Book: The Gathering
Author: C.J. Tudor
Pages: 411
Read on: Kindle
Read in: ~4 hours
Plot Summary:
WELCOME TO DEADHART. ALASKA. POPULATION 673. LIVING.
In a small Alaskan town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and the blood drained from his body.
The brutality of the murder of chillingly echoes a killing from twenty-five years ago.
Out-of-state detective Barbara Atkins is brought in to assist the sheriff, Jensen Tucker, who investigated the original case.
However, the inhabitants of Deadhart believe they know who is responsible: one of the nearby vampyr colony who live in an old mining settlement deep in the mountains.
Barbara is under pressure to authorize a cull of the entire colony.
But the evidence doesn’t stack up, people are lying, and the more Barbara and Tucker delve into Deadhart’s history, the darker the secrets they uncover.
As the snow thickens and the nights grow longer, another teenager goes missing and body parts are found.
Time is running out for Barbara and Tucker to find the truth.
Are they hunting a cold-blooded murderer, or a bloodthirsty monster?
And which is more dangerous?
Things I Liked:
1. This was such an atmospheric, evocative and beautifully written book. It took you, as a reader, straight into the cold darkness of a small town in Alaska in the winter where a storm (literal and metaphorical) is brewing that is threatening to tear this small community apart. The writing sucks you in and holds your attention throughout the 400+ pages of the book.
2. The world-building in the book is very nicely done. The story is set in a world where vampyrs (vampires) are supposed to co-exist with human beings. "Co-exist" is a bit of a stretch given that the vampyrs are made to live in 'colonies' that don't have access to education or any medical facilities or even modern-day technology. The author has built a world where the marginalised are truly othered and there is a constant war between the Right and Left Wingers about their rights and status. Much like it is these days when it comes to race, LGBTQIA+ people, indigenous people and other minorities. So, the world-building is nicely detailed and there is enough information about the vampyrs and the way humans look upon them for us to have an understanding of how this world operates.
3. The book starts with Barbara's arrival to Deadhart as she comes to perform an investigation into the murder of a 15-year-old boy, who seems to have been killed by a vampyr. The whole town, including the local law enforcement, want Barbara to rule this murder as killing by vampyr so that it gives the townsfolk an excuse to 'cull' (hunt and kill) the members of the small vampyr 'Colony' that lives outside of Deadhart. The way Barbara navigates the politics of the small town - the belligerent people, the pushy 'pastor' of the local church, the local police chief etc. is what makes the book interesting.
4. The murder mystery itself is very, very nicely done. There are plenty of red herrings, more bodies are added to the mix as Barbara continues her investigation and there seem to be connections to the town's history to the current case as well. Overall, there is a lot to sink ones teeth into (unintended pun!) and to stay engaged and interested in the book.
5. The killer is not easy to guess at all. Like I said, plenty of red herrings and lots and lots of things to mull over as the book winds down. So, the killer comes as a nice little surprise!
Rating: 5/5
