review: tandem by tracey bateman

The small town of Abbey Hills was devastated by some horrific murders six months ago; now, the killings have started again even though the residents believed the culprit died in a fire. A newcomer to the town claims the deaths are the work of vampires. While the residents write her off as a crackpot, two other new arrivals know she speaks the truth.

I loved Tandem’s plot and pacing. Each chapter gives three pieces of the story: Lauryn’s past, a trapped vampire, and the main story of what’s currently happening in Abbey Hills. This is really an atypical vampire tale as the focus is more on Lauryn, who struggles to take care of her ailing father while keeping the family’s auction business afloat and trying to have her own life. Even when Amede’s (the new vampire in town) tale is told, the focus is actually on her quest to find her long-lost half-sister, Eden, who Amede believes to be in Abbey Hills after receiving some family letters from Lauryn, who discovered them while cataloging an estate up for auction.

The theme of redemption is ever-present, but Tandem doesn’t lack in shocking twists as the vampires and the truth of the slayings are revealed.
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, WaterBrook Press.