Author C. J. Tudor has long been on the thriller scene, weaving dark and chilling tales that satisfy everything readers love about the genre. She is a master of the macabre in all her work, and her newest book The Gathering is nothing short of spectacular. She adds a fresh twist on the typical crime fiction novel by adding a vampyr narrative, exploring the dangers of colonization and the bigotry that can sometimes lie inside small-town communities.
Deadhart, Alaska. A small tight-knit community that seeks answers when one of their own, a young teenaged boy named Marcus, is brutally murdered in their own backyard. This isn’t some textbook-case-closed kind of murder though. Nearly decapitated, his body was also completely drained of blood, causing the town to immediately demand revenge on the neighbouring settlement of vampyrs called the Colony. Is it a vampyr killing? Or are there more sinister forces at play? As the nights grow darker, the corruption of Deadhart comes to light.
Deadhart, Alaska. A small tight-knit community that seeks answers when one of their own, a young teenaged boy named Marcus, is brutally murdered in their own backyard.
Enter Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in the field of vampyr crime. She’s landed in Alaska to prove one way or another, if Marcus’s murder was committed by a member of the Colony. With the help of Tucker, the town’s former sheriff, the pair work together exposing a web of corruption including a crooked doctor, prostitution, and a group of religious zealots willing to stop at nothing to get what they want: a cull, the death penalty for vampyrs.
It’s an interesting parallel Tudor draws between vampyrs and the Indigenous peoples of North America. Both ostracized to old settlements outside other communities and both held under the power of modern-day man.
“Like many indigenous species, vampyrs have been demonized and terrorized by human settlers, to the point where only a few colonies remain in remote areas.”
Tudor’s brilliant storytelling actually spans across genres, giving us a mesmerizing tale of mystery, suspense, and horror. I was hooked from the very first page and the ending left me begging for a sequel.
I can’t wait.
C. J. Tudor is the author of The Drift, The Burning Girls, The Other People, The Hiding Place, and The Chalk Man, which won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel, the Barry Award, and the Strand CriticsAward for Best Debut Novel. Over the years she has worked as a copywriter, television presenter, voice-over artist, and dog walker. She is now thrilled to be able to write full-time, and doesn’t miss chasing wet dogs through muddy fields all that much. She lives in England with her partner and daughter.
Publisher: Penguin Random House (April 9, 2024)
Paperback 6 1/8″ x 9 1/4″ | 352 pages
ISBN: 9780593356593
Lori Green is a Canadian writer who has been writing poetry, horror, and dark fiction since she first picked up a pen. Her work has been accepted in various publications including Blank Spaces Magazine, Ghost Orchid Press, Dark Rose Press, Black Hare Press, and more. She studied English Literature at the University of Western Ontario and now lives along the shores of Lake Huron. She is currently working on several short stories and writing her first novel. You can follow her on Twitter @LoriG1408.
