Thirteen Across

by Dan Grant

THIRTEEN ACROSS:

• "A deftly and subtly crafted suspense thriller of a read by an author with a genuine flair for originality" - Midwest Book Review

• "sizzles with revelations, double crossings, and seemingly shifting alliances … A taut, exciting mystery" – Kirkus Review

THIRTEEN ACROSS: An FBI agent must decipher clues that link to seven stops across the nation’s capital and arrive at a final destination before midnight where she must atone for her past sins.

Kate Morgan’s life is derailed when Phillip Barnes makes his attacks on the nation’s capital personal. Five letters and Thirteen Across are ominous signs. When you murder a killer’s family there are consequences to those actions.

Barnes reveals an unfolding puzzle—a charted course—one that expires at midnight. Solutions and destinations expose seven stops, seven sets of clues, and secrets. To assist with the investigation, the FBI brings in real-life puzzle master, Will Shortz, to riddle out stops, while Kate works the frontlines to save victims and track down Barnes. Each stop is meant to cause pain and torment, yet reveal dangerous secrets. What Kate thinks she knows about her past is tested as is her ability to survive her trials. She must log the tours, save as many as she can, and arrive at a final destination to atone for her past sins.

Thirteen Across is an intricate thriller on a clock. Crosswords? Puzzles? Unique destinations? Covert research? It’s more than that. Thirteen Across is a puzzle in a puzzle that keeps you guessing and the story draws on seven unique landmarks in Washington, DC. How will FBI Special Agent Kate Morgan survive her trials? Read to find out.

What Others Are Saying About Thirteen Across

“part scavenger hunt, part puzzle … brilliant reading” – Jon Land, USA Today Bestselling author of the Murder, She Wrote series

“a cat-and-mouse chase with intricate puzzles … written like an action thriller movie, much like the Jason Bourne series … keep your eyes glued to the page so you don’t miss a clue!” – San Francisco Book Review, 5 Stars

“for fans of puzzle-based mysteries or thriller with twists and turns like Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Kate Morgan is a character that is just as compelling as Robert Langdon” – Hollywood Book Review, Star Awarded to Books of Excellent Merit

“entertaining, intelligent, and clever” – Manhattan Book Review

“Intelligent second thriller … opens with a bang” – Publishers Weekly

"Hang on for a terrorist rollercoaster ride! ... Thirteen Across reads like an action-packed spy movie ... I found Thirteen Across to be unputdownable. The storyline is an original page-turner with plenty of plot twists to keep it moving" – Bookclub Reporter

"This is a fascinating book and I stayed up far too late devouring it" – Girl Who Reads

Genres: Thriller

410 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2019

About the author

Dan loves stories, especially tales that weave science, medicine, technology, or history into the fabric of the story. The Singularity Witness and Thirteen Across do that and add locations to the mix as well.

He’s a professional engineer with degrees from Northern Arizona University: a bachelor’s in electrical engineering and masters’ in college education and English with an emphasis in creative writing. His engineering endeavors have provided opportunities to work with a variety of medical and technological applications, and get behind the scenes at research and military sites.

Following The Singularity Witness and Thirteen Across, Dan is working on his next thriller—Thomas Parker and Kate Morgan will be back in The Singularity Transfer. Kate will return in a sequel to Thirteen Across, which has yet to be titled… and we shall see what puzzles and quandaries lay in wait for her.

Reviews

[David Lucero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Morgan is back, and facing her most formidable challenge imagined. When a bomb goes off in a Washington D.C. commuter train, killing dozens, Kate is requested to join in the search for the terrorist responsible. Little does she know this person has super-human capabilities making it difficult for all agencies to track down and stop this madman before he strikes again. Following a set of clues, Kate works with military special forces, FBI, and local police to hopefully make an arrest. But the madman does not make things easy for her, and it will take all of her skills to see this through to the end.

This is my 2nd book by the author and I was not disappointed. Dan Grant has done extensive research and enlightened readers how far advanced technology has taken us. The things he describes in this book left me wondering how in the world anyone could come up with such technology, and I have no doubt they are real. This novel is a page-turner in every right. It's full of suspense and is a top-notch thriller. Highly recommended.

Keep on reading!

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review. A book with a very interesting premise devolves into a total mess in terms of coherent and understandable plot devices. All this deals with a mass murderer who is using a crossword puzzle to deliver clue to his next victims and attacks, which in turn is about super secretive government projects. So much alphabet soup jargon, and events to our heroine that are next to impossible to survive yet alone overcome all sorts of injuries to end up saving the day. Parts of the book I enjoyed and parts were just too much. This appears to be part of at least a 3-part series, and there is a lot of background that is also being given to you that really makes little sense if you have not read the first book. It was an OK read but doubt I will spend time reading #1 or future books in the series. Since half is good and half is bad I rate it 2.5**, but round it up to a 3.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

After spending far more days than I ever spend on a book, I feel I should have liked it more than 3 stars but I just didn't. The plot was fast moving but often hard to follow. Medical experiments performed on humans should have appalled more than they did. Perhaps it wasn't made clear enough what was being done. The author did not do a great job in his portrayal of female characters. He made them strong but not realistic. I read the book in small bits which is probably why I made it all the way through. Not terrible but I begrudge the time I spent.

[BookTrib.com]

In present-day Washington, DC a brilliant, tech-savvy madman with an agenda has concocted a labyrinthine trail of terrorism with an FBI special agent named Kate Morgan at the end. It appears he wants her dead.

By page 3 of Dan Grant’s Thirteen Across (MindScape Press), Agent Morgan is crawling over body parts to escape a subway train wreck, fire sucking up the air and sending sparks and white-hot shards of Plexiglas into the melee. People are screaming and dying and being carted out in various stages of survival. Miraculously, Morgan emerges with a few cuts and bruises and a torn blouse.

She was on her way to a congressional hearing where she’d been summarily summoned, most certainly already in big trouble with the federal government. She didn’t need an underground fiasco on the way, nor did she need the cops to find a briefcase with her name on it shoved under a bench at the subway station.

Inside was a page of human skin, tattooed with the first of seven sets of clues, sending the FBI, the Army, and Special Agent Morgan on a grisly chase.

Much of this macabre scavenger hunt takes place underground in creepy abandoned tunnels, bunkers, and vaults equipped with power and ventilation, a choice of location that sent me to the internet to see if there is indeed a secret network of tunnels under our nation’s capitol.

There is. Mr. Grant has done his research. Snaking underneath the city, connecting federal buildings and beyond, there’s a system of tunnels that have over the years acted as an aqueduct, transportation alternative, sewer, board rooms, and an emergency fallout shelter for government officials. Incidentally, President Johnson refused to set foot in the fallout shelter, saying he would not hide in a (insert Johnsonian epithet) hole while the rest of his country burned up.

The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/06/puzzles-...

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Editorial Review:
Plot: 5/5
Flow: 4/5
Character Development: 4/5
World Building: 4/5
Overall: 4/5 Stars

Even though a lot of this book is plot based - it focuses on character development as well, and found this story to be well-constructed. It was also interesting finding out who started the project. Will Shortz reminded me a little bit of Lincoln Rhyme in 'The Bone Collector', and by the end of this novel, you have gotten a glimpse of two different aspects of Kate Morgan. Even though Philip Barnes ends up being the sort of character he is, I would have liked to know a little bit more about his history as well. It’s the first time I’ve read a book by this author – and since I really enjoyed it, I’ll definitely be reading more books of his. This is definitely an author to follow and keep an eye on.

My Take on the Book:
This book is done in third person, with the chapters being quite short – each chapter having one or two character’s POV. One character that interested me was Rachael Pratt – she seemed to have a bit of a history, though I do wish that there had been a little bit more about her history.
You end up finding out that one of the main characters knows the villain, and as the book goes on, you find out bits and pieces about the main characters. I got the idea that the author might have gotten some inspiration from books like ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and ‘The Bone Collector’. Elements that are involved in this book are things like the military, FBI, medical aspects as well as a small touch of politics.
I received a review copy.
Please note that this is an Editorial Review, and I received a review copy from BooksGoSocial (The International Review of Books), though part of this review includes opinions that are my own. If you’re an author, please consider supporting ‘The International Review of Books’, you can find out more information about them with this link:
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[Lynn Hallbrooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crossword puzzles are not your normal mode of tracking a terrorist. Then again this is no ordinary terrorist.

Upfront: This story contains violence as well as moderate adult language plus mentions of sexual intimacy. I was provided an opportunity to read this book through Many Books review program. I voluntarily read it and this review reflects my honest thoughts. Unknown to me at the time, "The Singularity Witness" was the first introduction of this story's main character, Katherine Morgan. I suspect if I had read it first, I would have had a deeper background on this character and the events mentioned in this story.

Katherine Morgan returns from a month-long vacation to face a summons to appear before a Congressional hearing. Her trip to answer this summons was rudely interrupted by a subway derailment. After barely surviving this, her day is shattered further when it's discovered that the terrorist is sharing creepy and cryptic crossword clues designed in part around her. Figuring out the answers include: why her.

I really enjoyed this story overall. However, in my opinion, there was a lot of unnecessary repetition. Plus, if I had known that "The Singularity Witness" was related to it, I may have read that beforehand. It's possible that would have also enhanced my enjoyment level. Don't let my personal thoughts stop you, fellow reader, from giving the story a try.

[Arianna Mclaughlin (arianna.reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Thirteen Across is a high-octane read from page one. Fast-paced and full of action, we dive right into the case without a lot of background on the characters or context on their departments. I found out after reading, that this is second in a series and I recommend reading book one (The Singularity Witness) first.

I struggled at times keeping track of all of the acronyms and the different players and organizations, but definitely learned a lot of military and spy jargon along the way.

I loved the crossword puzzle as a key tool to solve the case. It kept me engaged and trying to guess the clues myself. I was never completely sure who the good guys and the bad guys were and even who was actually dead and alive!

I recommend this book for fans of Dan Brown and anyone who enjoys a good CIA/FBI conspiracy thriller.

Thank you to Meryl Moss Media and the author Dan Grant for a copy for review.

[Jimmy Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great mysterious thriller with just the right amount of twists along the way

Thirteen Across is a great work written by Dan Grant. The story follows our heroine Agent Kate Morgan, as she begins a normal day on the train when an explosion suddenly rocks the train throwing it from the tracks and killing several passengers as it finally slides to a stop. When your day starts like this it can only get better right? Maybe not as Kate soon discovers she is in the middle of a madman’s game and must now solve the seven stops across the nation and prevent psycho Phillip Barnes for causing anymore death and destruction. The author has great vision and unravels this murder mystery with just the right amount of intrigue and kept my interest from the first page. The characters are well developed and the story made me feel like I was right there cheering for Kate as she tries to prevent the next disaster. This one is a great read. Check it out.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thriller, mystery, politics, action and intrigue are all contained within this exciting book about a woman who is in a race against time and intellect of a mastermind criminal. Kate has a sordid past and it seems it has finally caught up to her when she boards the orange line train. Very quickly her life is derailed into a game she is forced to play if she wants to win and save the lives of innocents. Innocents who will die if she cannot defeat Phillip Barnes. Kate gets some assistance from the FBI, but she is out there and risking her life. Quick thinking and quick feet are what it will come down to in the end.
I really enjoyed this book, it was fast paced, the action, twists and puzzles kept my attention and I really loved the ending. Kate was a flawed, but likeable heroine and Barnes the ever-evil criminal. The ending was satisfying for me

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today is my stop on the Thirteen Across blog tour! Thank you very much to Meryl Moss Media and the author Dan Grant for a copy for review.

Thirteen Across is a thriller that reminded me a lot of Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. FBI agent Kate Morgan is given clues by a man who starts the game by blowing up the train she is on and proceeds to leave crossword clues for her to find. She must solve the puzzles to find the next victim and the motive for these attacks. The FBI brings in puzzle master Will Shortz to help, which I love because his crosswords are always my favourite.
I was not aware when I started Thirteen Across that it was the second in a series and I think part of my enjoyment of it suffered because of that. The events of the first book were referenced so often but with little substance that it just became apparent that they should be read in order.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had stumbled upon the summary of "Thirteen Across" by Dan Grant before I read it, well, I wouldn't have, for fear the entire novel would be as badly written. Of course, having done so, now I can decipher the synopsis, but it leads me to wonder how many potential readers might have passed it up out of sincere confusion.

"Thirteen Across" has been classified genre-wise as a suspense and medical thriller. I think the downright horrifying, unethical experimentation on human beings should be noted, perhaps veiled with a more diplomatic designation such as medical terrorism. It would also sit squarely under action, medical science fiction, and domestic terrorism labels.

Regarding the story, the 411 pages are surely responsible for many chewed fingernails. The plot is intricate, woven just the right way to carry the weight of the content. Characters are developed nicely and dialogue between them is well written. I won't go into more specifics to prevent giving too much away, but my final word on Thirteen Across is - I suggest you read the book.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

FBI agent Kate Morgan starts her day with a commute to downtown D.C. to a hearing she never makes. A bomb goes off killing many but Kate survives. She is stamped with a number to show she is among the living from the wreck but that number is important in what happens to her through the day.
The story has to do with a secret group who are enhanced humans which are experimented on by a secret part of the government. The man who started this whole thing has made a puzzle with seven events and a part of the puzzle is revealed at each event. Kate is trying to help solve the whole thing. It is on a time limit as well so they are trying to do what they can but it has to be as quick as they can. Can they solve the puzzle before the time runs out?

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating puzzler of a novel! Reminded me of Dan Brown's DaVinci Code. Kate Morgan is an interesting main character to follow. She is a rule-breaker, she's intelligent, and is a heck of a puzzle solver. All qualities needed when she is presented with a briefcase containing a piece of human skin with crossword puzzle clues tattooed on it! I only wish that there was more wrap up about the people at the top being involved (can't give away any spoilers!), but I hope there will be a second novel that might dive further into it or at least give a bit more closure.
Thank you to the publisher for this copy of the novel!

[Denise Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Book I Have Read In Months!

I love spy, mystery, action thrillers. This is all and more. The Washington, DC location is one I know and love to see used in books as a location for the story. Kate Morgan and the story line will capture you at once. I love puzzles and the way they are used in this story is unique. The technology and medical usage is thought provoking and educational. The theory of this book will leave you thinking about after you finish the book. I enjoyed reading this story because it may be closer to the truth than we think. This is a great book to read when you have a few hours to get comfortable and relax. Enjoy it. I did.

[ann pac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book very much. The only drawback I have is that the puzzles should have come after the clues were figured out rather than before. That way the reader could see after the fact how Will Shortz figured out where everything went. In a real book, it is easier to look back at the puzzles than on an ebook.

[Bob Ely · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. An FBI Agent is involved in a train wreck and clues to the cause are given in crossword clues and directed to her. Several other incidents occur while she and others try to solve the crossword. It is kind of a long book, and hard to keep reading, but it is good.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and am sorry I didn't read Singlarity Witness first. I would have given it 5 stars but I really disliked all the abbreviations that were used. Just too many AIB< CIA< SIOC

[Deb Joell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible boring, long and drawn out. Had to quit