The Thirteen

by James Patterson

" 'Five' Lowrey's passage from the center of his universe - Hockingport, Ohio - to nearby Ohio University is more than just a coming of age journey. If Thomsen Lowrey V had a middle initial it would be 'N' for naive. Five's choice of going to college seems his only alternative to following the family tradition of life on Ohio River towboats, as his father and three previous generations had done. With only one hometown friend on campus - Denzel 'The Bear' Duerhof - Five is thrown into the turmoil of university life without a clue of a goal. That changes rapidly as his penchant for drawing brings him early notoriety and that rarity among freshmen, campus recognition. He finds classes, especially art courses, can be fun. He discovers beer drinking, pizza, a unique moneymaking scheme, and above all, a wonderful variety of girls.His love affair with a town girl, Darcy Robinette, leads to even greater campus recognition and his first conflict between life and love. When fraternity rush rolls around, Five goes along with the crowd and finds himself a pledge to Alpha Chi Epsilon.The Thirteen, as the ACE pledge class is known, move from early euphoria to the depths of despair as their pledgeship reveals some of the harsher aspects of brotherhood. When tragedy occurs, the Thirteen maintain their unity to prevail against a sadistic element within the ACE membership.Five's role in this story of changing college life in the Fifties brings him into the realms of Korean War veterans, secret society intrigue, modern art and ultimately, vengeance for a murder which he and his pledge brothers seemingly cannot prove."

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction

500 pages, Paperback

First published December 19, 1995

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

James Patterson lived many lives before he passed away May 28, 2004 while photographing Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France. He served with the Army’s Counterintelligence Corp in the final days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and on administrative staffs of three universities. Patterson was a 1958 graduate of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He drew extensively upon those experiences to create The Thirteen, Sphinxes, and The Lazarus Pit.

Patterson was a writer, journalist, graphic designer, traveler, and photographer. He won numerous international awards for writing, photography, and design. He was also a freelance travel photojournalist and wrote for computer, photography, and graphic arts magazines. He lived in Largo, Florida, with his wife, Betty.

--from the Authorhouse publisher website

Reviews

[Melissa]

This book is not written by the James Patterson that we all know and love. I bought it thinking that it was and was diappointed that it wasn't.

[Nathan Cover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

Enjoyed the characters -didn't understand why Curtis wasn't punished earlier. Couldn't visualize some of the descriptions towards the end of the book.

[Lewis F. Fierke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just really good!!!

a totally different Patterson. if you want a not to be put down book - this is it. having read lots of his work I knew "it" was coming . boy I was not disappointed.

[Debbie Centineo]

Great book, read before Spinxes

[MRS V A DIXON · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing

Was really going to enjoy this book as by James Patterson very disappointed by story not up to his usual standard

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was purchase by mistake. It was a ok book, but was thinking it would be much better.