Ellie is one of [our] favorite characters in the genre. Her intelligence and fearlessness belie her youth. She’s at once vulnerable yet self-assured, intelligent yet impulsive, liberated yet yearning for a romantic connection. But what really sets Ziskin’s books apart is the poetry of his writing… he excels at poetic and evocative descriptions of the fascinating characters and the nostalgic 1960’s upstate New York setting.”
—MysteryPeople
“James Ziskin has written another great read, imbued with a rich cast of characters and a tight plot that bristles with tension. Ellie Stone is the perfect protagonist—extraordinary but with enough girl-next-door charm in her that she instantly becomes a friend. This is one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors, and it belongs on every mystery lover’s to-be-read list.”
—Allen Eskens, USA Today-bestselling author of The Life We Bury
"Heart of Stone is the best Ellie Stone mystery yet, and that’s saying something. The plot rockets along, fueled by colorful characters, intriguing clues, and Ellie herself, who is witty, vulnerable, and one of the finest and most fun amateur sleuths in crime fiction. I’ve read every Ellie Stone mystery, and I can’t wait for the next.”
—Mark Pryor, author of The Paris Librarian
“Ellie Stone can hold her own (and her Scotch) against anyone, but what happens to a tough girl reporter on vacation when her defenses are down? When a lakeside accident doesn’t add up, Ellie takes on the story. Heart of Stone is a big-hearted crush of a novel, brimming with rekindled kinship, forgiveness, love, and characters who will make readers feel true heartbreak.”
—Lori Rader-Day, Anthony Award-winning author of The Black Hour
“Armed with her camera, wits, and a reporter’s persistence, Ellie Stone navigates through the 1961 Adirondacks and does what she does best: asking questions and digging up the truth whether anyone likes it or not. When two strangers plunge to their deaths, and a prisoner escapes from a nearby prison, time on the lake quickly turns from pleasure to a mystery that demands to be solved. Ellie Stone has quickly become one of my favorite sleuths as she careens into the modern world, demanding her rightful place—and getting it—no matter how hard anyone tries to deter her or how much jeopardy she puts herself into.”
—Larry D. Sweazy, award-winning author of See Also Deception
“Everything you’d hope it would be—gripping, unpredictable, and full of sexual intrigue. Ziskin creates a rich community of multifaceted actors—the volatile zealot, the cold beauty with dark secrets, the irresistibly sexy man from Ellie’s past, and many more. A hard-drinking, sophisticated, modern girl, Ellie Stone herself is unforgettable. Alternately steely and vulnerable, Ellie sets off to discover what really happened to two young men found dead at the bottom of a cliff near a peaceful lake in the Adirondacks. Ziskin’s expert plotting, living, breathing characters, and beautiful command of the language make Heart of Stone one of the best books I’ve read this year. You must read Heart of Stone.”
—Jennifer Kincheloe, author of The Secret Life of Anna Blanc
PRAISE FOR THE ELLIE STONE MYSTERIES:
"Ziskin's...smart and aggressive protagonist has real personality.. .. superb. Don't miss this series."
—Library Journal STARRED REVIEW
"Ziskin is masterful with his 1960s nostalgic descriptions and his portrayal of the difficulties for women in the workplace during that era. His smart and sassy protagonist, Ellie Stone, is far from perfect. Ellie is, however, liberated, impulsive, and has a personality with heart. The plot is solid with plenty of twist and turns and a powerful ending that will leave readers wanting more."
—Examiner
"Ellie is a refreshing, riotously funny amateur sleuth. Spot-on language and perceptions of the era are a plus."
—Publishers Weekly
2016-03-15
Upstate reporter Ellie Stone's perfect 1961 Adirondack vacation is spoiled by everything from a skinny-dipping aunt to a pair of deaths that may or may not be accidental. Even swimmers who are comfortable with their bodies don't want strange men showing up when they've been bathing in the nude. But Ellie's Aunt Lena is even more disturbed when Ralph "Tiny" Terwilliger, the new chief of the Prospector Lake police, demands that Ellie (No Stone Unturned, 2014, etc.) and her Leica accompany him to the spot beneath Baxter's Rock where two men plunged to their deaths so that she can take the crime-scene photos he's not equipped to take. Not that Tiny, whose body odor is as offensive as his anti-Semitic language, thinks there's been any crime; he's not troubled by the fact that both men, identified as music camp teen Jerry Kaufman and Hollywood producer Charles M. Morton, both dived from the rock and missed Prospector Lake. Ellie, who's swiftly drawn back to the musical friendship circle of her late brother, Elijah, reconvened at nearby Arcadia Lodge, is far more suspicious. She's on hand when Ruth Hirsch, scoping out one of her photos, identifies Morton as Karl Marx Merkleson, another childhood friend who split with the Arcadia contingent, especially militantly religious Simon Abramowitz, when he abjured his religion and married shiksa Gayle Pierce. Can Ellie, who's fallen hard for math teacher Isaac Eisenstadt, trust her judgment about the members of the Arcadia crowd, who turn out to be even more tightknit than she knows? Ziskin plants clues so conscientiously that most readers will beat the heroine to the killer. What makes this case stand apart is its sensitively nuanced evocation of the conflicts that swirl around the artsy Jewish milieu of the early 1960s.
