Vampyres1 Alaska. ( )

'The Gathering' is a fascinating mix of small-town police procedural and speculative fiction thriller. It takes place in winter in Deadhart, a remote Alaskan town (population 873 -living) that is about to be cut off from the rest of the world by a fierce snowstorm. It's told through the eyes of a lone outsider, Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyrs, whose job is to investigate a killing and determine if the local vampyr colony should be culled.

It's a story about a murder and the fear that it breeds and the desire for violence that it conjures. It's a mystery with roots that go back all the way to the lawless days when the town arose to serve the needs of miners. It's a story of a vampire species who lived in the Alaskan hills long before the first white human arrived and who shared the fate of the indigenous peoples around them: genocide and confinement to reservations, with the added twist of becoming a Federally protected endangered species. It's a story of unacknowledged atrocities, of dark secrets, of intergenerational guilt that has festered into fear-fueled hate and of long-delayed revenge. It's a story of monsters, many of whom are human.

By the time I was a quarter of the way through 'The Gathering', I was already thinking that it was going to be one of my favourite reads of the year. By the time I finished it, I knew that it was the best C. J. Tudor book that I've read so far (which is impressive given how much I enjoyed 'The Burning Girls' and 'The Taking Of Annie Thorne'.

Everything about 'The Gathering' works. It's original without being gimmicky.

It's soaked in an atmosphere of oppression and anticipated violence that comes partly from the unforgiving landscape and the threat of the oncoming storm and partly from a silent recognition of violent wrongs that need to be righted.

The mystery plot is twisty and filled with secrets going back to the town's foundation.

The vampyrs are a wonderful creation. They are close enough to human in appearance for the small differences to be deeply disturbing, they have a deep insight into how humans behave, alone and in groups and have the scars to prove it. They are also fundamentally alien: a species with its own culture and its own cravings and fears. I loved how C. J. Tudor managed to build empathy for the vampyrs without hiding their otherness or the threat that they might pose. Having the vampyrs led by a centuries-old child added a chilling edge to the interactions.

Detective Barbara Atkins is a police officer committed to doing the right thing and not at all certain about what the right thing is. I liked that she wasn't a kick-ass, weapons-wielding superhero, ready to take on the world. She was a middle-aged woman, not in the best shape for trekking through snow-filled forests. She was alone and often afraid but she was determined to get to the truth of what happened and do what she could to prevent more deaths.

The humans in Deadhart and the vampyrs in the colony are more than plot devices. They are well-drawn individuals whose views and fears and behaviours give depth to the situation Atkins is trying to navigate.

For most of the book, although I could feel the tension pulsing through the text, I had no idea where the story was going but I really wanted to find out. The ending, when it came, was close to perfect.

I admire that there's more to this book than an enjoyable genre-crossing, trope-twisting thriller. There's a lot in it about the nature of intergenerational guilt, about exclusion and about how burying the sins of the past can poison the present.

'The Gathering' is a great standalone novel. Even so, I'm hoping that there'll be a sequel. I want to see more of Barbara Atkins and the world she lives in.

I recommend the audiobook version of 'The Gathering'. It's performed by Lorelei King, one of my favourite narrators. ( )

"It wasn’t just the gnawing pain in her stomach. This was something new. Yet old. Half forgotten. A sense that she was not alone. A faint murmuring in her mind. A scent, a tingling in her bones. There was someone coming. And like her, he was hungry."

In Alaska a teen is found with his throat torn, similar to a previous murder years ago. Locals blame the Colony, a group of vampires that live nearby. These vampires have sworn off killing humans in order to protect themselves, and yet someone was clearly attacked by one.

This is a cool murder mystery with vampires! CJ Tudor is an author who is always consistently good.

Thank you Random House Ballantine and netgalley for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

You just never know what you're going to find in a book from C.J. Tudor - other than a great read! I never read the flyleaf of her books - I just know that I'll like it! But have a second look at that cover of the newly released The Gathering to get an idea.

The book is set in the town of Deadhart Alaska. There's also a Colony of vampyrs further out. When a teen boy is found with his throat ripped out, it seem pretty easy to know who is responsible - right? But the law needs to be followed as vampyrs are a protected species.

Detective Barbara Atkins is called in as she is also a specialist in vampyr killings. She is a the perfect protagonist - she's older, heavier and is often discounted by someone's initial assessment of her - which actually works for her. She's intelligent, reads people well and doesn't give up easily.

There's a large cast of supporting characters. The one thing that all have in common is that they all lie
- about the past and the present. Barbara has to deduce who the killer is, and do it before anyone else dies - including the vampyrs. Tudor has created her own set of traits, abilities and more for the vampyrs. (Hint - don't bother buying any garlic.)

The melding of a murder case alongside with the race issues kept me interested from first page to last. There's also a number of pages that are the inner dialogue of an unnamed captive. We have no idea who she is and when this is happening. I really like it when I don't know what's going to happen on the next page and the next chapter etc. I like being kept on the edge of my seat. Kudos to C.J. Tudor - that last page is perfect! ( )

The Gathering by C. J. Tudor is a so-so procedural set in Alaska where the investigation looks into a murder that may be a vampyre slaying. It is a mystery buried under a lecture.

In Deadhart, Alaska, a fifteen-year-old boy is found murdered. His throat was ripped open and his blood was drained. Residents blame the Colony nearby, a place where vampyres reside and want a cull of the vampyres. However, in 1983, the Vampyr Protection Act was enacted and declared them a protected species. An expert is called in, homicide detective Barbara Atkins, who has her PhD in forensic vampyr anthropology. She will investigate the murder and, if she determines a vampyre is responsible, she can authorize a cull. The residents are angry and want retribution.

Barbara Atkins is an interesting character and the ending makes it clear that a sequel should be expected.

This wasn't a favorite Tudor novel. First, as a British author, perhaps look a little bit closer into the culture, word usage, etc. in the USA. Then, yet again I need to caution an author to keep their personal political/social views on contemporary topics to themselves as it diminishes and dates the novel. Additionally any lecturing in a novel to your readers is also disconcerting. The polarization presented early on in the novel targeted specific religious and political groups was an off-putting distinction that made this an almost DNF. Making different groups you perhaps disagree with the antagonist and stand-in for fear, racism or discrimination between people was unnecessary. Thanks to Penguin Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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