In 1968, Dylan and Richard are the lone survivors in a brutal family massacre that leaves Dylan imprisoned for the remainder of his juvenile years. Elsewhere, a young girl named Polly runs away to New Orleans in hopes of a better life.

In present day New Orleans, Polly meets Marshall Marchand and an instant bond is formed. Even her daughters are enchanted by him although she senses a reservation about the relationship in Marshall’s brother, Danny. Unfortunately, the brutal horrors of the past are about to have a dramatic impact on the present.  

13 ½ is a darkly compelling tale of the depths of evil that lurk within a person. Each section begins with a short but chilling narrative expository on a different killer, ranging from Charles Whitman to Susan Smith. The ending is almost anticlimactic and yet there’s still an edge of danger as one wonders, “what if?”

Dylan’s incarceration and subsequent treatment is shockingly sad and yet he survives. Despite the vicious crimes he’s accused of, Dylan becomes almost heroic with his survival in a system that tends to destroy rather than rehabilitate. In fact, I had to restrain myself from jumping ahead to see how Dylan would handle each new hurdle he encountered.

Nevada Barr sets an ominous tone to the story and yet a tiny kernel of hope seeps through the pages; it is that hope that keeps 13 ½ from descending into sensationalism. Instead, we see hope rising out of the ashes of perhaps the most gruesome and horrific crime one can possibly imagine. Bravo to Nevada Barr for crafting such a gripping tale!