THE GATHERING by C.J. Tudor – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Gathering by C.J. Tudor
Published by Ballantine Books on April 9 2024
Genres: Adult, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Police procedural meets vampires in this exciting horror thriller, another winner from C.J. Tudor.

C.J. Tudor never disappoints, and her latest is a great combination of murder mystery, thriller and thoughtful examination of racial prejudice, all set in a remote town in Alaska during one of the darkest times of winter. In Tudor’s world, vampyr colonies are part of society, although not everyone is thrilled about sharing space with them. I thought this was an interesting take on the vampire subgenre, and the author gives readers lots to think about, in addition to a fast-paced story complete with just enough bloody violence to satisfy horror fans.

The story takes place in Deadhart, a small Alaskan town where prejudices run deep. One of the local teens has just been found dead, and all the evidence suggests that a vampyr from the local colony killed him. As you can imagine, the residents of Deadhart are in an uproar, calling for an official “cull,” a sanctioned killing of all vampyr colony members. But a cull is serious business, and the cause of death must officially be confirmed by a forensic investigation.

Detective Barbara Atkins is sent to Deadhart to inspect the body and the crime scene and question the locals. Barbara is serious about her job and is determined to find out what really happened, and she intends to take her time and do a thorough investigation. But when she arrives, she gets pressure from almost everyone involved, including the local police chief, to confirm that a vampyr killed the teen. True, there is a video of the alleged murder, and it certainly looks like a vampyr is attacking the boy. But Barbara isn’t convinced. As she begins to investigate, she must walk a fine line between the angry townsfolk who want justice and the truth, and unfortunately, the truth turns out to be much more complicated than she first thought.

C.J. Tudor has imagined a very different type of vampire, or “vampyr” as they are called in this book. Yes, they are killers and can be dangerous, but they are also a protected species, and killing for sport isn’t allowed. Vampyr can’t turn into bats or be killed by sunlight. They can see themselves in mirrors, and they are also able to procreate. By law they can only drink animal blood, although there is a black market that caters to those willing to pay for human blood. The backwater town of Deadhart reminded me of ultra conservative towns in my own country, where hatred of minority groups like Blacks and LGBTQ+ still exists. For this reason I sympathized with the vampyr, most of whom are simply trying to live their lives in peace. Even the leader of Deadhart’s vampyr colony, a centuries old vampyr who looks like a nine-year-old girl, is willing to follow the rules in order to survive.

The mystery aspect of the story is also very well done. The local authorities (such that they are) simply want to declare this a “murder by vampyr” and close the case. But because they don’t have the authority to authorize a cull, Barbara is brought in as a forensic expert, and did I mention her official title is Forensic Vampyr Anthropologist? (how cool is that!) As soon as she starts investigating, all sorts of dirty secrets are uncovered, including the illegal sale of vampyr artifacts—and by artifacts I do not mean cups and swords, lol. We’re talking something much more grim. As she slowly pieces things together, it becomes clear that this murder might be connected to a similar murder that took place twenty-five years in the past. I loved the meticulous way Barbara conducted her investigation, and I especially loved that she’s honest and determined to uncover the truth.

And speaking of Barbara, she was a fantastic character. She’s in her fifties and (in her own words) slightly overweight, so she isn’t your typical heroine. She’s also gay and has recently ended a relationship, so there’s not a whiff of romance in the story, which was refreshing. Barbara ends up working with ex-cop Jensen Tucker, who was involved in the murder case twenty-five years ago, and he’s able to help her connect the dots. I thought they made a great, if unusual, team. Both characters have experiences in their pasts that are affecting the present investigation, so there are some nice emotional moments when their memories surface.

And if you’re thinking this is simply a somber mystery dealing with an oppressed group of people, don’t worry. There’s a good dash of graphic violence and some gruesome descriptions of beheadings and more (the image of a mounted vampyr head is one I won’t ever forget!). The plot is mostly fast paced with lots going on. There are a lot of characters, and I’ll admit I had trouble keeping them straight at times, but most of them were highly entertaining. You have a shady doctor with a couple of illegal side businesses, fake videos, secret vamp/human relationships, “turnings” gone wrong and plenty more.

The ending made me think that there might be a sequel in the works, even though it’s not listed that way on Goodreads. But Tudor definitely leaves things a little bit open ended to allow room for more adventures with Barbara and the gang. I would love to read more stories set in this world, I had so much fun with The Gathering!

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.