The Clock Strikes Thirteen: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

The Clock Strikes Thirteen, credited to Mildred A. Wirt-Benson, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of The Clock Strikes Thirteen by Mildred A. Wirt-Benson. Read in English by Cheryl Adam Penny Parker is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter who has an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to "tone down" Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is." In "The Clock Strikes Thirteen," Penny is confronted by two mysteries that ultimately converge. First there is the odd extra chime from the Hubell Clock Tower at midnight and the inexplicable replacement of the dedicated old clock tower caretaker by a shiftless friend of a real estate developer. Then there is a series of terrorizing attacks of local farmers, including a barn burning. The attacks appear to be the work of a band of thugs known as the "Night Riders." With the help of her friend Louise, Penny works to solve the dual mystery before an another attack and to save an innocent man from jail. - Summary by Cheryl Adam

Recording facts

• Recording title: The Clock Strikes Thirteen
• Author credits: Mildred A. Wirt-Benson
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 25
• Listed recording duration: 4:33:18

Catalogue topics

• Mystery
• crime fiction
• penny parker
• mildred a. wirt
• teen sleuth
• girl detective
• girl reporter
• Stratemeyer Syndicate

Opening tracks: first 24 of 25

1. 01 - Sandwiches for Two — 13:36
2. 02 - Night Riders — 11:36
3. 03 - A Black Hood — 9:51
4. 04 - A New Caretaker — 13:04
5. 05 - Old Seth — 14:22
6. 06 - Tall Corn — 8:49
7. 07 - Mr. Blake's Donation — 10:30
8. 08 - Publicity by Penny — 11:33
9. 09 - Jerry's Party — 9:13
10. 10 - In the Melon Patch — 14:28
11. 11 - Penny's Clue — 9:54
12. 12 - Adelle's Disappearance — 11:13
13. 13 - An Extra Stroke — 12:35
14. 14 - Through the Window — 9:37
15. 15 - Tracing Ben Bowman — 9:29
16. 16 - A Familiar Name — 8:31
17. 17 - False Records — 13:52
18. 18 - Adelle's Accusation — 10:20
19. 19 - Trailing a Fugitive — 10:22
20. 20 - Clem Davis' Disclosure — 8:52
21. 21 - A Broken Promise — 9:50
22. 22 - The Man in Gray — 10:11
23. 23 - A Trap Set — 10:14
24. 24 - Timely Help — 14:03

Listen to this recording

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Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.