Friday, July 20, 2012

BOOK REVIEW: TANDEM by TRACEY BATEMAN


Title:          TANDEM
Author:      TRACEY BATEMAN
ISBN:         9780307457172
Release:    10.5.2010
Fiction - Christian - Suspense

About This Book . . . 

As obsession and loss become dark partners, how far must the people of Abbey Hills go to survive?  

Six months ago, brutal murders shook the small Ozark town—murders that stopped after a house fire reportedly claimed the killer’s life. Lauryn McBride's family auction house has taken responsibility for the estate sale of one of the victims—the enigmatic Markus Chisom. Submerging herself in Chisom’s beautiful but strange world, Lauryn welcomes the reprieve from watching Alzheimer’s steal her father from her, piece by piece. She soon realizes that centuries-old secrets tie Abbey Hills to the Chisom estate and a mysterious evil will do anything to make sure those secrets stay hidden. Even the man who grew up loving her may not be able to protect Lauryn from the danger. 
When Amede Dastillon receives an unexpected package from Abbey Hills, she hopes it might be the key in tracking down her beloved sister, long estranged from her family. Visiting Abbey Hills seems the logical next step in her search, but Amede is unusually affected by the town, and when mutilated carcasses begin turning up again in the small community, the local law enforcement isn’t sure if they are confronting a familiar evil or a new terror.
Two women brought together by questions that seem to have no answers.  Can they overcome the loss and darkness threatening to devour them—or will their own demons condemn them to an emotional wasteland?
About the Author.....



Tracey Bateman lives in the Missouri Ozarks with her husband and family. With more than thirty novels in print, including Thirsty and Tandem, Tracey spends all her time telling tales, creating characters, and dreaming of other worlds.     




Reader Review.....

In Tracey Bateman's sequel to Thirsty, Amede Dastillion has arrived in the small Ozarks town of Abbey Hills for two reasons, one known and one very secret reason.  Charley Baylor still mourns the murder of his sister, Amanda, and still seeks answers.  Lauryn McBride is busy caring for her father who has Alzheimers, while trying to run the auction house he built many years before.  Her main focus at the moment is the Marcus Chisom house.  When Mr. Chisom died in a mysterious fire months earlier, he left behind a legacy of fine antiques and not a few questions.  When these stories come together, centuries-old secrets are brought to light, causing Lauryn to rethink everything she's always believed.

This novel left me with mixed emotions.  Although there were perhaps too many storylines to follow coherently, and the changing point-of-view left me confused several times, it is still a well-written novel with an engaging plot.  Unfortunately, the synopsis on the book cover left out an important element to the story; it's about vampires.  Now, this is probably more of a personal preference than an editorial comment, but the concept of vampires in Christian fiction still has my head reeling.  From a theological standpoint, the novel and its murky conclusion is totally off-base.  However, I realize that there are people who would enjoy this.  As I said, it does have at times a good plot and was enjoyable.  Therefore, even though I might not read another novel of this type, I still give it 3 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group book review bloggers program . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”   



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