The Thirteenth Cabin

by Brenda Lyne

Raegan O'Rourke is a talented investigative reporter with a knack for uncovering the truth. The real truth. You see, Raegan has a gift: she touches things and sees visions of past events. She uses her "touch" to help people by holding those in power accountable in a very public way.

Raegan's gift is also a curse. It's been passed down to the women in her maternal family for generations. And for every Ainsley woman born with the touch, there is a Faust man hellbent on eradicating her and her power, or harnessing it for his own nefarious purposes. As a result, Raegan and her family live in constant fear – and the fact that she's secretly in love with a Faust only complicates things.

When her neighbors lose their beloved dog in a mysterious northern Minnesota lake resort fire, Raegan decides to use her touch to investigate the cause and bring closure to the family. In the process she uncovers another, deeper mystery that has baffled authorities and kept an Iron Range community on edge for twenty-five years.

Solving the two cases will put Raegan's abilities to the test. If, that is, she can stay alive – because some people will protect their secrets at all costs.

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

Published September 13, 2022

About the author

Hello! I'm an indie author based in Minnesota, specializing in paranormal thriller novels and spooky mystery stories. Explore my gripping titles: Charlie's Mirror and Sister Lost, the full Raegan O'Rourke Mysteries series (The Thirteenth Cabin, Angel Baby, & Fool's Gold), and my newest release, Ripple Effect. If you need a nail-biting mystery with a supernatural twist, you've found your next read!

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm writing this review because I feel a bit hoodwinked by the overall rating.

Not a fan of The Thirteenth Cabin. If the story was just about the Catclaw Kds, it'd probably be closer to 3/3.5 stars.

I did not like the main character. I don't generally have a problem with unlikable characters who are well written, but I'm pretty sure I was supposed to really like and root for this one. I guess I'm supposed to believe she's this great reporter and investigator, too, but I have no idea why.

And her family saga just wasn't believable. I couldn't suspend my disbelief regarding her family background long enough to stop rolling my eyes every time she talked about it.

I didn't like the writing style, either. There was a way too much superfluous description. I don't need or want to know every little detail about the town square or the sheriff's office building or the various highways she took to get to the resort and what way she turned. None of that is at all relevant to the story.

[Barb Trautmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this 3.5 stars--a decent mystery, apparently the first in a series starring Raegan O'Rourke. Raegan, an investigative journalist, along with her mother and grandmother, possesses "the touch," a magical gift that allows her to touch an object and visualize things that happened in the past surrounding that object. When her neighbors' vacation cabin burns down, killing their beloved dog, Reagan uses her gift to solve the mystery of the fire and, in the process, attempts to solve a cold case murder investigation as well. I do enjoy a bit of magic, and this book didn't disappoint in that area, showing the downside of such a gift as well. As I neared the end of the book, I was wondering how all the loose ends would be wrapped up so quickly, and I discovered that the ending was a setup for the next book in the series--kind of a bummer since my library doesn't have the entire series. One thing that bugged me: this girl never eats! Over the course of 3-4 days, she "picked at" some nachos, ate a peanut butter sandwich, and downed a blueberry muffin. That's it. Not much sustenance for a busy mystery solving, murder investigating, "rock star" journalist.

[DarkDreamerM · Rating 4 out of 5]

-I was immediately pulled in to Raegan O'Rourke's world and her family story/secret.
-I didn't fully like the writing style->when old memories were being recalled.
-I felt like the case was maybe solved too quickly or maybe I just wanted more.
- The first Smiley chapter actually confused me. I thought maybe I was reading a whole different book.
-As a born and raised Minnesota girl the one thing I didn't quite like was how some of the places the author mentioned were real, and some were fictional. It made it confusing. I could imagine Agate Falls possibly being Hibbing, but not really sure. Cook is real place. Minnetonka, Eden Prairie are all real places. But Catclaw lake doesn't exist. It honestly made it annoying to me.
-I still found this to be a fun read! I wish I would have picked up the other books in the series from this author! I will just have to scout her out at the next fair. :)

[Patty Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Minnesota mystery. I found the protagonist to be very likable, even with her flaws, as were the other characters in the book. It is fun to read a book with nods and mentions of familiar locations and cultural quirks .

I stayed engaged throughout the book. As the author wrote with great balance of description and emotion that kept the story moving to an unexpected ending .

I will definitely look for more books written by this author.

[Patsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pulled in immediately with the main character, Raegan O’Rourke, and the story didn’t waver, it kept me to the end. I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Great mystery, easy reading, story flowed very well.

[Nicole Gullickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that it is set in Minnesota. I got through it pretty fast and the ending had me rushing to the library to get the next book. Definitely not for everyone, but the story was good and kept me reading. I was excited to learn it was a series and I could follow Reagan on more adventures.

[Traci Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced, gripping story that’s tough to put down. Love that it’s set in Minnesota.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good!! Should be 4.5!!! Stars!
Kept you guessing & reading

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

It appears that investigative reporter/ private investigator Regaen O'Rourke is the first of a series. This read was a nice break from historical fiction.

I did not like the ending... 3 stars!

[Rena Lehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read. Thought I had it figured out and then a twist. Kept you thinking page by page. Did figure it out by the end. Excellent read