The Gathering by C. J. Tudor

 

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.

The Gathering by C. J. Tudor will be published on 11th April 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a review copy.

Author Details

C. J. Tudor’s love of writing, especially the dark and macabre, started young. When her peers were reading Judy Blume, she was devouring Stephen King and James Herbert. Over the years she has had a variety of jobs, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, dog walker, voiceover, television presenter and copywriter.

She is now the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalk Man, The Taking of Annie Thorne, The Other People, The Burning Girls and The Drift. All of her books are in development or optioned for TV, and The Burning Girls debuted on Paramount Plus in 2023. She is also the author of a short story collection, A Sliver of Darkness.