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.

13 Days: The Pythagoras Conspiracy is an international thriller which will appeal to readers of books by I.S. Berry, Ben Coes, Joseph Finder, Vince Flynn (and subsequent co-authors), Christopher Reich, Martin Cruz Smith, and Brad Taylor. It is a science thriller that will appeal to readers of books by authors such as Michael Crichton, Nova Jacobs, and Ramez Naam.

In global energy thrillers specifically, 13 Days aligns strongly with (and could be scripts for) the Landman drama series created by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace.

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

"Very realistic. Thankfully, most weeks aren't as intense as these are."
CR - - - former oil company 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, energy consulting VP