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
Deadhart, Alaska. 873. Living.
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?
Review
A very big thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC!
In one of the most remote settings imaginable, the frigid Alaskan landscape is home to more than just a town of humans in CJ Tudor’s latest novel, The Gathering. In the town of Deadhart, humans share separate real estate with the Colony, a group of vampyrs who inhabit the previously abandoned mine settlement. However, this is not a harmonious existence following the death of a young boy appearing to be at the hands of a vampyr. Barbra Atkins is called in to investigate this crime and determine the best course of justice for the slain child. This investigation unearths a multitude of evils from various individuals showcasing corruption, secrets, and darkness in the town of Deadhart.
CJ Tudor establishes one of the most creative societies that involves the existence of vampyrs, comparable to the creative ingenuity we’ve seen in books such as Liz Kerin’s Night’s Edge universe. In Tudor’s world, specific laws and agencies have been created to ensure the survival of both vampyrs and humans. This is best exemplified through Barbara’s profession as a detective with the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department, which requires her to investigate any potential killings committed by a vampyr in order to bring them to justice. The catch? Should a Colony be found responsible as a whole, a cull can be called in which the entire Colony is eradicated. This increases the intensity of the cases Barbara investigates with numerous lives on the line and a multitude of humans seeking justice.
Perhaps the most creative endeavor in Tudor’s unique world-building is the prejudice against vampyrs that exists in the same way issues of race, sexuality, and political affiliation do in our very real world. While The Gathering functions as a small-town, gritty crime thriller, it also excels thanks to this heightened political nature. The hate, animosity, and hostility targeted towards vampyrs seem to have affected all aspects of Deadhart, forging an extremely volatile, unpredictable situation for Barbra to navigate. Learning of the ways in which this society functions on a macro level in addition to the micro level of Deadhart was markedly captivating, raising so many questions regarding a society such as this. The Gathering is a vast exercise in world-building with the potential for numerous stories to be told.
Setting and circumstances aside, Tudor gives us some very memorable characters, particularly in that of Barbara. She’s a middle-aged, intelligent, and tenacious woman who truly wants to find justice in the wake of an unthinkable crime, despite the numerous opinions of the townsfolk. She’s someone who takes great pride in her work and refuses to take the easy, immediate answer for the correct one, a trait we have all come to know and love in detectives. Especially in this small-town full of secrets and darkness, characters such as Barbara shine with their intelligence and wit. I honestly hope we get to see more of Barbra Atkins in the future, especially with how expansive this existence of humans and vampyrs has proven to be.
The Gathering delivers on many of the tropes readers have come to know and love such as unrelenting searches for the truth, seedy small towns with nefarious secrets, and characters who capture not only your attention but your heart as well. Oh yeah, and the remarkable creativity behind the existence of vampyrs. CJ Tudor’s Barbara Atkins is a noteworthy character who elevates this grisly “whodunnit” to a spectacle of intrigue. This is a break-neck paced novel leaving you guessing if anyone at all is indeed innocent, combining dark themes of crime procedurals with the supernatural. An unputdownable mystery, The Gathering must be on any crime or horror lover’s radar for this year.
The Gathering by CJ Tudor releases on April 9, 2024, from Ballantine Books.
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