13 1/2 [NOOK Book]

A compelling psychological thriller

In 1971 eleven year old Dylan Raines killed his entire family except his older brother Richard whose leg was severely sliced up. Dylan suffered from selective amnesia not recalling how he murdered his father, mother, sister and cat with an ax that put him in the international headlines as Minnesota's "Butcher Boy". Richard takes Dylan from Rochester to New Orleans with him to start over.

Polly Deschamps grew up in Mississippi living in a brutal home. At fifteen she fled into the night vowing to never return. Now she is a professor at Tulane raising two kids as a single mom following a divorce. Polly remarries charming Marshall who is extremely nice to her daughters. However her new spouse acts odd at times and her brother-in-law Danny is even stranger; which begins to frighten her.

With Anna Pigeon taking a breather, Nevada Barr provides a compelling psychological thriller that grips the audience from the start to the finish in a one sitting family drama. The story line is character driven as the strong casts including powerful secondary players like the tarot card reader make for a tremendous tense tale.

Harriet Klausner

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

Totally different Nevada Barr!

If you are looking to find Anna Pigeon in this book, go look somewhere else. This story is a totally different direction for Ms. Barr, one that I wasn't sure I would like. However, it was riveting and kept me thoroughly engrossed. I chose the audio version, and didn't need for a moment to worry about falling asleep on the road!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Shocked!

This is really different for Nevada Barr. Was she high when she wrote this and it was her private demons spilling unto the paper? I read it, I enjoyed it (I think) but the thought that some children are just born bad leaves a bad taste (blood) in my mouth. But then I am a somewhat Pollyanna also.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Not the typical Nevada Barr fare

Anna Pidgeon fans may be disappointed. A very gritty story, but even in the dark ages of the 1960's I think police investigation was more thorough than this book gave credit for. Language is much more profane than most of Nevada Barr's work and the plot becomes predictable.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Awesome!!!!!!!

Very, very good!!

Well written and amazing twists and turns

I am used to reading and really enjoy her stories with Anna Pigeon and was not expecting this murder mystery. It was very good but disturbing and I would not recommend for teens and younger. If you love murder mystery stories you will give this 4 or 5 stars as it ends with an a chillingly well written ending.

Super stand-alone!

Nevada Barr is best known for her Anna Pigeon series, but now she brings us her first stand-alone novel, 13 Ôø¿, a dark psychological thriller that will surprise, and impress, her legion of fans.Polly Deschamps is making a good life for herself in New Orleans. She had a tough childhood, and now is determined to give her own daughter the love and care that she never knew. When she meets Marshall Marchand, it seems that the last piece of the puzzle has fallen into place. After a whirlwind courtship, they are married, but Polly soon starts to believe that Marshall might have secrets of us own. In Minnesota in 1968, two young boys awake to find their lives utterly changed. Their family is murdered and Dylan, the younger brother, is accused of the crime. He is dubbed "The Butcher Boy" but his older brother Richard stands beside him, even as he is sentenced for the crime. What does this long ago night have to do with Marshall and his brother Danny? And what will Polly have to do to protect herself and her daughter from the shadows of the past?Barr delves into the heart of evil and wonders - are we doomed to repeat our mistakes or is it possible for there to be hope and redemption in spite of everything that has gone before? Tautly written and perfectly paced, this one will keep you guessing until the very end.

Interesting Read

The author has great writing skills which makes the book a pleasure to read. Very suspenseful and interesting. Highly recommend.

Way too dark!!

This was a complete dissappointment! The worst of hers I have ever read. Went to such a dark side and no plot . Difficult to follow her story line (such as it was) Would not reccommend rhis and am now wondering if this is going to be her line of writing I will not read her any more.

Great Read

I finished this book in 3 days. I just could not put it down. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Unlike many books and movies, this story didn't let you figure too much out before you needed to know. A great read and I highly recommend reading this.

Very good book

This is my first Nevada Barr novel so unlike alot of the other readers I have yet to read her other series. This was a great pyschological triller. I will certainly try to read the Pigeon series but hope to find a another novel like this that keeps u on ur toes.

This book is a fake! Do not buy!

This ebook cannot be opened or read even though it shows as purchased in my library. When I try to read it, I get a request for my credit card number. I have never had this happen with an ebook that I have bought. I entered my credit card number several times to no avail...the ebook is useless. Do not buy this ebook! It is some sort of fake or scam.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Nevada Barr just keeps getting better.

Wow! 13 1/2 certainly stepped away from Nevada Barr's usually books. It kept me on the edge all the way through. She does such a good job of developing her characters. I highly recommend this book as well as all of her others.

WOW!!

That's what I call a psychological thriller...right to the last sentence. Great read!

What can I say--I loved it!

Nevada Barr has been one of my favorite authors since I read my first Anna Pigeon novel. Although this book is quite different from her usual style, it was in no way disappointing. (Ruth Rendell is another of my favorite authors, and this book reminded me a bit of her style.) It kept my interest from the first page to the last--I would like to see more like this.

Very disappointing - bring back Anna Pigeon

What a disappointing book. I have read and loved every book featuring Anna Pigeon but this book would have been hard to swallow even if Anna had been the primary character. There were so many twists and turns, events and places popping up unexpectedly and unexplained. I guess if I lived in New Orleans, I would have understood some of these situations better, like the Living Statues. Do they really exist? It took me almost two weeks to get through this book, unusual for a fast reader, and I would have given up on it but I kept thinking it would get better. It never did. The ending was fairly easy to figure out. Psychological suspense it was not! Forget buying this book. It wouldn't be worth the price even if it was free. Sorry Nevada. You missed the boat on this one.

Creepy and Dark

This is a good read! Nevada Barr is able to take us into the dark mind of evil which is suspenseful and even scary. However, I was able to figure out the ending before I got there so there is a sense of predictability as you move along. Nevertheless, I was hooked and riveted by the storyline, the setting and the intricacies of the characters.

Too Tragic

I stopped reading this book within the first few chapters. It felt so sad, tragic and heavy. I knew it was only going to get worse once the novel truly got under way. That's the last thing I need. What I read was well written and interesting, just too sad for me continue reading.

This book reads like a first (poorly written) novel...

There was no plot-this book was easy to figure out very near the beginning. You would never know that this was written by the same author who writes the Anna Pigeon series so well. Characters were shallow and the plot was ridiculous. I would NOT recommend this one.

Not Her Best

I have to admit that I got the audio book version; I didn't enjoy it as much as reading the book but maybe it was the person who narrated the story. He put his own spin on it and it just didn't sit right. And it was a departure from her usual stories. Again, maybe it was just the audio book I didn't enjoy; maybe the book version would have been better. I like listening to audio books when I drive. It makes the journey go faster and I have so many books to read, this way helps me keep up with some of my favorite authors.