Written by: CJ Tudor
Published by: Penguin UK – Michael Joseph
Available as: Hardcover | Paperback | eBook | Audiobook
Synopsis: 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?
C.J. Tudor is one of my favourite horror writers out there, crafting intricate thrillers with a slight paranormal edge to them. In recent years her writing has become more overt with its supernatural themes, as evidenced by last year’s post-apocalyptic thriller The Drift and this year’s vampire horror, The Gathering, but she has lost none of her skill in crafting tightly-knitted mysteries that slowly unwind one thread at a time. Thanks to the likes of Twilight, vampire fiction has become slightly overplayed and the domain of teenage angst and YA fiction but with The Gathering, C.J. Tudor firmly reclaims the genre for horror.
Set in remote Alaska, The Gathering takes place in a world where vampyrs are not the work fiction but have instead always existed alongside human history. More of a protected species than a mythological nightmare, vampyrs are often reclusive creatures that keep to their ‘colonies’ and avoid human interaction. Tudor’s depiction of her vampyrs bears an uncomfortable familiarity to the way that Native Americans and Indigenous Australians were treated in history; the book clearly uses the vampyr/human divide as a subtext on racism – although I must admit that I wouldn’t be quite so understanding if there were supernatural beings living on the outskirts of my town.
Billed by its publisher as “True Detective meets True Blood”, The Gathering certainly leans further into detective mystery more so than horror, although Tudor retains her knack for describing visceral violence with spine-tingling effectiveness. The novel is extremely atmospheric with the remote snow-covered town of Deadhart coming to life as an additional character in the novel. As with The Drift, Tudor captures that sense of unease and terror at being cut-off from civilization and left isolated – particularly in the cold – evoking memories of the classic vampire comic series; 30 Days of Night.
Tudor crafts an extremely compelling mystery at the heart of her novel, layered with twists and turns throughout, although some of the plot threads didn’t come together as well as previous books – most notably the storyline involving the preacher, which felt superfluous to the actual plot and more of a red herring to divert attention from other suspects. I also felt that the ending was slightly rushed, given the slow build-up of tensions between the townspeople and the colony vampyrs. Once the identity of the murderer was revealed, in yet another pulse-pounding sequence from Tudor, it seemed that most of the loose ends are tied up between chapters and discussed in a goodbye conversation. Given the complexities of the politics in Deadhart, I am reluctant to believe everything would have resolved itself so simply and it would have been nice to see some POVs from some of the important supporting characters on both sides.
For the first time, Tudor appears to tease a sequel in her epilogue, and I would not be opposed to such a thing happening as the world-building and lore surrounding the vampyrs in this world are certainly strong foundations for a potential franchise. Barbara Atkins is a fascinating central character, much like Tudor’s other protagonists, and it feels like the book doesn’t really get enough time to dig deeper beneath the character’s skin – particularly her childhood trauma and relationship with her father.
Fans of Tudor’s writing who might be put-off by the emphasis on vampires in this novel should not worry as many of her storytelling devices from previous books are on display here; dual narratives, a lead protagonist with a mysterious and troubled past that keeps bubbling to the surface, shocking revelations about supporting characters that reframe their actions, and corrupt secrets within a community – often relating to some sort of class structure/conflict. She is the master at it, and despite the increased emphasis on ‘traditional horror’, the novel still feels like a C.J. Tudor book.
The Gathering, much like all of C.J. Tudor’s work, exposes the dirty underside of human (and in this case, vampyr) behaviour and how secrets refuse to stay buried forever. With the prevalence of vampires in horror fiction, it can be difficult to find something new to say about the centuries-old beast but C.J. Tudor manages to stake her claim (pun intended!) and find a unique perspective. As effective a commentary on small-town racism and prejudices as it is a supernatural detective thriller, The Gathering is yet another stunning entry to C.J. Tudor’s library of horror mystery. Here’s hoping for more stories set in this universe!
Score – ★★★★
The Gathering is available as an eBook from Amazon Kindle, an audiobook from Audible or collected in a physical format on Amazon and all good bookstores.
C.J. Tudor’s previous novels, The Chalk Man, The Taking of Annie Thorne, The Other People, The Burning Girls, A Sliver of Darkness and The Drift are also still available.
Pop Culture Bandit 