Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books
Date of publication: April 9th, 2024
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Vampires, Mystery Thriller, Paranormal, Adult, Crime, Suspense
Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat
Goodreads Synopsis:
A detective investigating a grisly crime in rural Alaska finds herself caught up in the dark secrets and superstitions of a small town in this riveting novel from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man.
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.
Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings, is called in to officially determine if this is a Colony killing—and authorize a cull. Old suspicions die hard in a town like Deadhart, but Barbara isn’t so sure. Determined to find the truth, she enlists the help of a former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life. Since then, Tucker has become a recluse. But he knows the Colony better than almost anyone.
As the pair delve into the town’s history, they uncover secrets darker than they could have imagined. And then another body is found. While the snow thickens and the nights grow longer, a killer stalks Deadhart, and two disparate communities circle each other for blood. Time is running out for Atkins and Tucker to find the truth: Are they hunting a bloodthirsty monster . . . or a twisted psychopath? And which is more dangerous?
First Line:
It would be wrong to say that life had passed Beau Grainger by.
The Gathering by C.J. Tudor
Important details about The Gathering
Pace: Fast
POV: 3rd person (Beau, Barbara, Tucker, Athelinda, unknown girl in basement)
Content/Triggers: The Gathering contains themes of child death, death, gun violence, violence, religious bigotry, murder, body shaming, child abuse, pedophilia, racism, sexual assault, and sexual violence. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.
Language: The Gathering contains graphic swearing and language that might offend some people.
Sexual Content: There is no consensual sexual content in The Gathering. But there is moderate nonconsensual sexual content as well as pedophilia (the pedophilia is not explained but referred to).
Setting: The Gathering is set in Deadhart, Alaska.
My Review:
When Random House sent me an email containing the widget for The Gathering, I knew I needed to read this book. Why? First, the cover. It was (and still is) striking and having finished the book, it suits it. Secondly, I have a slight, tiny, eeny vampire obsession. I usually don’t review anything with vampires (and, of course, this book and the book I just finished will cast me as a liar). Those books are for my pleasure (no reviews/reading challenges). Thirdly, I can count on one hand the times I read a book set in Alaska during the winter. So, all of those reasons made me accept the widget.
The main storyline of The Gathering follows Barbara as she travels to Deadhart to investigate the murder of a teenage boy by a vampyr from the neighboring Colony. But, once she gets to Deadhart, the townspeople and her boss pressure Barbara to authorize a cull of the Colony. Not wanting to jump the gun, Barbara continues with her investigation, and what she finds surprises her. Not only did the Colony not kill the boy, but there is a vampyr hate group active in town. She also sees similarities to a murder committed over twenty years previously. With tensions in the town and the Colony rising daily, Barbara must find out who the murderer is and the reasons behind it before the vampyres and townspeople clash.
I found the storyline fascinating and nerve-racking. The book takes place in the dark because the sun never rises in Alaska during that part of the year. And, I will tell you, it made the horror parts much creepier, mainly because you can’t see who or what is coming for you in the dark.
The storyline is broken into three parts. The first part follows Barbara and her investigation. In the beginning, it was a little boring, but that didn’t last long at all. As Barbara enters town, things start happening and get creepy fast. There are flashbacks to Barbara’s past and her friendship with a vampyr named Mercy. I was also in awe over how calm Barbara was with people. Some of the things said and done to her were awful. But, again, her childhood and friendship with Mercy were a massive factor in how she was able to keep calm.
The second storyline follows Athelinda, the Colony, and the connection to the town. There was a minute where I was convinced that maybe one of her people had something to do with the death, but that was quickly put to rest. Everything Athelinda does in this book is for the good of her people, regardless of how it plays out. Her past also damaged Athelinda. The things she was forced to do were horrendous, and the implications made me gag. I won’t get into it because of spoilers, but I was sick when I read those paragraphs. But I also gained a better insight into Athelinda’s dealing with humans, and you know what? I don’t blame her for the things she did.
The third storyline was also the most mysterious one. There is no date or location, but it is centered on a teenage girl kept captive in a basement by her Captor. At first, I wondered why this girl was kept down there, but that was explained quickly. Then I wondered where this basement was and who the Captor was. I did have a suspect, but I was wrong about that. When the author revealed who it was, my mouth dropped open. It was the last person I expected.
The book also goes into the murder of another teenage boy, twenty-five years previously. But, unlike this murder, it was pretty cut and dry. But the fallout was felt years later. I couldn’t understand why Beau kept the heads and didn’t give them back to Athelinda. It is explained, but it was so wrong. Also, the more that was revealed about the night the teenage vampyr was killed (along with his father and uncle), the more I disliked Beau. But it also made me love Tucker (he tried to do the right thing and paid for it dearly).
The mystery angles of The Gathering were terrific. The author was able to keep me from figuring out who the killer was until Barbara and Tucker figured it out. That was twist number one. The second twist was who killed the town doctor and high school teacher and why. The reason for the town doctor’s murder was apparent, but the teacher, not so much. That leads to the third and most shocking twist. It involves the murder of the teacher and the girl in the basement. As I said above, I was shocked. It was the last person I would have thought. But, looking back, it did make sense, and the author dropped some tiny hints.
The end of The Gathering was interesting. The author wrapped everything up and explained every death in the book. Then the epilogue happened, and again, I was shocked. I was also hoping that this meant there would be a book 2. What was written was a heck of a cliffhanger.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and C.J. Tudor for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Gathering. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
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Other books by C.J. Tudor
I’ve got this ARC waiting for me. I’ve read a couple books by this author, so I have no doubt I’ll enjoy this one also. Nice review, Jolie!
Thank you Teri!! I can’t wait to read your review!!