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The Stroke of Thirteen
When Grace Pembleton inherited her grandfather's business in rural Pennsylvania, she had no idea what else she was in for. She thought life as a bed-and-breakfast owner would be a quiet one, that the only trouble she'd encounter would be making enough coffee for guests.
What she gets instead is a violent gnome, a resident ghost, a secret society, and continuous brushes with the supernatural. Even with new friends at her side, she struggles to fulfill her family's legacy of protecting the town.
Then a new threat arises, and it wants Grace.
What she gets instead is a violent gnome, a resident ghost, a secret society, and continuous brushes with the supernatural. Even with new friends at her side, she struggles to fulfill her family's legacy of protecting the town.
Then a new threat arises, and it wants Grace.
274 pages, Paperback
Published June 8, 2017
329 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Gessner
17 books67 followersHey! I'm the author of the Heartfriends epic fantasy trilogy (with the third book hopefully out later this year) as well as a novella and various short stories. I love all things high fantasy
As a reader, I like a lot of SFF, mystery, romance, and more. I stick with the Goodreads scale of:
5 stars: I loved it!
4 stars: I really liked it!
3 stars: I liked it
2 stars: It was okay
1 star: I didn't like it
A lower amount of stars doesn't mean it's not a good book; it mostly means it wasn't for me. No harm intended. Different things float different people's boats and all that!
Take care and be kind!
As a reader, I like a lot of SFF, mystery, romance, and more. I stick with the Goodreads scale of:
5 stars: I loved it!
4 stars: I really liked it!
3 stars: I liked it
2 stars: It was okay
1 star: I didn't like it
A lower amount of stars doesn't mean it's not a good book; it mostly means it wasn't for me. No harm intended. Different things float different people's boats and all that!
Take care and be kind!
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 3, 2018
Carrie Gessner is a friend. Not in the traditional sense, but in the modern "Internet Friend" sense. I first discovered her writing fan fiction, then on Twitter, then here on Goodreads. I knew she was a good writer, but when i read her book "The Dying of the Golden Day" I was blown away. It is epic. If she can maintain that level for the whole series it deserves to be a fantasy classic, Tolkien style. So, I was anxious to read her other work, "Where You Can See the Stars" and "The Stroke of Thirteen". Carrie told me "Thirteen" was not a sequel to "Stars", but it does follow the same characters. "Stars" is barely longer than a short story, but it neatly sets the stage for "Thirteen" so I suggest you start with it. Grace has inherited a Bed and Breakfast from a grandfather she never knew. Her father is adamantly against her even going to the town of Witch Wood, PA. to sell it. When she arrives, she finds two people in residence, Rosie and Phee, who quickly become her friends. She also finds she has inherited the family business, protecting the town from all sorts of supernatural creatures. What surprises her the most is that she quickly comes to feel she has found her home, the place she really belongs. Despite assorted vampires, werewolves, gnomes etc, she decides to stay. When her family's history catches up to her it is almost a fatal decision. Grace is a very human and likeable heroine. You would like to be her friend if you could. While perhaps not quite at the level of "Golden Day" these are well written, interesting books which taken together provide a solid foundation for a series. I hope Carrie returns to Witch Wood in the future because I would love to read more of Grace's adventures. Highly recommended.
March 27, 2019
I love this take on the urban fantasy genre! I appreciated Grace's less violent take on dealing with the paranormal, and I always like seeing social media tidbits inserted in the story. It makes it feel more contemporary because honestly, who isn't spending at least some of their time on social media these days? Overall, I liked the mystery and the resolution (esp. re: the statue) at the end, and I'd read another book with these fun and quirky characters.
Note: I do think it's important to read the short story prequel, Where You Can See the Stars, to fully appreciate this book and Grace's approach to the paranormal. While technically you can read this book without having read the prequel, I'd highly recommend starting with WYCStS.
Note: I do think it's important to read the short story prequel, Where You Can See the Stars, to fully appreciate this book and Grace's approach to the paranormal. While technically you can read this book without having read the prequel, I'd highly recommend starting with WYCStS.
November 15, 2019
I loved this book! I think this ticked a lot of boxes for storylines that I am attracted to.
Detective/mystery novel? Check.
Supernatural presence? Check.
Strong female lead? Check.
Non-bro-y guy friend who I want to be friends with? Check!
Unpredictable ending/villain(s?)? Check.
I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator’s acting during the dialog.
Detective/mystery novel? Check.
Supernatural presence? Check.
Strong female lead? Check.
Non-bro-y guy friend who I want to be friends with? Check!
Unpredictable ending/villain(s?)? Check.
I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator’s acting during the dialog.
February 20, 2019
I get frustrated and bored with urban fantasy until I read one like this.
This is like watching a really good season of a favorite CW show. Fun, small-town setting, a family with a historical obligation to stand between the residents of the town and the supernatural, an inexperienced newcomer taking up the reigns, and some quirky, lighthearted shenanigans to offset the doom, gloom, murder, and mayhem.
I should probably bump this up a star just for sheer revisitability. I can tell this is going to become one of my go-to comfort listen audiobooks.
This is like watching a really good season of a favorite CW show. Fun, small-town setting, a family with a historical obligation to stand between the residents of the town and the supernatural, an inexperienced newcomer taking up the reigns, and some quirky, lighthearted shenanigans to offset the doom, gloom, murder, and mayhem.
I should probably bump this up a star just for sheer revisitability. I can tell this is going to become one of my go-to comfort listen audiobooks.
September 7, 2020
The Stroke of Thirteen is a stand-alone urban fantasy novel. Anyone who has not yet read Carrie’s short-story collection, Empyrea, should immediately stop whatever they are doing, including reading this, and read that instead. The Stroke of Thirteen catapults us through Grace’s first four months in Witch Wood, picking up when she is already borderline familiar with the place and the job. It’s a refreshing change of pace that chops several chapters of predictability out of the narrative.
As with Carrie’s other novel, Dying of the Golden Day, and her short stories in Empyrea, it is Carrie’s characters that really shine. Carrie’s worlds are awash with weary twenty-somethings torn between strong conviction and vulnerability. They are sassy and self-deprecating, noble and conflicted, and always have great potential for both light or darkness. In short, they are exactly the kind of characters I like to read about. No one is one-dimensional. Even the villains have their reasons for everything they do and levels even they will not stoop to. I have to give the story an extra point for the relationship between the three central characters, Grace, Rosie and Phee. I ship them, maybe just a little.
My only issue, such as it is, with The Stroke of Thirteen is that the plot could have been sewn up a little tighter. This might simply have been my own expectations getting in the way, because I had very different ideas about how the story should have ended. It is, at its heart, a feel-good tale, much like the stories collected in Empyrea. I simply cannot be upset with a story that makes me feel so happy for the characters I have walked with through those chapters.
Carrie Gessner’s work shakes me like a soda can and I’d recommend it to anyone. Period.
As with Carrie’s other novel, Dying of the Golden Day, and her short stories in Empyrea, it is Carrie’s characters that really shine. Carrie’s worlds are awash with weary twenty-somethings torn between strong conviction and vulnerability. They are sassy and self-deprecating, noble and conflicted, and always have great potential for both light or darkness. In short, they are exactly the kind of characters I like to read about. No one is one-dimensional. Even the villains have their reasons for everything they do and levels even they will not stoop to. I have to give the story an extra point for the relationship between the three central characters, Grace, Rosie and Phee. I ship them, maybe just a little.
My only issue, such as it is, with The Stroke of Thirteen is that the plot could have been sewn up a little tighter. This might simply have been my own expectations getting in the way, because I had very different ideas about how the story should have ended. It is, at its heart, a feel-good tale, much like the stories collected in Empyrea. I simply cannot be upset with a story that makes me feel so happy for the characters I have walked with through those chapters.
Carrie Gessner’s work shakes me like a soda can and I’d recommend it to anyone. Period.
December 26, 2018
Was anyone else left feeling as though there should have been another book prior to this one? Maybe it was just me. After reading the synopsis, I was left with the impression that Grace would either be moving into her grandfather’s place or she would have been there for a short period of time, as the story began. Either way, I thought this story would be more of her being introduced to the supernatural world. Needless to say, she seemed to already know all about it, albeit not everything. I was somewhat disappointed there.
The only big issue I'd say I had with this story was the in-between chapter text/social media messages. I guess the way they were written, well it was somewhat confusing as to what was even going on/being said between the characters. I would have either deleted those from the narration script or rewritten them for easier understanding. I wasn't a fan of those.
The narrator did a great job. The only things that stood out to me were: 1. There were times when Grace’s mother sounded Jamaican, like before I realized she was actually Indian. 2. Clara’s Brazilian accent was questionable. While I don’t personally know any Brazilians, after listening to some youtube videos of Brazilians speaking English, I’m curious to know how long Clara had been in this town and why she spoke so slowly? Other than those two, I had no other issues. I’d definitely listen to her narrate again.
Questions/Comments:
I might have missed this part, but where did the ghost in the b & b come from?
How long had her two best friends (supernatural hunters) been in this town?
There was mention of the sheriff wearing a Kazastani flag on her uniform. What was that all about?
When it came to introductions, why was Allison the only described as being a “young, white woman?” There was no other mention of race when it came to the characters, like with Grace, I didn’t realize she was part Indian for a good portion of the book.
The funniest or most questionable part was after Aaron’s/Erin’s death. A sketchbook was found nearby, and it was believed that she had sketched her killer prior to death. How much time did she have to where she could sketch, yet couldn’t run away?
There was a part when Grace was sitting in the back of an ambulance, wrapped in a blanket. Her friend comes over to her and they talk for a while. This was when Grace told her friend (the male one-not sure how to spell his name) that she knew he liked Clara. Anyways, they’re on the ambulance bay when suddenly it goes back to them and Grace is sitting in the grass (after it’d been raining) and Clara and Roland are suddenly in the ambulance bay. I might have misunderstood that scene but yeah…
Tilly ends up trying to kill Grace. What does Grace do? She knocks her out and ties her to the staircase, then goes in search for clues, leading her to her father’s journal. Why didn’t she call the sheriff? Or her friends?
How did Grace know that she’d be able to stab the witch statue? This was another part in which I felt like I was either clueless about what was going on or…I don’t know what. I thought there was only a little mention of the statue here and there throughout the story. Yet, I felt like Grace was learning all this information that wasn’t actually in the story.
How did Grace know that Perry was an immortal? Again, I felt lost with that news also.
The only big issue I'd say I had with this story was the in-between chapter text/social media messages. I guess the way they were written, well it was somewhat confusing as to what was even going on/being said between the characters. I would have either deleted those from the narration script or rewritten them for easier understanding. I wasn't a fan of those.
The narrator did a great job. The only things that stood out to me were: 1. There were times when Grace’s mother sounded Jamaican, like before I realized she was actually Indian. 2. Clara’s Brazilian accent was questionable. While I don’t personally know any Brazilians, after listening to some youtube videos of Brazilians speaking English, I’m curious to know how long Clara had been in this town and why she spoke so slowly? Other than those two, I had no other issues. I’d definitely listen to her narrate again.
Questions/Comments:
I might have missed this part, but where did the ghost in the b & b come from?
How long had her two best friends (supernatural hunters) been in this town?
There was mention of the sheriff wearing a Kazastani flag on her uniform. What was that all about?
When it came to introductions, why was Allison the only described as being a “young, white woman?” There was no other mention of race when it came to the characters, like with Grace, I didn’t realize she was part Indian for a good portion of the book.
The funniest or most questionable part was after Aaron’s/Erin’s death. A sketchbook was found nearby, and it was believed that she had sketched her killer prior to death. How much time did she have to where she could sketch, yet couldn’t run away?
There was a part when Grace was sitting in the back of an ambulance, wrapped in a blanket. Her friend comes over to her and they talk for a while. This was when Grace told her friend (the male one-not sure how to spell his name) that she knew he liked Clara. Anyways, they’re on the ambulance bay when suddenly it goes back to them and Grace is sitting in the grass (after it’d been raining) and Clara and Roland are suddenly in the ambulance bay. I might have misunderstood that scene but yeah…
Tilly ends up trying to kill Grace. What does Grace do? She knocks her out and ties her to the staircase, then goes in search for clues, leading her to her father’s journal. Why didn’t she call the sheriff? Or her friends?
How did Grace know that she’d be able to stab the witch statue? This was another part in which I felt like I was either clueless about what was going on or…I don’t know what. I thought there was only a little mention of the statue here and there throughout the story. Yet, I felt like Grace was learning all this information that wasn’t actually in the story.
How did Grace know that Perry was an immortal? Again, I felt lost with that news also.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2021
I read this for a book club and oh boy what a ride. At a very early point in the novel, I called this Scooby-Doo fanfiction and though not completely accurate it would not have surprised me to have “I would have gotten away with this if it wasn't for these pesky kids”.
But then there would have had to have been a tighter plot and not the throwaway villain that we got. Ned was right there. He could have been a great character to reveal as an unassuming mastermind but that never happened.
That is because the novel is Inconsistent. Grace is in a sling after an injury, carrying beers for her group, and then back in the sling in the next scene.
What should have been the opening of the book is bonus content, an afterthought at the end.
None of the characters are distinct. People feel introduced only to be killed, February, soon after. Characters who could have a plot are so bland and underused. There could have been tension with Alison, Clara could have I don't spoken to Phee and given any sense of why he “liked her”.
The biggest problem is we are being told. The story is on the rails. It's hitting plot points without fleshing out the story.
Descriptions are lacking. We are not given enough details to fill in the world. The leather chairs are comfy, great but what is the room like? Why are they comfy.
The characters are either arguing and Grace ignores them or doing what she wants.
Also, the book was recommended as a novel with asexual characters. Unless Grace is by the simple process of elimination of not having a love interest this is horribly misleading and honestly insulting.
I only realized Grace wore glasses, maybe, in the last chapter of the book and the add-on.
The names of the friends and pets bother me. I don't like quirky names with no reaction. The dog is named Lon Caney then have someone ask why? It gives the world life. Everyone just knowing is boring. He is now a very old actor of an era that is not popular it would do to explain.
There are good ideas here which are just dismissed. The bestiary which is only brought up (a thousand times) that it needs to be digitized, but never used which could have been so good. There could have been an explanation of the beasts instead of the social media posts which were emerges breaking.
All that said it might seem like I hated the novel, and though there were times I wanted it to be shorter, I did enjoy reading it. Not because it was a masterpiece but because sometimes you don't want a heavy read. Despite its faults, if you can just read this for the fun of it this might be the book for you.
But then there would have had to have been a tighter plot and not the throwaway villain that we got. Ned was right there. He could have been a great character to reveal as an unassuming mastermind but that never happened.
That is because the novel is Inconsistent. Grace is in a sling after an injury, carrying beers for her group, and then back in the sling in the next scene.
What should have been the opening of the book is bonus content, an afterthought at the end.
None of the characters are distinct. People feel introduced only to be killed, February, soon after. Characters who could have a plot are so bland and underused. There could have been tension with Alison, Clara could have I don't spoken to Phee and given any sense of why he “liked her”.
The biggest problem is we are being told. The story is on the rails. It's hitting plot points without fleshing out the story.
Descriptions are lacking. We are not given enough details to fill in the world. The leather chairs are comfy, great but what is the room like? Why are they comfy.
The characters are either arguing and Grace ignores them or doing what she wants.
Also, the book was recommended as a novel with asexual characters. Unless Grace is by the simple process of elimination of not having a love interest this is horribly misleading and honestly insulting.
I only realized Grace wore glasses, maybe, in the last chapter of the book and the add-on.
The names of the friends and pets bother me. I don't like quirky names with no reaction. The dog is named Lon Caney then have someone ask why? It gives the world life. Everyone just knowing is boring. He is now a very old actor of an era that is not popular it would do to explain.
There are good ideas here which are just dismissed. The bestiary which is only brought up (a thousand times) that it needs to be digitized, but never used which could have been so good. There could have been an explanation of the beasts instead of the social media posts which were emerges breaking.
All that said it might seem like I hated the novel, and though there were times I wanted it to be shorter, I did enjoy reading it. Not because it was a masterpiece but because sometimes you don't want a heavy read. Despite its faults, if you can just read this for the fun of it this might be the book for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2019
This is my review of the audio version as posted on Audible:
I really needed a day or two to think over what I was going to write about the book... so finally here it is:)
It's a confusing book, even more so when you listen to it, I think.
On the one hand, it has quite a unique, intriguing and really engaging story, with the Pembleton family being the centre of all that is going on in the town and the magic/paranormal occurances that happen. It also has a bunch of interesting characters, both positive and negative. The imagery is rich, the plot fast, the ending rather surprising... and yet I felt confused almost all the time.
Why? There are several reasons for that (some of them already mentioned by other reviewers), like the hash tag blah blah - I did not follow fully even one of those exchanges - or the fact that Grace talks too much (that inner constant comment/monologue made my brain go totally blank... ) My biggest problem with the book though was that I constantly felt as if I was missing some parts of the story - I caught myself wondering several times what was going on, why Grace was doing what she was doing and what (and to whom) she was talking about... It's as if my brain did not register some important pieces of information - and I have no idea whether it was the result of the way the book was written or the way it was narrated - or maybe it was my wavering focus that made me "sleep" over some parts of the story... Which in itself means that the pace was uneven and the story less engaging than it might have been. I don't usually lose focus when listening to a story whose pace is right and plot intense... Somehow I didn't feel any real danger, any 'race against time' kind of tension in this story... Pity, because the premise sounded really great.
As for the narration, it's quite good, but again uneven. Ms Price does narrative parts really well, but some of the voices she gives particular characters just don't ring right for me, and the 'hash tag' parts were read so fast that I just couldn't follow them at all. But I would listen to another book read by her with pleasure.
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I really needed a day or two to think over what I was going to write about the book... so finally here it is:)
It's a confusing book, even more so when you listen to it, I think.
On the one hand, it has quite a unique, intriguing and really engaging story, with the Pembleton family being the centre of all that is going on in the town and the magic/paranormal occurances that happen. It also has a bunch of interesting characters, both positive and negative. The imagery is rich, the plot fast, the ending rather surprising... and yet I felt confused almost all the time.
Why? There are several reasons for that (some of them already mentioned by other reviewers), like the hash tag blah blah - I did not follow fully even one of those exchanges - or the fact that Grace talks too much (that inner constant comment/monologue made my brain go totally blank... ) My biggest problem with the book though was that I constantly felt as if I was missing some parts of the story - I caught myself wondering several times what was going on, why Grace was doing what she was doing and what (and to whom) she was talking about... It's as if my brain did not register some important pieces of information - and I have no idea whether it was the result of the way the book was written or the way it was narrated - or maybe it was my wavering focus that made me "sleep" over some parts of the story... Which in itself means that the pace was uneven and the story less engaging than it might have been. I don't usually lose focus when listening to a story whose pace is right and plot intense... Somehow I didn't feel any real danger, any 'race against time' kind of tension in this story... Pity, because the premise sounded really great.
As for the narration, it's quite good, but again uneven. Ms Price does narrative parts really well, but some of the voices she gives particular characters just don't ring right for me, and the 'hash tag' parts were read so fast that I just couldn't follow them at all. But I would listen to another book read by her with pleasure.
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
February 1, 2019
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and all opinions expressed herein are my own.
This book is a little hard to review as I really wanted to like it but ended up feeling a bit confused. The blurb indicates that the MC Grace has inherited her grandfather's B&B and certainly implies that this is something that just happened or will happen during the reading of the book. However, it seems like this is something that happened quite some time ago. Although nothing indicates that it is a series, it reads like there are prior books related to these characters. I felt like I was missing out on some information as the characters, especially the MC Grace is completely comfortable with the paranormal events and seems to be very close friends with the people who are living in the B&B for someone who has just moved there. If there was some sort of novella or story prior to this book, the author should have taken the time to summarize those events/characters so readers would not feel so confused and left out. There are social media hashtags sprinkled throughout the story, which I thought were distracting. Overall, it is well written, the characters are likeable and the premise was interesting but I just wish it was executed better.
I listened to this story -- the narrator, Kristin Wilson, did a good job. She created different voices for all of the creatures/ghosts and characters.
This book is a little hard to review as I really wanted to like it but ended up feeling a bit confused. The blurb indicates that the MC Grace has inherited her grandfather's B&B and certainly implies that this is something that just happened or will happen during the reading of the book. However, it seems like this is something that happened quite some time ago. Although nothing indicates that it is a series, it reads like there are prior books related to these characters. I felt like I was missing out on some information as the characters, especially the MC Grace is completely comfortable with the paranormal events and seems to be very close friends with the people who are living in the B&B for someone who has just moved there. If there was some sort of novella or story prior to this book, the author should have taken the time to summarize those events/characters so readers would not feel so confused and left out. There are social media hashtags sprinkled throughout the story, which I thought were distracting. Overall, it is well written, the characters are likeable and the premise was interesting but I just wish it was executed better.
I listened to this story -- the narrator, Kristin Wilson, did a good job. She created different voices for all of the creatures/ghosts and characters.
Read
September 16, 2019Read up to the first third or so of this book. Gessner is an excellent writer, and while this story should have ticked all my boxes, I had a hard time relating to the main character. I still highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a solid urban fantasy that doesn't get lost in the distractions of romance.
June 26, 2019
Fun, quirky romp through the supernatural. All the tropes are present, and the plot is a bit predictable, but the characters are unique and spout great dialogue: pithy, charming and lovable. I laughed out loud a few times. Very talented Voice Artist.
March 28, 2021
Format: audio
Aaaa...no. The narrator was awesome. The "friend" thread was really annoying. I could barely finish the story.
Aaaa...no. The narrator was awesome. The "friend" thread was really annoying. I could barely finish the story.
June 27, 2024
2.5 stars. I couldn’t really get into it. The irony is that if I’d read this when it initially came out, I’d have loved it.
September 27, 2017
This is a well-written, well thought out, intelligent novel. The Stroke of Thirteen is an exciting story set in a supernaturally terrorised town called Witch Wood. Gessner's writing style allows the story to flow seamlessly, with witty characters, sassy villains and excitement on every page. Readers are left flicking chapter after chapter, unravelling the mysteries of the town, following an exciting trail that can't be left unexplored. An excellent read!
February 10, 2019
I liked this story,though it was sometimes confusing.Once I gave u trying to make sense of some things it went better.It seems Grace has inherited more than an inn from her grandfather.Ghosts,gnomes,etc exist in this Pa town.Fun story.Kristen Price was a very good narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews