Thirteen Question Method

by David L Ulin

In Thirteen Question Method , a man hides out in a Hollywood apartment from a past he doesn't want to remember and a present he is desperate to avoid. The summer sky is thick with ash, and across the courtyard, his neighbor won't stop screaming. When she asks for help in an inheritance dispute with her estranged stepmother, he is drawn into a web of fear and manipulation, until he begins to lose sight of what is real. Echoing the work of Dorothy B. Hughes and James M. Cain, David Goodis and Albert Camus, Thirteen Question Method is a churning psychological thriller, set against the backdrop of contemporary Los Angeles. In a novel inspired by classic noir, David L. Ulin excavates the depths of a disintegrating soul.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime

184 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular writing. So noir. Shades of Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard. A shortish novel, which I appreciate, by Outpost19 | San Francisco, a publisher I’m only now learning about.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disturbing. Entertaining. Totally twisted noir. So much fun to read.

[Betty-Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deliciously addictive noir!

[Audrey Xia · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is WEIRD, but I loved being in the narrator's messed-up brain. I don't really read noir so this was a fun introduction to the genre. I think what I enjoyed most about this book was the fact that the narrator was so unreliable that it made it unclear what actually happened/didn't happen and what the truth behind all the events in the story was. It was hard at first to also understand the direction of where the story was going, but when events started rolling together and becoming more muddled, it drew me into the experience of the book where I was as delusional and confused as the narrator was. Wish this book had more of a readership so I could discuss the ending with someone! glad I discovered this book through the LA Festival of Books 2024 :)

[Jonathan Dunkle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just an awful, awful book unless you enjoy Maker's Mark whiskey in which case this book is the best. It mentions Maker's Mark pretty much every chance it gets. That the narrator and main character enjoys consuming Maker's Mark Maker's Mark Maker's Mark is as close to character development as we Maker's Mark get. Unless you count him also being a fan of the blues, a song from which the title of the book comes. Those are the redeeming qualities, such as they are, of both the narrator and the story.

There was nothing enjoyable about this and it solidly takes it's spot as one of the five worst books I have ever read. Maker's Mark.

[Jack Sesto · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quasi noir- Dostoevsky spin on classic Los Angeles where the angels and devils seem to lie in the subtext.

Great read but obviously a bit rushed, would have liked to see the relationship with Corinna a bit more fleshed out. I suppose the ending is fine but definitely could have included more closure.

[Rochelle Bluestein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is big on atmosphere and noir, but falls short on substance. I agree with the person who thought there was too much mention of Makers Mark.

[Isaac Ruvalcaba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and Introspective

[Victor Anda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book, and it was a quick read. From the opening sentence, I was hooked. Ulin tells a very modern story, but with a style that's almost a throwback to Hammett, Chandler, and James M. Cain. I found the tension between the characters palpable, and while the story takes a left turn in the third act, it didn't break the logic. Existential as all get out, with plenty of Maker's Mark and L.A. vibes, this book is a recommended read.