Working at her parents' roadside gas station and struggling to cope with her alcoholic father and defeated mother, Kate escapes her stressful family life by writing stories. So when Mike, the new boy in town, threatens to rob the snack bar, Kate recognizes his need for attention and decides to befriend him instead of turning him in. But when she hears of a series of robberies in town and then about the murder of the popular girl at school, Kate is torn: will the crimes be solved if she reveals what she knows about Mike's past?

Both a suspenseful mystery and a sensitive portrayal of a young writer's coming-of-age, *Thirteenth Child* will grip readers from its first page to its startling conclusion.

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### Review

"Bradford handles her challenging material sensitively, and demonstrates that a little love, trust and loyalty can go a long way in fostering human relationships." -- *Books in Canada*

### From the Author

I did the research for this book by driving around southern Ontario, staying at small motels, drinking endless cups of coffee in service station snack bars, and eavesdropping. A lot of the conversation in the book is taken word for word from what I heard. The story, however, comes out of my imagination--almost as fertile as Kate's!