The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Setterfield, Diane. 2006. The Thirteenth Tale. New York: Atria Books.

Summary

British writer Vida Winter, one of the most prolific and popular authors in the Western world, is also one of the most enigmatic. In the sixty years of her writing career, she has spun story after story about her own life during interviews, all of them fantastic but untrue. Adding to her mystery is the Thirteenth Tale. One of her early books, a collection of short stories titled Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation, contained only twelve tales. Later editions were published simply as Tales of Change and Desperation, leaving fans wondering about the mysterious thirteenth tale. Now, Vida is in her eighties, and has summoned amateur biographer Margaret Lea to her estate on the moors of Yorkshire to write her story, presumably the true one, but as this story within the story unfolds, it seems stranger than fiction. Is this the Thirteenth Tale? Meanwhile, writing Vida's story forces Margaret to face her own past.

Critical Analysis (OR WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK--THE SCHOLARLY VERSION)

Setterfield pays homage to the gothic novel in The Thirteenth Tale, a superbly plotted book that offers readers mystery and suprising twists.