Ingeniously plotted and chilling to the core, CJ Tudor’s new book The Gathering is a high-octane thriller.

In The Gathering, a retired sheriff and an out-of-town detective grapple with a case in which the past appears to be repeating itself in a horrifying way.

‘Britain’s female Stephen King returns with a sparkling, yet terrifying story … Brilliant’ – Daily Mail 

‘An incredibly exciting novel, tightly plotted and brilliantly tense, with an atmosphere you could eat with a spoon’ – Stuart Turton

‘A cracking read and such assured writing. She just gets better and better!’ – Sarah Pinborough

About the book

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 25 years. But they know who’s responsible: a member of the Colony, an ostracised 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 authorise 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?

Categories Fiction International

Tags CJ Tudor New books New releases Penguin Random House SA The Gathering