The 13th Step: A Gripping Crime Thriller

by Lew McCreary

"A gripping crime thriller wrapped around an ingenious premise." --Jonathan Payne, award-winning author of Citizen Orlov

"Devilishly entertaining, Lew's book masterfully illuminates the ever-present capacity to manipulate, avenge, even murder, residing in each one of us." --Bruce Robert Coffin, award-winning author of the Detective Byron Mysteries

At the center of the novel is a private investigator named Archie Lightman. Archie and his partner Delia Sanchez stumble upon a pattern of killings in which the victims are all criminals who---in an age of rampant plea bargaining---are often too lightly punished for their crimes.

The investigation leads them to a support group modeled along the lines of a traditional 12-step program called COSOVO, Circle of Survivors of Violent Offenses. Its members the surviving kin of murdered loved ones.

Roger Witt is one of the members of the group, his life utterly ruined . . . first by a wanton criminal act that takes the life of a loved one, and later by an ineffectual justice system. He is thus doubly afflicted with derangements that follow in the wake of terrible losses. And he becomes vulnerable to Candace Morgan, the charismatic leader of COSOVO, who gradually grooms certain members to become murderers themselves, offering them the supposed healing balm of a vengeful 13th step.

Meanwhile, Archie is experiencing his own thoughts of revenge. He recently received an anonymous letter that rekindles unresolved questions about the circumstances of his mother’s death decades earlier. Was it suicide, was it homicide? All Archie knows is it wasn’t an accident. Will he succumb to the lure of the 13th Step?

This work of literary crime fiction explores how unrelenting grief can drive us to do things we never thought imaginable.

Genres: Mystery

280 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2024

About the author

Lew McCreary is the author of MOUNT'S MISTAKE (Atlantic Monthly Press), THE MINUS MAN (Viking), and THE 13TH STEP. His short stories have appeared in Ploughshares and Solstice Literary Magazine After graduating Wesleyan University with a B.A. in English, he pursued a career in magazine editing. He was the editorial director of CIO and CSO magazines, a senior editor at Harvard Business Review, and an editor and ghostwriter of several business innovation books. He lives in Hull, MA with his wife, Marcy.

Reviews

[Susan Ouellette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lew McCreary's THE THIRTEENTH STEP is a gripping tale about loss, grief, and vengeance. McCreary's eloquent and evocative writing leads readers to question their capacity for forgiveness and their propensity for violence. Charles Constant's narration hits all the right notes, engaging the listener from the first chapter through to the final, satisfying scene.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. A story that will leave you thinking to yourself what lengths would you take and what things would you do at the loss of a loved one.

[Jennifer McGill-Sadera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to The 13th Step on Audible and enjoyed it tremendously. Not only was the book well written, but the narrator was excellent, heightening the experience. This book was not at all what it initially seemed. At the beginning of the story, readers were introduced to a whole cast of disparate characters with little in common, yet the individual vignettes were so compelling, I eagerly read on, investing myself in each storyline.

As the plot progressed, I enjoyed the quality of the writing so much that it took me a while to realize that I had no idea how these strangers’ lives were going to intersect—or if they would even connect at all. But the author was way ahead of me with nuanced clues that subtly—and then overtly—integrated individual aspects into a cohesive whole. The story came together seamlessly and so surprisingly that I knew I was in the hands of a pro. I don’t want to give anything away, but I must admit I was shocked by one twist in the storyline. It was so innovative, and I never even considered something like it could happen.

The characters in The 13th Step are realistic. They have to make tough choices, and sometimes their decisions are devastating. If you crave a thought-provoking read with believable dialogue and situations then this is the book for you.

[Kate Michaelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The13th Step depicts the ripple effects of violence, grief, and vengeance in the lives of seemingly disparate characters who have lost relatives to crime. The story centers on members of a grief support group, the group’s charismatic leader, and a pair of investigators piecing together a series of vigilante killings. Charles Constant’s narration captures the wry wit and wisdom of the writing. Meanwhile, McCreary’s spot-on pacing builds as the parallel narratives converge in a masterful final act, forcing readers to consider the meaning of justice for those whose lives have been shattered by crime.

[Audrey Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do to avenge a loved one? What if you wouldn't get caught? What if you didn't care if you did? The 13th Step adeptly peels away the layers of this ethical dilemma from the point of view of several characters mired in their grief. Throw in COSOVO, a survivor "support" group with a deeply flawed victim at the helm, and that's when things get even more diabolical. The writing is smart, the action flows, and the characters are complex. Narrator Charles Constant is excellent in bringing Lew McCreary's dark story to life.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved mysteries and detective stories since I was in high school, and I've read way more than I can count. Most recently, I read Lew McCreary's "The 13th Step," which I loved. The characters are sharply drawn, the dialogue is crisp and convincing, and the story is believable. I highly recommend this excellent book.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery. Good writing. Kept my attention! Where does this stuff come from?!?!?

[A fiction fan 38 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner! A great and provocative read, with a super-tuned sense of place and time.

[Meredith Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I didn't love it, as it felt a bit slower paced than I prefer for a thriller.

Archie is a fundamentally decent man who tries (though often fails) to understand people. But he's obsessed wtih understanding his mother's long ago death and it threatens to overwhelm his life. Running parallel to Archie's story is Roger Witt's story. Like Archie, Roger is obsessed with a senseless death (in this case, his brother's murder, which took place on 9/11) and obsesses over his brother's killer. The support group dynamics feel accurate to me. McCreary captures how group dynamics can often be more destructive than constructive, especially when the leader exploits his/her power over the others.

For me, I found Archie's story more compelling than Roger's, but Roger's dominates the book. McCreary does a great job of capturing Roger's mental chaos and how he circles around and around about his various obsessions: the murder, the young killer, the injustice, his attraction to Candace, 9/11, revenge. But that also means the story feels repetitive at times as he fixates on the same images and themes, and as a result, the pace felt slow to me.

All the same, I'm glad that I read it. The 13th Step is a solid four stars.

[Marcy McCreary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 13th Step is an exceptionally compelling crime thriller . . . one that doesn’t just deliver suspense, but also dives into the psychological fractures left by grief, injustice, and vengeance. With Archie Lightman navigating both a professional case and the personal shadows of his mother’s death, the novel balances taut investigative storytelling with profound emotional weight.

What stands out most is the ingenious premise: a 12-step-like support group turned on its head, with grief weaponized into vigilante justice. It’s both timely and timeless, a reflection on the gray line between healing and destruction.

This novel will resonate with fans of literary crime fiction and character-driven thrillers.