Tandem - Tracey Bateman

Tandem by Tracey Bateman centers around two women - Lauryn McBride and Amede Dastillion. Ferocious murders took place several months ago in the small town of Abbey Hills. A fire that kills the alleged assiailant - 'the enigmatic Markus Chisom', leaves Lauryn now responsible for the auction of his estate.

Whilst embroiled in what is a strange world, Lauryn happens across some letters which she believes belong to Amede's family. This brings Amede to Abbey Hills in the hope that it will help her uncover the whereabouts of her long-lost sister. However, in her quest to find her sister, Abbey Hills takes a strange hold over her.

The two lives of these women are thrown together in their quest to understand what is taking place around them...Lauryn dealing with the demise of a beloved father with Alzheimer's and the return of an old love; Amede dealing with the loss of beloved sister and an 'evil' urge.

Can the two women each with their own battles come together to solve a mystery?

What a great story. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not drawn to the current fascination of vampire or werewolf stories, so it was with some surprise that I found myself completely enjoying Tandem. The blurb on the back cover certainly doesn't give any indication of its 'toothy' subject (readers of the first installment, Thristy will no doubt have been aware of it), so I was somewhat taken aback when discovering the subject matter.

Bateman's novel is very absorbing, I could have very easily read it in one sitting. The build up of the mystery and the twist at the end made the entire story gripping. A tense atmosphere is created and the insertion of Lauryn's 'past' to her present adds a real depth to the story. Both characters are well written - strong women with very personal issues that only they feel that they can deal with on their own.

A definite read - even if you're not into vampires! and having read Tandem, I'm certainly going to read Thirsty.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.