"Tandom" is the second book in a series by Tracey Bateman. Set in a small Ozark town, the story follows the increasingly difficult and dangerous life of auction house owner Lauryn McBride. Six months previously, the town experienced a series of brutal murders which ended when the perpetrator apparently died in a house fire. Since Lauryn's father and former business partner is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Lauryn struggles to care for him while she also keeps their business afloat.
As the story opens, Lauryn is given the opportunity to go through the contents of the home of the late Markus Chisom, one of the house fire victims, and to ready the items for an estate sale. She is contacted by a woman who claims that certain items in the home belong to her family. The woman comes to town accompanied by her young assistant, and strange deaths of animals soon follow. Lauryn becomes caught in the middle of a dark supernatural mystery with threats on her life. In the midst of murders and intrigue, Lauryn also must deal with the normal--her father's decline, the appearance in town of a former love interest, and the severe illness of a friend.
The author has created interesting characters who struggle to find answers. Lots of twists and turns keep the reader guessing as to the real culprit. The one plot thread that I didn't particularly like, but which is essential to the story deals with vampire activity. I hate to see a Christian author go that direction, capitalizing on the current vampire craze in our society. That being said, "Tandem" is well-written and exciting.
(Note:I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.)
