Tandem
A Novel
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
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?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bateman (Thirsty) revisits her vampire venue of Abbey Hills, Mo. Months after vampire-related killings, the estate of one of the victims, Markus Chisom, is being settled by an auction house owned by the family of Lauryn McBride. Lauryn is doing the work; her father, her only close relation, is declining from Alzheimer's. Chisom is tied to a really old New Orleans family, and a letter from Lauryn brings Amede Dastillion to town, ostensibly for family heirlooms but really in search of a family member. Both women confront pain in their histories even as ritual killings resume in the town. This sequel is less successful than its imaginative predecessor. The villains are less well drawn; Lauryn's former love, Billy, a preacher's kid become missionary, is a bit of a holy roller in an evangelical Christian novel that deals logically with the theme of redemption without getting preachy about it. Still, this is a well-plotted novel that offers a plausible Christian take on the ubiquitous vampire theme.
