Thursday, April 19, 2012

tandem... a book review

Print
Tandem

ISBN: 978-0-307-45717-2
WaterBrook Press
Fiction / Suspense
by Tracey Bateman
October 2010


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?  ~  Publisher's Description
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Mystery...  a good who-dun-it book

Suspense...  good -vs- evil

Christian.... no

I enjoy a good mystery novel and have no problem with the vampire genre.  What I do have a problem with is a vampire novel which states it is a Christian book.  A few references to Christianity in the book - "the marriage of voodoo and Catholicism, the fine line between good and evil" (p. 110), and "She'd never feared God.  She knew about God and sin and believed deeply in angels and demons.  But the idea that she should bow to anyone felt wrong.  Why shouldn't she be as she was inclined to be?" (p. 227) does not make it Christian.  These two quotes are vampires speaking / thinking.  One of Tracey Bateman's characters Billy is a Christian missionary and pastor.  Yet, he doesn't play a large role in the book to make a huge difference.  The last chapter of the book includes a weak explanation of the gospel, but it isn't clear or strong enough to guide a seeker to Christ.

Now, with that said, I enjoyed the book.  Tracey's writing left me trying to figure out who were the perverbial good guys and bad guys.  As I read the book, I didn't always know who was talking or being talked about.  She would jump between characters and/or time which wasn't always easy to figure out.  Numerous times I needed to reread a section to make sure I knew what was going on.

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Click HERE to read the first 2 chapters!

The author, Tracey Bateman, has been featured in Christianity Today.  To read her write-up, scroll down to "Leading to Dark Places."

The paperback is currently on sale at Christian Book for $2.99!


Blessings,

     Ellen

1 comment:

  1. That's quite a powerful cover as well - the half-shaded face in red and black.

    ReplyDelete

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