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13 Days: The Pythagoras Conspiracy: Lynn Dayton Thriller #1 Paperback – August 1, 2016

by L. A. Starks (Author)

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Book 1 of 4: Lynn Dayton Thrillers

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5 Stars. "I found the book not only entertaining but educational. L.A. Starks made sure the reader understood all the oil refinery terminology... I enjoyed the entire story and liked the tenacity of the main character Lynn! I look forward to reading more books in the future by L. A. Starks."--Renee - - - Goodreads

4 Stars. "A series of nifty plot twists and turns confront Ms. Dalton, and we root for her as she struggles to save her company and her family from the oily evil around her. One thing I like in my adventure/thriller stories is detail and a chance to learn more about a subject without having to crack open yet another text book. 13 days lays out detail after detail concerning the oil business that I found very illuminating, making this a very good Goodreads win."--Tom Donaghey - - - Goodreads

5 Stars."A riveting thriller with an oil refinery setting... The conspiracy is as thick and opaque as crude oil and L.A. Starks slips the reader through it on skillfully oiled clues and dialogue."--Evelyn - - - Goodreads

"In 13 DAYS: THE PYTHAGORAS CONSPIRACY we enjoy great fiction while at the same time imagine that the story reveals a few of the many risks inherent in the world of oil refineries or comparable industries. Terrorist risk and Natural Hazard risk must be assessed and mitigated in real life. Well documented thrillers can provide an excellent way to inform the public as well as stakeholders of entities which can suffer great damage when these risks materialize."
Alain Bensoussan, Ph.D. - - - Ashbel Smith Chair Professor, International Center for Decision and Risk Analysis, Naveen Jindal School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas

"These days, you can't turn on the television or radio without hearing dramatic news about the rise in gas and oil prices. Writer L.A. Starks says, "There's high emotion. It affects everything from the price you pay at the pump, the cost of groceries and getting on a plane.""
- - - The Preston Hollow Advocate

"Very realistic. Thankfully, most weeks aren't as intense as these are."
CR - - - oil company vice president

"Thanks for writing such a suspenseful book."
Mike Witzgall - - - (ret.) Dallas Police Department SWAT team member

"13 Days is a suspense thriller with an engineering twist. With the oil refining industry as a backdrop, Starks weaves a story with lots of turns and subplots to keep you guessing. It's a great read!"--L. Gros - - - marketing manager, global petrochemical company

"A great thriller, in the tradition of John Grisham and Dick Francis. Full of interesting insights into the energy business, 13 Days features a tightly woven plot and vivid characters."
Mike Barron - - - retired energy CFO and senior vice president

"13 Days weaves a gripping suspense plot around the very real, and complex operations of oil refining. The attention to detail and factual content is extraordinary, while creating a spellbinding story that we hope could not be real." KS - - - vice president, energy industry consulting firm

"Starks grabs the reader from page one with this well-researched page-turner." Harry Hunsicker, author

"Starks' first novel seems to be coming closer to reality and current events than any of us would like to realize." --Carine Nadel

5 Stars. "I very much enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot about oil and petroleum- about quality issues and the refining process... The author jumps right into the story and takes us along an elaborate plot for a big reveal in the end. It was straightforward and enjoyable." Hennessy A. - - - "Boarder Babe

"This is a great read, fast-paced, good plot twists, entertaining. When I read, even fiction, I like to learn about something. Starks pulled me into the world of the refinery business, its risks, its jargon, painted with character's New Orleans drawls and slithering French accents. I hope to see more from her." --Julie Hersh - - - reader and author

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Book 1 of 4

Lynn Dayton Thrillers
Print length

350 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Nemaha Ridge Publishing Group LLC
Publication date

August 1, 2016
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.78 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

0991110714
ISBN-13

978-0991110711

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"For those who like tough can-do heroines, pull up a chair: you'll like Lynn Dayton... If you like a fast-paced thriller with lots of technical information and a whole skein of loose threads that have to be knotted up, you'll enjoy this." --Karen Treanor - - - New Mystery Reader Magazine

"Four stars...an explosive debut novel... that keeps you up reading way past your bed time... the plot, characters, and settings are all well thought out and delivered with expertise."--R.J. McGill - - - 3Rs Reading Den, Amazon, Boston Globe Book Forum, other online review sites.

4 Stars. "This thriller is fascinating. It includes loads of technical details about the refining industry, engineering, chemistry, and so forth, as well as a host of characters. The protagonist is interesting and human and female (Yea!). The plot spans two or three continents. It's a fantastic first novel from L. A. Starks, for sure. I read it in a day (we were having an inclement weather day here) and quite enjoyed it. I look forward to reading the next related novel." --Amelia - - - A Year of Reading Women

"A gripping yarn of industrial espionage that keeps the reader guessing until the very end... Oil industry readers will relate to some of the red-necked attitudes of the refinery staff and will appreciate the dedication of Lynn Dayton who leads by example and could be anybody's favorite boss... This is an excellent first novel." -- Roger Herrera - - - Petroleum News

"After reading the first 10 pages, I could not stop... very well written book and could be a case study." Zaki - - - Chemical Engineering World, (one of world's top-ranked engineering blogs)

Rating: Preferred over most other fiction. "13 Days: The Pythagoras Conspiracy (Lynn Dayton Thriller #1), moves along at a brisk pace ... it is refreshing that Starks selected a group other than the stereotypical Middle Eastern extremists or the US Government to be the puppet master pulling the strings behind the conspiracy." --Mysterious Reviews - - - Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

"Starks tells the perfect conspiracy story in this richly, delightful tale of suspense and chills." Mark - - - Book Cove Reviews

"This book is worthy of a careful read, and yet it provides entertainment and food for thought... Rating: 4 Hearts" -- Bob Spear - - - Chief Reviewer, Heartland Reviews

"Four Stars. A reverse femjep." --Jack Quick - - - BookReporter.com

This is an enjoyable and interesting thriller that showcases too well the current and ongoing vulnerability regarding U. S. oil production and processing... Oil production and processing is a highly complex subject and the author draws upon her long career in the industry to write what she knows... The premise works, as do the character situations... the author conveys real world concerns while delivering a good story worth reading." --Kevin Tipple - - - Mouth Full of Bullets, Blogger News Network

From the Back Cover

Energy executive Lynn Dayton thinks her challenge is fixing the troubled refinery her company has just acquired on the Houston Ship Channel.But soon she must save it, and other oil refineries, from the industrial havoc and deaths directed by a French saboteur, simultaneously fighting off threats to her own life.

As Lynn deals with chemical leaks, disloyal employees, a new season of hurricanes, and mounting casualties, Robert Guillard, a corrupted idealist, plans to manipulate her through her vulnerable sister.

But Robert underestimates his prey.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Nemaha Ridge Publishing Group LLC
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 1, 2016
Edition ‏ : ‎ 2nd Revised, New Cover and Publisher ed.
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 350 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0991110714
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0991110711
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.78 x 8.5 inches
Book 1 of 4 ‏ : ‎ Lynn Dayton Thrillers
Best Sellers Rank: #2,790,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,434 in Terrorism Thrillers (Books)
- #4,473 in Technothrillers (Books)
- #7,118 in Espionage Thrillers (Books)
Customer Reviews:
(27)

About the author

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L. A. Starks

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Texan L. A. Starks is the author of the award-winning Lynn Dayton thriller series: 1) 13 DAYS: THE PYTHAGORAS CONSPIRACY, 2) STRIKE PRICE, 3) THE SECOND LAW, and 4) WINNER'S CURSE. Each can be read as a stand-alone.

THE SECOND LAW was a mystery/thriller quarterfinalist in the 2019 BookLife Prize competition, an Action/Adventure finalist in the 2020 National Indie Excellence Awards, and a quarterfinalist in the 2023 ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition.

WINNER'S CURSE was a finalist in the 2025 Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards and a finalist in the 2026 Indies Today Awards.

All books are available in print, on Kindle, and as Amazon Virtual Voice Audible audiobooks.

L. A. Starks earned a B.S. (engineering) at Tulane University and an MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Besides writing high-stakes thrillers, she has been a paid contributor to Seeking Alpha for her energy investment articles (over 700) and has run twenty-three half-marathons.

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lynguy1
Tachnical and Fast-Paced Thriller
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2019
Format: KindleVerified Purchase

13 Days: The Pythagoras Conspiracy by L.A. Starks is a well-written thriller that focuses on the refinery business. This novel goes beyond the usual thriller in that the reader actually learns a lot about this industry. The novel takes place in Houston, Dallas and Paris. Starks’ knowledge of the industry helped to shape this novel into a thriller unlike most.

Lynn Dayton is an energy executive working to turn around a refinery her company just acquired based on her recommendation. Soon there is a chemical leak and four workers are dead and one is seriously injured. Then accidents start happening at other refineries near Houston, Texas. More events soon occur at her refinery. Is this coincidence or is this the work of one or more saboteurs? As Lynn deals with resentful executives at the newly acquired company and works on the root causes of the profitability problems there, we find a strong female protagonist in a male dominated industry. She is both technically sound and has the ability to manage through tough situations.

Besides these events, Lynn is dealing with a very ill father, a sister that suddenly left the Peace Corps and accepted a job in Paris that seemed to come out of nowhere, and a boyfriend that wants more from her.

This is definitely not a fluff thriller. It is more technical than most, but, for me, that was nicely interwoven into the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and learned a lot. It is a fast paced, educational thriller. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

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jrpettit
Technical thriller!
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2016
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Loved it! Technical oil and gas thriller about a petroleum engineer, now executive Lynn Dalton investigating problems at a recently purchased refinery. Yes, murder and root cause analysis together. The novel takes place primarily in the greater Houston area and in Dallas. Having grown up in Houston and now working in Dallas, there are many places and references I'm familiar with. This adds quite a bit to the story for me. The story has great characters (very Texan, with one from Louisiana) and the story elements have very detailed and vivid descriptions (very educational if you are interested in the refining industry). The novel is #1 in a series of energy thrillers. I will definitely keep Starks on my to read list. Kindle edition.

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william r schlichter
Too much info dump on oil rigs and not enough story
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2025
Format: Kindle
I DNF and doubt I attempt the next one. The AI voice was terrible, and the plot did not hook me. I really didn’t read enough to give a fair rating, but I don’t want audible to recommend this novel series to me so I will give 1 star.

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C. Toste
Not for me right now
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2018
Format: Paperback
I was a First Read Winner of this book and I was really looking forward into sinking my teeth into a thriller, but I just could not get into to book and gave up on it about 25% in. I hate when I don't connect with a book since I am pretty picky of the books I choose to begin with, and it was not that the writing was bad or the plot line, the author did a tremendous amount of research on the subject matter but I kept stumbling over all the technical talk which made me loose the rhythm of the read. I am all for learning something new when I read a book, but all within reason, when I found myself rather picking up something else to read I figure it was time to walk away. I will try and give the book another try later, when my mind is maybe less otherwise occupied and I can concentrate better on it, having just gone through a death in the family I was looking for loosing myself in a read, and unfortunately this was not the book. I am sure L.A. Starks will have a bright future ahead.

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223JPB
Conspiracy lover's conpiracy
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2024
Format: Kindle
Everyone who knows me, knows that Ayn Rand’s character Dabny Taggert in the novel Alas Shrugged are my favorite author, character, and book of all time. No contest there. But I have to admit that L.A. Starks character Lynn Dayton in 13 Days, The Pythagoras Conspiracy ranks up there as a close second. Lynn Dayton is an oil company executive trying to bring a lagging new refinery acquisition up to competitive operating condition. While Dabny had to overcome ignorance and corporate incompetence, Lynn Dayton must also overcome corporate sabotage and …. well, some other trials in her quest. What could go wrong? Lynn Dayton, a modern-day heroin, 13 Days, an exquisitely enjoyable conspiracy. Not my first Starks novel and it won’t be my last. As a screenwriter, I can already imagine the visuals. Well done, L.A.

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Susie Jane
Great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2017
Format: KindleVerified Purchase

A thoroughly enjoyable read and whilst reading, I found out info about the oil industry. I guess many other consumers, like myself, take petrol, diesel etc., for granted and have no idea of all the processes involved in refining crude oil. Some readers may not enjoy all the technical info, but I did. At the beginning of each chapter, there was at least one technical term explained. Starks had obviously done thorough research for other content in the book e.g. the description of the buildings etc., in Rotterdam was excellent.

Lynn Dayton has a problem on her hands. TriStar have recently acquired the Centennial refinery, but an accident killing four employees and seriously injuring a fifth, makes Lynn think that it was not an accident at all. Armando Garza, the fifth employee was recovering, albeit slowly, in hospital, but then dies suddenly when someone switches his oxygen tank to a nitrogen tank.

Lynn starts to investigate, but has no idea who she can actually trust. A security video of the accident mysteriously disappears, so Lynn begins to wonder if perhaps either Dwayne, Riley, Reese, Jay, Jean-Marie or Preston, are some of the staff that may be involved.

Robert Guillard lives in Paris and has offered a job to Ceil Dayton, Lynn's sister. Guillard is not as squeeky clean as Ceil thinks he is. Sansei is employing Guillard to sabotage the U.S.A. refineries and manipulate figures so that U.S. production will reduce and a demand for Sansei's inferior oil products will ensue. Guillard's man in the U.S.A is called 'Rabbit'. Rabbit and his assistant, are systematically sabotaging the refineries.

Lynn's investigations are fraught with trouble. She is receiving threatening phone calls, has been subjected to potential life threatening accidents and to top it all, one of her suspects has been shot and killed. Can Lynn manage to uncover who the saboteur is, stay alive and make sure that her sister is safe in Paris?

This is book #1 in the Lynn Dayton series and I will definitely be looking at reading book #2.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Tachnical and Fast-Paced Thriller

5.0 out of 5 stars Technical thriller!

1.0 out of 5 stars Too much info dump on oil rigs and not enough story

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for me right now

5.0 out of 5 stars Conspiracy lover's conpiracy

Top reviews from other countries

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read

Tachnical and Fast-Paced Thriller

Technical thriller!

Too much info dump on oil rigs and not enough story

Not for me right now

Conspiracy lover's conpiracy

Great read