At roughly the equivalent time in New Orleans, Polly Deschamps is living with her mother and whatever male happens to be in residence at the moment. Polly is a bright girl, eager to live a much better life than the one for she is appears to be destined.

Flash forward to 2007. Polly has indeed reached her goal. She is a distinguished professor of literature. She has two daughters, but has opted to rear them herself in lieu of male support since her experience has convinced her that option is a bad one. She has promised her children that should she ever find a man with whom she would consider spending the rest of her life, they will make the final decision. When Marshall Marchand declares an interest in Polly, her daughters interrogate him as thoroughly as an inquisition judge. A happily ever after ending seems in the offing but real life is never that simple.

In her first stand alone after a long run of highly successful stories featuring Anna Pigeon, a national park ranger, Nevada Barr has demonstrated her versatility as a novelist. She has produced a novel of depth dealing with a difficult sensitive subject. Without decrying decaying family values or condemning society for not rectifying such situations, she examines a scenario other than the obvious one.

The physical construction of the novel is arresting. The action alternates between 1970s Minnesota and modern day New Orleans, carefully delineated by spaces between the chapters. In addition, newspaper accounts of actual murder cases involving family members are described, giving the impression of a tribute to those families that suffered such horrific losses.

The novel is enhanced by Ms. Barr's facility with the English language. She is able to evoke feeling from all five senses. The reader will have no trouble imaging the feeling of happiness as she describes Polly laughing, which "built playgrounds for children, church steeple for bells and walls with clear, cascading fountains." Appealing to the sense of smell she speaks of "a scent that Dylan recognized as hopelessness." The actual story becomes much more meaningful.

As I read this book I was baffled by the title. I could make no connection with the plot as it evolved and the significance of the thirteen and a half. Readers more astute than I will probably grasp the connection, but I will save the mystery for those as naive as I was. It was a significant revelation and a meaningful one.

Nevada Barr has connected all the dots in this impressive novel. All the parts fit together and make sense. The fact that there are not pages of explanation at the end of the book is testimony that Ms. Barr is a master of her craft and trusts her readers to follow her aptly drawn trail.

--Andy Plonka