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Tandem
Mike Kovacs is an economics professor who's trying to get over a bitter divorce. He’s barely on speaking terms with his only child. And he’s just killed two bicyclists in an inebriated hit-and-run at a deserted Michigan beach. (In his defense, he hadn’t meant to get that drunk. And what’s the use of getting caught and going to jail if it means you can no longer make positive contributions to society? Sunk costs, and all.)
Claire Boland’s daughter is one of the victims. She’s racked with guilt over what she might have done differently as a parent. Her marriage is buckling under the weight of the tragedy. And yet there’s one person who seems to understand the magnitude of her grief—her neighbor, Mike Kovacs.
Tandem is a gripping dark comedy about two lives that intersect in the most awful way possible. Andy Mozina’s exquisite novel details the absurd lengths we go to in order to avoid uncomfortable truths. (And to cover up murder—although that’s such a strong word, isn’t it?) It’s a mesmerizing book about the weight of guilt and the longing for justice—and the crazy things we do for love.
One of Electric Literature 's 15 Must-Read Small Press Books for Fall 2023!
Claire Boland’s daughter is one of the victims. She’s racked with guilt over what she might have done differently as a parent. Her marriage is buckling under the weight of the tragedy. And yet there’s one person who seems to understand the magnitude of her grief—her neighbor, Mike Kovacs.
Tandem is a gripping dark comedy about two lives that intersect in the most awful way possible. Andy Mozina’s exquisite novel details the absurd lengths we go to in order to avoid uncomfortable truths. (And to cover up murder—although that’s such a strong word, isn’t it?) It’s a mesmerizing book about the weight of guilt and the longing for justice—and the crazy things we do for love.
One of Electric Literature 's 15 Must-Read Small Press Books for Fall 2023!
- GenresFiction
226 pages, Paperback
Published October 24, 2023
11 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 30, 2023
This is a remarkable book that takes you into one man's tough situation through an eccentric point of view. There are actually two points of view (giving the title Tandem a double meaning). Mozina is writing in the tradition of our great alienated, absurdist writers like Kafka and Camus, George Saunders, David Foster Wallace,and the story is set in a realistic southwest Michigan. As I read, I was very caught up in the action and surprised at every turn. Mozina is doing in fiction what our best comedians do on stage when they are twisting and turning real life suffering to show us heartache in new ways.
Here is the blurb I wrote for the book: “Reading Tandem is an education in crime, punishment, and the dark side of human compassion—and somehow it also manages to be hilarious. Mozina’s signature hapless characters, through their own foolish decisions, can only manage to make difficult circumstances worse as they move from guilt to grief to absurdity. A psychological tour de force!”
— Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of The Waters
Here is the blurb I wrote for the book: “Reading Tandem is an education in crime, punishment, and the dark side of human compassion—and somehow it also manages to be hilarious. Mozina’s signature hapless characters, through their own foolish decisions, can only manage to make difficult circumstances worse as they move from guilt to grief to absurdity. A psychological tour de force!”
— Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of The Waters
December 28, 2023
A fast-paced read laced with dark humor. Highly recommended!
In spite of everything that makes Mike Kovacs despicable, I couldn't help but root for him (at times). That's the genius of Tandem. There's little redeeming about Mike, beginning with his initial crime and continuing through a succession of carefully calculated and self-serving moves—each of which feels more appalling than the last. Still, there's something oddly captivating about Mozina's protagonist, even when set against the dueling chapters focused on Claire Boland’s struggle to deal with both the tragic loss of a child and the dissolution of her marriage. In lesser hands, these alternating and interwoven narratives might seal the deal too early for Mike Kovacs. Instead, there's a deftness to Mozina's ability to craft his storyline that kept me fully engaged to the very end.
In spite of everything that makes Mike Kovacs despicable, I couldn't help but root for him (at times). That's the genius of Tandem. There's little redeeming about Mike, beginning with his initial crime and continuing through a succession of carefully calculated and self-serving moves—each of which feels more appalling than the last. Still, there's something oddly captivating about Mozina's protagonist, even when set against the dueling chapters focused on Claire Boland’s struggle to deal with both the tragic loss of a child and the dissolution of her marriage. In lesser hands, these alternating and interwoven narratives might seal the deal too early for Mike Kovacs. Instead, there's a deftness to Mozina's ability to craft his storyline that kept me fully engaged to the very end.
December 28, 2023
Intense from start to finish, with a glimpse inside two people navigating an ocean of life changes and how those big feelings and self-absorption can lead them to make pretty insane decisions. Extra spookiness points for it being set in a town and neighborhood with which I am very familiar. Read it in one day.
November 17, 2023
Fun to read about an area I’m familiar with!
December 25, 2023
Unsettling and charming at the same time. Tandem demonstrates the curious nature in which we as human beings talk ourselves into the decisions we make and live with our biggest mistakes. I’ll be thinking about this book for a while.
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November 6, 2023I wanted to read this because the author is a local professor and the book's setting is as familiar as the back of my hand. And, at his book release event, he did a great job reading just enough of the first 2 chapters to leave the listener, and potential reader, hanging. Mozina does a great job telling a story that I wanted to finish even though the premise of the novel filled me with dread and I had very little sympathy or patience for the characters and their actions. Their very human capacity for 'magical thinking' goes to absurd lengths. I'll be thinking about this one for awhile.
January 24, 2024
A fun and and immersive read. Found it hard to put down and it kept me guessing about the characters involved.
Author did a great job making the world come alive
Author did a great job making the world come alive
June 14, 2024
Had a friend not invited me to their neighborhood 'Walk and Talk' with guest Andy Mozina, I would probably never have heard of Tandem, and might have missed out on this thought-provoking, completely disturbing novel. I know for sure that this book is going to live rent-free in my head for a while. This would be an excellent book for a book club discussion--what would you do differently?
The main character, Mike, makes a big mistake, which he then compounds and continues to dig himself deeper and deeper. From the very first page, I wanted to grab him, shake him, and stop the madness. Mike is probably the most unlikeable character I have ever read, mostly because his decisions made me so very uncomfortable. This is a book of human failing, and his justifications for making the choices he does are very self-serving.
I really enjoyed the setting, as I live in the area that the book is set in and could picture the places as Mike goes about his life.
The main character, Mike, makes a big mistake, which he then compounds and continues to dig himself deeper and deeper. From the very first page, I wanted to grab him, shake him, and stop the madness. Mike is probably the most unlikeable character I have ever read, mostly because his decisions made me so very uncomfortable. This is a book of human failing, and his justifications for making the choices he does are very self-serving.
I really enjoyed the setting, as I live in the area that the book is set in and could picture the places as Mike goes about his life.
February 21, 2024
Sorry, but this just didn’t do it for me. I really disliked Mike and Claire. Grief and guilt are heavy and makes people do crazy things but this just made me frustrated. I met the author, super kind guy.
November 17, 2023
Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive.
This book made me think of things from my own past and how I got lucky and never had to face the reality of my own possibly inappropriate reactions to those events. Would I have done the right thing or followed the tortuous path that Mike did, widening the path of destruction my choices lead me down? To accept the consequences of my actions or to rationalize my way out of it? After reading this book, I hope I never have to find out.
This book made me think of things from my own past and how I got lucky and never had to face the reality of my own possibly inappropriate reactions to those events. Would I have done the right thing or followed the tortuous path that Mike did, widening the path of destruction my choices lead me down? To accept the consequences of my actions or to rationalize my way out of it? After reading this book, I hope I never have to find out.
November 2, 2023
Mike Kovacs didn't mean to get drunk. It had been a rough slog lately; a divorce that left his son barely speaking to him and tensions at work. But today had been a great day. He had gotten good news at work that meant his career was ready for a boost and he and his friends wanted to celebrate. When he left the bar, he noticed that he was not really at his best for driving but his home was near so he decided to drive home. On the way, he thought about the state park and how he might meet someone at a lakeside bonfire so decided to go there. That was his big mistake.
As he enters the park, out of the fog come two people on a tandem bike. Mike hits them and when he gets out of his car, he realizes that they both are dead. Two young people, a young guy and a girl are gone forever. Shocked but defensive, Mike clears up the scene and drives his damaged car home. In the weeks that followed, he continues to hide his crime, buying a second car like his damaged one and eventually buying parts to fix the car himself. He discovers that the young girl was a neighborhood girl, just home after her first year of college. His family knows hers and his son and the girl had shared rides and outings. Mike is wracked with guilt but doesn't want to confess and lose his comfortable life. He convinces himself that the best outcome would be to live his life henceforth helping others and being the best person he can. But life doesn't work that way. He becomes entangled in a relationship that defies logic.
Andy Mozina has written a book that explores morality. We all think we know what we would do in various situations but when they occur we are often surprised at what we actually do. Can one ever put right a wrong so deep? Is confession always the best route? Readers will put themselves in Mike's shoes and may find him understandable or despicable but he will provide a basis for much contemplation. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.
As he enters the park, out of the fog come two people on a tandem bike. Mike hits them and when he gets out of his car, he realizes that they both are dead. Two young people, a young guy and a girl are gone forever. Shocked but defensive, Mike clears up the scene and drives his damaged car home. In the weeks that followed, he continues to hide his crime, buying a second car like his damaged one and eventually buying parts to fix the car himself. He discovers that the young girl was a neighborhood girl, just home after her first year of college. His family knows hers and his son and the girl had shared rides and outings. Mike is wracked with guilt but doesn't want to confess and lose his comfortable life. He convinces himself that the best outcome would be to live his life henceforth helping others and being the best person he can. But life doesn't work that way. He becomes entangled in a relationship that defies logic.
Andy Mozina has written a book that explores morality. We all think we know what we would do in various situations but when they occur we are often surprised at what we actually do. Can one ever put right a wrong so deep? Is confession always the best route? Readers will put themselves in Mike's shoes and may find him understandable or despicable but he will provide a basis for much contemplation. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.
July 10, 2023
I was lucky enough to get an Advanced Reading copy of this, and he's an author I've been following.
Premise seems ordinary enough, for a certain kind of mystery. Slightly goofy, slightly irresponsible middle-aged guy gets drunk and kills people riding a bicycle. Doesn't turn himself in, and then has to deal with his guilty conscience. I'm not really giving anything away. We learn all this in the first few pages. But where this novel gets different and how it gets there is the interesting thing. Usually we expect the plot will turn in one or two directions. But this is different. I won't give that away!
There were several things that particularly intrigued me:
1.) Yes, it all takes place in west Michigan, mostly in Kalamazoo, but all around the area, even down as far as South Bend. This is completely personal but made the setting a lot of fun for me.
2.) Mozina's prose is crystal clear. It never gets in the way of the story, and reads quickly. At some point I simply had to stop and remind myself how good it was.
3.) Even though the tragedy at the beginning is horrible and has devastating consequences for everyone involved, Mozina is able to keep moments of genuine humor. I'm not quite sure how he does that. It's unexpected and unique. Maybe it's because the main character, who is such a spineless wimp if we judge him by his actions, sees himself in such a positive light, and so does everyone else! But it's a delicate balance and Mozina walks it easily.
Highly recommended.
Premise seems ordinary enough, for a certain kind of mystery. Slightly goofy, slightly irresponsible middle-aged guy gets drunk and kills people riding a bicycle. Doesn't turn himself in, and then has to deal with his guilty conscience. I'm not really giving anything away. We learn all this in the first few pages. But where this novel gets different and how it gets there is the interesting thing. Usually we expect the plot will turn in one or two directions. But this is different. I won't give that away!
There were several things that particularly intrigued me:
1.) Yes, it all takes place in west Michigan, mostly in Kalamazoo, but all around the area, even down as far as South Bend. This is completely personal but made the setting a lot of fun for me.
2.) Mozina's prose is crystal clear. It never gets in the way of the story, and reads quickly. At some point I simply had to stop and remind myself how good it was.
3.) Even though the tragedy at the beginning is horrible and has devastating consequences for everyone involved, Mozina is able to keep moments of genuine humor. I'm not quite sure how he does that. It's unexpected and unique. Maybe it's because the main character, who is such a spineless wimp if we judge him by his actions, sees himself in such a positive light, and so does everyone else! But it's a delicate balance and Mozina walks it easily.
Highly recommended.
August 5, 2023
We all make mistakes. We are not monsters or saints, just regular people, but sometimes we find we have committed an act that others—and the law–would find heinous. Will leading a better life recompense for that one bad decision? Can we gain forgiveness from the universe, or God, or anyone, if we do good going forward?
In Tandem, a man accidently kills two young people. It was a foggy night, he had drunk too much, the tandem bike came around a blind corner, going the wrong way. Mike Kovacs knew he would be charged with manslaughter, go to prison, and lose everything. He was a well-liked professor at a small Kalamazoo college. (Based on the school my brothers-in-law and all their children attended!) Mike cleaned up the scene of the accident and hid his car. In fact, he purchased a duplicate of his car to drive while secretly repairing the damaged one.
Mike discovers that the victims were from the neighborhood, and that his ex and the mother of the girl he had killed had been in the same book club. He seems like a caring guy to Claire whose her marriage is strained by the loss of their daughter.
Mike’s one bad decision leads to a series of morally suspect choices. His outward life does not betray the secret guilt he carries. I found the complication creepy. It’s a dark book with dark humor, but is always entertaining.
I loved the Michigan setting. I read the novel in a day.
Thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Marketing for an ARC.
In Tandem, a man accidently kills two young people. It was a foggy night, he had drunk too much, the tandem bike came around a blind corner, going the wrong way. Mike Kovacs knew he would be charged with manslaughter, go to prison, and lose everything. He was a well-liked professor at a small Kalamazoo college. (Based on the school my brothers-in-law and all their children attended!) Mike cleaned up the scene of the accident and hid his car. In fact, he purchased a duplicate of his car to drive while secretly repairing the damaged one.
Mike discovers that the victims were from the neighborhood, and that his ex and the mother of the girl he had killed had been in the same book club. He seems like a caring guy to Claire whose her marriage is strained by the loss of their daughter.
Mike’s one bad decision leads to a series of morally suspect choices. His outward life does not betray the secret guilt he carries. I found the complication creepy. It’s a dark book with dark humor, but is always entertaining.
I loved the Michigan setting. I read the novel in a day.
Thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Marketing for an ARC.
December 20, 2023
Another title for this book could be "How to get away with murder when it involves restoring a wrecked Camry." Mozina is a master of dark comedy and there were several times in the story that I laughed out loud.
Mike Kovacs finds himself in a real predicament when one of the few times he allows himself to have one too many drinks, he ends up hitting bicyclists riding the wrong way in a foggy parking lot late at night. After a bit of a freak out he decides to clear away any clues at the scene that could indicate him as the culprit in the killing of the two riders, who turn out to be from his own neighborhood. What follows is twofold: Mike's desire to repair the car without it being connected to the accident and Mike's desire to be a forever good person which culminates in his affair with Claire, the mother of one of the two people killed.
At times I empathized with Mike while at other times found him incredibly shallow. At the story's completion I found myself liking him again.
Mike Kovacs finds himself in a real predicament when one of the few times he allows himself to have one too many drinks, he ends up hitting bicyclists riding the wrong way in a foggy parking lot late at night. After a bit of a freak out he decides to clear away any clues at the scene that could indicate him as the culprit in the killing of the two riders, who turn out to be from his own neighborhood. What follows is twofold: Mike's desire to repair the car without it being connected to the accident and Mike's desire to be a forever good person which culminates in his affair with Claire, the mother of one of the two people killed.
At times I empathized with Mike while at other times found him incredibly shallow. At the story's completion I found myself liking him again.
December 21, 2023
A real page turner!
As the action moves forward, I laughed at, sympathized with, admired the cleverness of, and also felt a strong urge to head butt and chastise this goofy, misguided main character. Mike struggles with conscience vs. self-preservation in hilarious ways, as he hides evidence, evades the law, rationalizes all this, and simultaneously tries to be the best human being he can be to atone. Mike's bewildering choices @ atonement = much head scratching. Is he trying to avoid hell and purgatory after death? If I were St. Peter, weighing the good and the bad, and assuming his Maker made him this way... I'd probably let him into heaven, but ensure he got a good spanking, long-term therapy, and was kept on parole up there.
Mike's inner dialogue, cringe-worthy behavior, and (oddly endearing) weakness for bodacious-bodied chicks, is certainly entertaining! Mozina stated, at a recent reading of this book, that bad behavior is funny to him... and we find ourselves laughing along with him!
As the action moves forward, I laughed at, sympathized with, admired the cleverness of, and also felt a strong urge to head butt and chastise this goofy, misguided main character. Mike struggles with conscience vs. self-preservation in hilarious ways, as he hides evidence, evades the law, rationalizes all this, and simultaneously tries to be the best human being he can be to atone. Mike's bewildering choices @ atonement = much head scratching. Is he trying to avoid hell and purgatory after death? If I were St. Peter, weighing the good and the bad, and assuming his Maker made him this way... I'd probably let him into heaven, but ensure he got a good spanking, long-term therapy, and was kept on parole up there.
Mike's inner dialogue, cringe-worthy behavior, and (oddly endearing) weakness for bodacious-bodied chicks, is certainly entertaining! Mozina stated, at a recent reading of this book, that bad behavior is funny to him... and we find ourselves laughing along with him!
September 8, 2023
The incredible tension of Tandem begins with the novel’s first scene, when Mike, hindered by fog and too much beer, hits a bicycle carrying two young riders, sending the kids flying to their deaths, and Mike and Claire, the mother of the dead girl, spiraling into attempts to survive as well as transcend this sudden tragedy. This is a story about flawed, quirky humans reacting to something so horrible it’s nearly impossible to react well, and as Mike adds new mistakes to his initial one of getting behind the wheel drunk, the stakes and tension continue to build and never let up. You might think that comedy would have no place here, but Andy Mozina’s wonderful dark humor rises from nearly every page as he plumbs the depths of guilt, grief, and love with astute insight and empathy. You’ll never guess where these characters end up, and from start to finish, you’ll be glad you accompanied them on their astounding journey.
October 13, 2023
I read a late draft of Tandem, preferring it strongly to the "it" literary novels I was also reading at the time.
Other reviewers have done a terrific job here of attesting to Tandem's strengths, including its blend of humor and pathos and the masterful deployment of an unreliable narrator. I want add my appreciation for its sentence-level qualities. In particular, the figurative language throughout. Even more specifically, and maybe this sounds awfully wonkish, Andy Mozina comes up with enormously successful similes and metaphors.
For this writer, at least, the figurative writing and clean prose, combined with the plot, propelled me through the novel, buoying me along as I cast judgment all along on the antihero at its center.
Other reviewers have done a terrific job here of attesting to Tandem's strengths, including its blend of humor and pathos and the masterful deployment of an unreliable narrator. I want add my appreciation for its sentence-level qualities. In particular, the figurative language throughout. Even more specifically, and maybe this sounds awfully wonkish, Andy Mozina comes up with enormously successful similes and metaphors.
For this writer, at least, the figurative writing and clean prose, combined with the plot, propelled me through the novel, buoying me along as I cast judgment all along on the antihero at its center.
November 21, 2023
If you were struggling through a bitter divorce from an alcoholic spouse and finally enjoy a night out where you drink just one more beer, and a couple of people on a bike ride straight at you while you’re driving into the entrance, when they should have been taking the exit, and it’s impossible to see through the fog….is it really your fault if you hit them and they die? Tandem is about an economics professor who bargains with himself about how much more good he can do if he stays out of prison, to make up for the deaths of two innocent kids. Couldn't put it down.
And I was honored to interview the author for a New Books podcast: https://newbooksnetwork.com/tandem
And I was honored to interview the author for a New Books podcast: https://newbooksnetwork.com/tandem
March 2, 2024
I did not find this funny at all but rather disturbing and a bit on the boring side. I never felt there was a point of climax, which I think should come much sooner than the last 10 pages of the book. I was thinking it would be funnier like if Mike really messed up in getting his car fixed, like they paint it the wrong color or he gets toy parts to fix it.He did everything right and everything worked by and large smoothly. That's not funny, that's calculated and makes me root for him even less. And then to introduce a completely new character in the last few chapters only for it to go nowhere? why? Not a fan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2024
Part satire, part meditation, part homage to the community of Kalamazoo.
Andy Mozina, a professor at Kalamazoo College, has created a novel that continues to haunt me as I try to decide the morality of the decisions that professor, Mike Kovacs, makes as he navigates life following an ugly divorce and a horrible accident.
The best part of the book for me was the descriptions of my community, Kalamazoo MI. I knew exactly where Mike was in every move he made. And that was fun. However, I am not sure that I can visit Saugatuck State Park again, without worrying about my safety!
One reviewer said that Tandem was a “morality tale of the highest order.” I would agree.
Andy Mozina, a professor at Kalamazoo College, has created a novel that continues to haunt me as I try to decide the morality of the decisions that professor, Mike Kovacs, makes as he navigates life following an ugly divorce and a horrible accident.
The best part of the book for me was the descriptions of my community, Kalamazoo MI. I knew exactly where Mike was in every move he made. And that was fun. However, I am not sure that I can visit Saugatuck State Park again, without worrying about my safety!
One reviewer said that Tandem was a “morality tale of the highest order.” I would agree.
October 5, 2024
Tandem is an engaging read that made my heart rate increase at times, laugh at other times, and kept me wondering what's around the next turn. Mozina's characters and centering of the nuances of mid-sized Midwestern city living are painfully relatable (except for the murder part). I couldn't help but root for Mike Kovacs as he applies his devious (yet economically sound) ingenuity to navigate the aftermath of his accident. I recommend to anyone who appreciates a good anti-hero tale or Great Lakes living.
April 15, 2024
Tandem is a book about a tandem bicycle accident told by two people in tandem! It is ironic, tragic, comic and shows the thinking of both narrators. In dealing with guilt and grief, they make bad decisions, which they justify. You are inside their heads and understand their thinking and justifications (kind of). I really enjoyed the rationalizatons and laughed at the realistic absurdity of it all!
June 29, 2024
Andy Mozina has long proven to offer quirky characters and extraordinary writing in his fiction, and in TANDEM he offers those assets yet more: a hook that'll grab your attention, a premise that'll keep you thinking, and tension galore. TANDEM will have you asking not only what will happen next but also what is right and what is wrong--and, most rivetingly: What would *you* do if you were in a situation like this?
January 24, 2024
Loved it, as expected. The writing is crisp and clear, and cleverly spins a web that quickly pulls you in. Hitchcock could've done an excellent job with this one. Has the same mix of humor/satire and deep pathos found in his terrific short story collections and his previous novel. Highly recommended.
February 17, 2024
I chose the book because I know the author, and know well the setting of the story. Those facts make it more interesting, but the premise and the writing stands on its own. Tandem is about the fused dichotomies in each of us: poor choices and good intentions, tragic and fortuitous consequences, naive hopes and devious schemes.
May 1, 2024
Morally ambiguous characters in fiction are the best. Mike Kovacs is one of those characters that you won't forget--a really likeable, caring, intelligent guy that made a horrible choice. Mozina's detail to Mike Kovacs' web of deception after his hit-and-run was perfectly orchestrated. This one will stick with me.
November 27, 2023
I couldn't help but feel for Mike Kovacs as he suffers the consequences of the worst day of his life. This novel--an exploration of the best and worst aspects of human nature that manages to be both philosophical and riveting, deadly serious and darkly, hilariously funny--is a wonder.
December 20, 2023
Mozina takes the power of good intentions so far it creates a whole new steady state of subterranean toxic masculinity. It goes down easy, but leaves you with a lingering aftertaste of existential disorientation.
January 22, 2024
An unlikely comedic novel, with excellent description and suspense throughout. The rendering of the main character is so effective, and the ending literally made me gasp. Wholly original--I tore through this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews