting, and well-paced. The mystery is filled with twists and turns, and it kept me guessing to the end. But the author's disdain for people of faith is painful, and the book is filled with every hot topic out there today: colonialism, homosexuality, sex trafficking, transgender, racism, and more. It's exhausting. This appears to be the first in a series, so I hope future installments will be spared most of this.

I found the story gripping, and you probably will too, if you don't mind slogging through all the agenda items. Recommended for lovers of vampire stories and police procedurals.

Not family friendly due to profanity, violence, and adult themes.

I thought I had burnt myself out on vampire novels already this year but this one gripped my attention from start to finish! “The Gathering” is unlike any thriller I’ve read before and is so original. The characters, especially detective Barbara, are nicely fleshed out, and the setting of a small Alaskan town with a population of 600 really amps up the creepy vibe. This novel delves into some heavier topics such as racism and abuse, but these topics fit in with the overall theme and make you wonder if humans are truly just as grisly as vampires. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the arc!

Even though it took me a minute to read this, it does not reflect on the book. I just did not want to have nightmares so I only read it while having coffee each morning

If you love horror this one's for you. Coming to bookstores April 9th

Deadhart, Alaska 873 Living

Tidbit from the synopsis

In a small Alaska town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The inhabitants of Deadhart haven’t seen a killing like this in twenty-five years. But they know who’s responsible: a member of the Colony, an ostracized community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book, but I simply couldn’t get into it. It was very descriptive and slow paced. There were many characters with little character development, making it hard to decipher and connect with them. The several different viewpoints made it difficult to keep up with at times. There was religious and political elements, which I wasn’t expecting and I honestly don’t care for. Overall, this one just wasn’t for me.

The Gathering
by C. J. Tudor
Pub Date: 09 Apr 2024

The Gathering read like a paranormal murder mystery in my opinion. The pace is fast with twists and turns throughout making it a gripping page turner. The cover of this book and the Alaskan setting is a perfect fit for this story! I was hooked from the start to the finish of this book, asking myself, "who are the real monsters"?

Synopsis:

In a small Alaska town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The inhabitants of Deadhart haven’t seen a killing like this in twenty-five years. But they know who’s responsible: a member of the Colony, an ostracized community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods.

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #TheGathering and #RandomHousePublishingGroup for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

This story is a breath of fresh air for vampire stories. I was pulled in from the setting, which is very similar to the setting of 30 Days of Night in a Northern Alaskan town during the longer periods of night. This took that idea and added in vampyres that are not as generic as most genre stories are. C. J. Tudor took the idea of vampires that live lose to humans and then fleshed that idea out in numerous directions. The concepts that are new and fresh to this story made it so much fun to read, and the mystery at the base of it all kept the reader pulled in.

Thanks you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I really didn’t like the main characters. She felt very full of herself and she annoyed me. There were also a lot of characters to keep track of and it was all jumbled for me. I feel like it was a bit preachy about certain things and I just wasn’t clicking with it.

I hope others really love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, CJ Tudor & Randomhouse-Ballantine for a digital ARC of The Gathering in exchange for an honest review.

I read my first CJ Tudor book last year with The Drift. I was an instant fan & then added previous releases to my TBR. I was THRILLED to have an early read of The Gathering.

The Gathering is my favorite Tudor book yet! It was very different than what I was expecting, but in a good way! This is not your typical vampire/vampyr book, so go ahead & throw out any preconceived notions that you have.

In The Gathering, vampyrs are known the public, live amount the public (in colonies) and even have their own set of governed rights & protection assigned to them, which is exactly what our MC, Det. Barbara Atkins is. She is a detective who specializes in vampyr killings & upholding the law regarding vampyrs. She is called to Deadhart, Alaska after a boy is discovered with his throat ripped out. The timing is very coincidental as a vampyr colony just returned to Deadhart after a 25 years hiatus. The locals all blame the vampyrs & are not very welcoming to Det. Atkins. They want a cull enacted, which is where the humans can kill every single member of a vampyr colony for the wrongdoing of just one. Det. Atkins intends to uphold the law & get to the bottom of who actually killed the boy. Luckily, she gets a little help along the way.

This book had a very similar atmospheric feel to it as the Drift. It was highly original & very gripping from the start. I actually did not want this book to end! I am NEVER like that with Thriller/Suspense novels. That usually happens with series or fantasy books for me. I could have read another 400 pages of this one.

Even if you don't normally like vampire/vampyr stories, I urge you to pick this one up. It's very different than what you'd expect.

The Gathering by CJ Tudor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A big thank you to @netgalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC! Expected pub date is April 9! 🎉

Tudor has done it again!
✅small-town, spooky setting with rich imagery
✅good vs evil
✅protective small-town characters
✅seamless supernatural elements
✅a tense plot until the final page

I enjoyed so much about this book. The description of Deadhart made me feel like I was in a dark, snowy town in the heart of Alaska. As I was reading I felt the isolation, and it added to the tension created in the plot.

The plot itself was interesting and well done. Tudor created a world where vampyrs and humans lived together, and the logistics of which made sense. I saw some of the things coming, but I was still surprised by things, which kept it interesting for me. Some things I wanted to explore more, and I wished the ending wasn’t as rushed, but those were my only critiques for plot.

The characters were well done and distinguishable. Some of them I wish were developed more, but I got a sense of each of them and really understood their motivations. I loved that the detective wasn’t a perfect character, and I found the small-town characters to be quirky.

If this isn’t on your radar yet, I’m suggesting you add it to your list.