Stone Cold Dead

Ellie Stone Mysteries #3

by James W. Ziskin

2016 ANTHONY AWARD FINALIST for Best Paperback Original
2016 BARRY AWARD FINALIST for Best Paperback Original
2016 LEFTY AWARD FINALIST for Best Mystery

December 21, 1960, the shortest day of the year: Fifteen-year-old Darleen Hicks slips away from her school bus as it idles in the junior-high parking lot, waiting to depart. Moments later the bus rumbles away without her, and she is never seen again.

New Year’s Eve, 1960: The small upstate town of New Holland, New York, is in the grips of a severe cold snap, when Ellie Stone receives a late-night caller—Irene Metzger, the grieving mother of Darleen Hicks. She tells Ellie that the local police won’t help her, that they believe Darleen has run off with some older boy and will return when she is ready. Irene has read Ellie’s stories in the paper on an earlier murder case and believes Ellie is her last hope. 

Ellie Stone is on a chilling journey to a place of uncertainty, loss, teenage passion, and vulnerability—where Ellie’s questions are unwanted and her life is in danger.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Historical

317 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2015

About the author

2021 Barry Award WINNER TURN TO STONE for Best Paperback Original

2021 Macavity Award WINNER for Best Historical Mystery TURN TO STONE

2017 Anthony Award WINNER of Best Paperback Original HEART OF STONE

2017 Macavity Award WINNER of Sue Feder Memorial Best Historical Novel HEART OF STONE

2021 Edgar Award finalist for Best Short Story, “The Twenty-Five-Year Engagement”

2021 Anthony Award finalist for Best Short Story, “The Twenty-Five-Year Engagement”

2021 Agatha Award finalist for Best Short Story, “The Twenty-Five-Year Engagement”

2021 Macavity Award finalist for Best Short Story, “The Twenty-Five-Year Engagement”

2021 Sue Grafton Memorial Award finalist TURN TO STONE

2021 Lefty Award finalist for Best Historical Mystery TURN TO STONE

2019 Anthony Award finalist for Best Paperback Original A STONE’S THROW

2019 Lefty Award finalist for Best Mystery A STONE’S THROW

2018 Macavity Award finalist for Sue Feder Memorial Best Historical Novel CAST THE FIRST STONE

2018 Anthony Award finalist for Best Paperback Original CAST THE FIRST STONE

2018 Lefty Award finalist for Best Mystery CAST THE FIRST STONE

2017 Anthony Award winner of Best Paperback Original HEART OF STONE

2017 Macavity Award winner of Sue Feder Memorial Best Historical Novel HEART OF STONE

2017 Edgar Award finalist for Best Paperback Original HEART OF STONE

2017 Lefty Award finalist for Best Mystery HEART OF STONE

2016 Anthony Award finalist for Best Paperback Original STONE COLD DEAD

2016 Barry Award finalist for Best Paperback Original STONE COLD DEAD

2016 Lefty Award finalist for Best World Mystery Novel STONE COLD DEAD

2015 Anthony Award finalist for Best Paperback Original NO STONE UNTURNED

Reviews

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another fantastic entry in the Ellie Stone series. I’m feeling a little sad knowing that the next book will have me all caught up and there will be no more Ellie Stone (hopefully just until more is written!). She’s quickly become a dear friend that I look forward to catching up with and I cannot imagine her story being finished anytime soon. Each book is stronger and the character development goes deeper.

Beginning the book with Ellie being called on to solve a case has become par for the course, but this time hits a bit closer to home. You see, the girl that has gone missing is someone that Ellie came in contact with recently, someone who reminds her too much of herself at the young age of fifteen. Ellie believes, along with police, that Darleen Hicks has simply run off with an older man; why else would there be no trace of foul play? As the case progresses, Ellie begins to find evidence of multiple forms of dark secrets. You can quite honestly trust no one in this book; everyone is a suspect. Once again, Mr. Ziskin fooled me completely and threw in his signature damning evidence near the end. I always look forward to this part; there is always some aspect that was touched upon in the beginning that ends up being a key element in the course of the investigation. So far I am 0/3 on guessing these, which is just as I prefer it.

We also dig deeper into Ellie’s character as well as Sheriff Frank Olney’s. We see a bit more of Ellie’s softer side, in her responses to teenagers, grieving mothers, and even her editor at the paper. I enjoyed getting to know Frank more as well; his and Ellie’s relationship is special and I love seeing their mutual respect for each other blossom. We also meet a new potential love interest! Will this be the end of Ellie’s flagrant one night stands, or just a plot twist to help save her “delicate, female reputation”? I’m looking forward to finding out in the next book! I would highly recommend reading this series, even if you aren’t typically into historical fiction. These are classy, intelligent mysteries, and are especially appealing if you prefer the whodunnit. If you are looking to start reading these, go back and begin with Styx & Stone so that you can be a part of Ellie’s character development from the start. These books can technically be read as a stand alone though, as they don’t give away vital evidence from the previous book’s independent mysteries.

*I’d like to thank James Ziskin, JKS Publicity, and Seventh Street Books for providing my copies of the entire series in exchange for honest reviews.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stone Cold Dead by James W. Ziskin is a 2015 Seventh Street Books publication.
Ellie Stone is acquiring quite the reputation as an investigative journalist. No sooner does she close the door on one case, she is approached to take on another.
This time a determined mother asked Ellie to find out what happened to her young teenage daughter, who has disappeared. Law enforcement believes Darleen ran off, but her mother is convinced something more sinister is going on.

Ellie comes across even worse workplace sexism this time around as another big story hangs in the balance. In fact, sexism and sexual abuse are a big key to this story on many fronts.
Ellie is also facing those final details regarding her father’ death, and while our girl has always had a penchant for whiskey, her drinking has alarmingly increased, which puts her in a few embarrassing circumstances.

Of the three books in the series I’ve read so far, this one shows some signs of slippage, but it also felt a little bit like a transition novel, one where Ellie begins to face a few demons, and finally accept and close the door on a few of them.

The mystery wasn’t as tightly woven as in the two previous installments, but the twist did keep me on my toes and the culprit’s identity remained elusive, until the final chapters.

Overall, this third chapter wasn’t quite as sharp or detailed, but Ellie has grown on me and so I enjoyed seeing her battle through a tough case with her usual fortitude.

I’m currently binge reading this series, so I hope book four will be back on a more stable track.

3.5 stars

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one has a distraught mother make a late-night visit to Ellie's apartment asking for help the police don't seem to be giving her to find her teenage daughter who had disappeared. In the process of thinking over all she knew, Ellie realized she had met the young girl in a bathroom break when the girl helped her get her hair out of the way as she vomited. Choice action, eh? Anyway, the teenage girl's favorite gum had distinctive licorice taste/smell. This will end up being a key piece of evidence later in the story. It was unpleasant reading for me. But I moved on to next book.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting with #3 in a series is always a risk that you will feel behind on the characters and sometimes confused. Well, I felt right in the game with the amazing Ellie Stone, newspaper reporter in New Holland, New York in 1960. OK, I just have to say it. I absolutely love Ellie Stone. She is smart and sassy and curious. In the men's world of the 1960s, she holds her own, both with her work and her personal life. With an eye for detail that others miss, she makes an outstanding reporter and also a great detective, although the latter is spurred by curiosity and not vocation. She also knows how to hold her whiskey and get around in the romance department.

Stone Cold Dead begins in January of 1961 when the mother of fifteen-year-old Darleen Hicks asks Ellie to look into the disappearance of Darleen, who has been missing since before Christmas. Darleen was supposed to be on the school bus, but she never got home. Ellie promises the mother that she will do what she can, and since Ellie has a high level of curiosity, she digs and digs deeply into the disappearance of this young girl. The official police line of thinking is that Darleen has just run off, but Ellie starts discovering information that makes her doubt that solution, or at least feel the need to explore other scenarios. There is no lack of people who are connected to Darleen and seem to be withholding information that could shed some unfavorable light on themselves or others. Teachers, friends, family, and neighbors. They all seem to have pieces that Ellie needs to figure out where Darleen is, and since Ellie is relentless as an investigator, she will leave no (yes I have to say it) stone unturned.

Stone Cold Dead has made me a fan of Ellie Stone and James Ziskin. Ziskin successfully meets the challenge of writing a story set in the 1960 time frame, blending in references to the time period with Ellie's taste in music, brands, events, people, and the limitations of communication, which is of some importance. Ziskin provides fascinating plot and characters, and the witty dialogue that Ellie engages in is still bringing a smile to my face. I can't wait to read the first two in this series, starting after I finish this review. Now.

[Mark Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a keen eye for details and the tenacity of a whole fleet of investigative reporters, Ellie Stone gives fresh definition to the meaning of relentless. She’s a reporter by job title and a crime solver at heart. Where the two mix, fine, but none of those other lazy reporters better try to step on her beat or pretend they’ve done the real work.

“Stone Cold Dead" picks up a few weeks after Ellie wrapped things up in “No Stone Unturned” and again Ellie gets her nose onto a case, this time of a missing girl. In fact, it’s Ellie’s work and reputation at The New Holland Republic in upstate New York that has drawn the mother of missing 15-year-old Darleen Hicks to ask for Ellie’s help.

It’s 1960, spilling into 1961 and here’s where things get fun and the series gets memorable—enjoying the references to events and people of the era and watching a reporter at work in a much more straightforward time.

The writing zips along, matching Ellie’s easy energy. James Ziskin populates the story with a full-blown cast of possible suspects for Ellie’s consideration. Ellie is brash, fearless and, at times, a tad reckless. She’s had flings, and isn’t afraid of some fun, but her job swamps every other desire. She’s fussy about her music, her drink and her reputation.

At Ellie’s core is a sterling talent at building timelines around a crime and sorting through the dead ends, the dud players and the most obscure details. No wonder she “has a thing” for Paul Drake, the dogged TV investigator from the Perry Mason series. Even when she’s “bruised like an old peach kicked down the hill,” she’s raring to go. Ellie Stone put the metal in mettle. She’ combines guts and brains as she follows leads and pieces together the whole story; these are stories for readers who relish a solid puzzle.

The Hicks case leads Ellie to high school, to neighbors, to reform school. She has a natural talent at getting people to talk. This time around, “real” reporting crowds her world—basketball games to cover, society pages that need work. (No surprise, she keeps her eyes and ears open during the detours, too.) She’s fends off stalkers, chats up sources, brushes off envious colleagues and dances around angry editors. The themes touch on the changing roles and options for women and what they are—and are not—allowed to do. Chin up and questions ready, Ellie stays hard on the trail. It’s freezing outside but nothing is going to leave Ellie out in the cold.

By the way, James recently stopped by my blog for some questions and answers about Ellie and his writing process: http://wp.me/plqD1-Cq

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous twists and turns. Ellie is quite a character literally. Could not put this one down until the end. Very clever detective work by Ellie. Have not read Styx and Stones but intend to as well.

[Lori Rader-Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series. 1960s "girl reporter" Ellie Stone is a swoon-worthy character.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#3 in the Ellie (Eleonora) Stone series. Finalist 2016 Anthony Award for Best Paperback; Finalist 2016 Barry Award for Best Paperback; Finalist 2016 Lefty Award for Best World Mystery. Ellie is a 24 year old reporter in New Holland, NY. a backwater 200 miles north of NYC. A skilled reporter, she is constantly fighting to be assigned to real stories instead of the women's desk features the publisher wants her to write. In her down time, she drinks too much and often has indiscriminate sex. Obviously a fish out of water, she amuses herself by sabotaging the publisher's incompetent son-in-law, who persistently tries to steal her stories.

Ten days after 15-year-old Darleen Hicks disappears on her way home from school in 1960, her mother asks Ellie Stone for help. (Ellie, a reporter for the Republic in the upstate New York town of New Holland, is known for her crime-solving prowess.) That Darleen is a runaway seems confirmed when Ellie finds a receipt for a bus ticket to Arizona, where a suitor of Darleen's is stationed in the army. But then the unused ticket is found, as well as the girl's lunchbox and gloves, and things turn more somber. Ellie, meanwhile, contends with reporter George Walsh, the publisher's son-in-law, who is her larcenous rival on the paper.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no surprise that Ziskin's second in the Ellie Stone series, No Stone Unturned, has been nominated for an Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original. This is a refreshingly smart and gorgeously-written series that has impressed me since book one, Styx & Stone.

The third title, Stone Cold Dead, once again showcases Ziskin’s mastery of language. Ellie is my kind of gal—she’s witty, relentless, and doesn’t apologize for throwing back a whiskey after a rough day. But underneath that tough exterior is a young lady who’s haunted by her past and still aches for her late father’s acceptance. This shared vulnerability and sense of loss is what connects Ellie to Darleen Hicks, a local fifteen-year-old girl who turns up missing. Ellie’s investigation takes her on an emotional rollercoaster ride of her own as she peels back the layers of a young teenage girl’s tragic journey. This eloquent thriller with its nostalgic 1960s upstate New York setting will make every reader an Ellie Stone fan if they’re not already

[Claire Link · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got better as it went along. I really didn't have a clue until the very end. I do feel like Ellie is an unrealistic character...I think it is clear that she is written by a man. Nothing against the author, I just didn't find her that realistic. Also a bit of an unlikable protagonist.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE THIS SERIES! And this is the best Ellie Stone Mystery yet. Funny and smart.

[Lynne Raimondo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess that I read mysteries for character first and plot second. Ziskin's Ellie Stone books shine on both levels. Ellie has everything I want in a protagonist: brains, guts, and yes, foibles. She drinks, smokes, and sleeps around, in part to smother the guilt she feels from a troubled relationship with her father, but also because she's a real human being with real human weaknesses. From a mystery perspective, STONE COLD DEAD is the best of the series so far, and that's saying a lot. I won't reveal spoilers, but it includes a McGuffin that simply floored me with its logic and creativity. The atmosphere is fantastic, too. I grew up in nineteen-sixties New York, and Ziskin's evocative writing never fails to bring me back to that era and the cold, rugged regions upstate. Whip-smart dialogue and vivid characterization also distinguish this series. Do yourself a favor and read these books. You won't be disappointed!

[Karin Salvalaggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I've come to the party a little late as this is the first of the Ellie Stone mysteries by James W. Ziskin I've read. Set in January 1960 in the frigid landscapes of a small town in upstate New York, Stone Cold Dead follows a newspaper reporter's investigation of a teenage girl's disappearance. Rich with period detail that will keep sports and music fans happy, Ziskin has created an interesting heroine in Ellie Stone. The young reporter is whip smart, intrepid and in possession of a rye sense of humour and a love for men and whiskey. The novel is well written with lots of snappy dialogue and a few red herrings. It kept me engaged from beginning to end. I will definitely read more of the series!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read in this series. I picked the book up because of the time period that this story took place in. Ellie is a good, strong, leading female lead character. I like her tenacity to go to all lengths to get her story. She is very invested in her job and the topics she writes about. However I did not find the rest of the characters or the story as a whole that interesting. I did keep reading however as the location and Ellie made up for some of what was lacking and managed to get half way. Then the rest of the book I was skimming to speed it up and see how all of the pieces came together. Overall, I did find this book to be a nice read.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elenora Stone is a young reporter trying to make her way in a masculine workplace in the early 1960s. She starts to look at the disappearance of a schoolgirl following a visit from the girl's mother. There starts a trail that will eventually lead Ellie into danger and onto another scoop, even without the devious chief reporter Georgie Porgy.

A story with great characters, many I recognise from my own early days in the workplace, who come alive in Ziskin's writing. This is a book that you will not want to put down, Great for a sleepless night.

4 stars.

Library loan. Unfortunately, the next one is not in the catalogue.

[Monica Ravreby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ellie Stone even more in her third novel....smart, funny, tough, yet vulnerable when necessary AND a great detective. I also love being brought back to the sixties and my old hometown with such authentic, finely crafted storytelling. A totally suspenseful and enjoyable read.

[Kelly Coyle-Crivelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie Stone is a girl you'd want to grab a beer with, and that is pretty rare. I loved this, I know have to go back a read the other books in the series.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this third in the Ellie Stone Mystery series immensely. Ziskin does a beautiful job of evoking the time period, and the cold scenes made me shiver.

[Rusty Dalferes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really enjoyable series, which I recommend strongly to readers interested in mysteries, books set in the 1960s, and books featuring a strong, smart female lead character.

The third Ellie Stone mystery has the eponymous character continuing her chase to become the best reporter in New Holland, New York and enjoying herself on New Year's Eve, when the mother of a missing 15 year old girl implores her for help in finding her daughter. Ellie quickly finds out that the teenager is the object of desire (or at least attention) from a number of male characters, including a fellow student, a juvenile delinquent, a 19 year old soldier in boot camp, a teacher, a school administrator, and even her stepfather. Ellie tries to unravel the mystery of the girl's disappearance, becoming increasingly convinced that she has become the victim of foul play, all the while trying to counter the sniveling reporter who keeps stealing her scoops, who just happens to be the son in law of the paper's owner. Working with, and sometimes against, the county sheriff's office and the city police, she quickly has a target put on her back by just about everyone whose path she crosses. Ellie endures some hardships before uncovering multiple hidden truths about many of the possible suspects, and eventually solves all the puzzles posed by the case.

I'm really a fan of Ziskin's writing style, which is smooth and modern with the occasional poetic flair that elevates this above just a hard-boiled mystery. The main character, Ellie, is someone who is really sympathetic for the reader: she's strong and capable, yet a little broken by her past, with some personal foibles (a tendency towards heavy drinking and making bad choices with men) that paint her as human without taking away from her deft abilities to solve mysteries and puzzles. The ancillary characters are all well-crafted, with some nice spins. The unenthusiastic cops might be a trope that is overused, yet many of them in this series seem to support Ellie and her instincts on the cases, which is refreshing after so many other stories of investigators getting nothing but stonewalling from lazy cops. Her best friend, the diner/shop owner, Fadge, who just might be a bit in love with her, presents a nice sounding board for her theories on the case and a solid protective eye watching over her. Even her busybody landlady has some interesting lines commenting on (and judging) Ellie's lifestyle. Overall, I thought this was a really good plot, with tons of possible suspects and a nice steady pace of action and investigative steps forward.

Apart from a handful of typesetting errors (missing punctuation and the like), the novel was solid from an editing standpoint, which continues to impress me after reading more than my fair share of poorly edited books.

To sum up, this is a great series, and should be a welcome addition to the to-be-read lists of any fans of mysteries, female-led stories, or books set in the pre-internet age.

Thanks to Seventh Street Books (and my Queen of the Book Fairies) for providing me with a copy of this book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like reporter stories, especially murder mysteries, because there is a reason for them to be investigating crime.

Ellie Stone is a hard drinking in your face reporter, fighting the good old boys network at work (this is 1961 after all), and following the clues to a missing teen at the request of the girl's mother Irene Metzger. The police have dropped the investigation figuring she has run away.

The step father Dick Metzger is a major suspect, as are the neighboring men. The alcoholic bus driver Gus Arnold gets a good look, as well as the heart throb music teacher Ted Russell. There are plenty of suspects, especially the juvenile delinquents at the detention facility, which include Darleen Hick's boyfriend Joey Figlio.

Ellie has the support of her immediate boss Charlie Reese and her long time friend Fadge, who owns the soda shop across the street. While she has to fight the local police chief Patrick Finn, she has the support of Frank Olney the Sheriff and the DA Don Czerulniak.

She uses her past success with the previous investigation in Book 2 to open doors with the locals. I especially enjoyed her interviews with Darleen's girl friends and basketball phenom Teddy J.

She is tenacious and stubborn when on the scent of a good story.

I enjoyed this plot and these characters, and the sixties setting rang true.

I borrowed a copy from the public library for a book club discussion.

[Colin Conway · Rating 5 out of 5]

James W. Ziskin’s STONE COLD DEAD is the third Ellie Stone mystery. I’ve read them in order and have loved the growth of the character.

So far, each book has started quickly on the heels of the previous tale. I love that convention as it allows the last adventure to be fresh in Ellie’s mind (thereby reminding the reader of what she’s experienced).

In STONE COLD DEAD, reporter Ellie Stone is investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl. Unfortunately for her, not many welcome a young woman sticking her nose into the case. Ellie’s life is soon in danger, but she forges forward, determined to find the truth of the missing teenager.

As with the previous tales, I enjoyed how much detail is given to the era. It’s a character unto itself.
The writing and pacing are also top notch.

Another enjoyable read and I highly recommend the book.

[Anniereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuck home with Covid but there is nothing like a good book to get you through the day.
I love the era Ziskin writes in early 60. He captures it well despite being born in 1960 himself.
Eleonora, daughter of an Italian professor is a hard nosed girl reporter who loves a good whiskey, a fling and who has to be smarter than the boys to solve the murder.
She’s honest, hard working and doggedly determined to reveal the truth of teenager Darleen Hick’s disappearance.

[Toni Kania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its uncommon to find a male author wo writes so convincingly as does Mr. Ziskin about as complex a female protagonist as young Ellie Stone in this ongoing series . Kudos for this third in the series!

[Russell L · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book was pretty good, but not great. It was funny at times with a newswoman/detective as the main character. She isn’t averse to having a few drinks while solving the crime and doing her newspaper job

[Vinnie Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third Ellie Stone mystery. They just keep getting better. I look forward to reading the fourth. And the fifth, sixth and seventh.

[Dhaverma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book where hero is woman trying to work in man's world written by a man. HUMMMMMM

Nope

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very good Ellie Stone mystery. Number three in the series.

[Carol Dorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Ellie. She is determined and smart when working on clues for her story. Because of this, I wonder why Mr. Zizkin creates scenarios in which she puts herself in danger by making exactly the same mistake three times. I am hopeful this will change as I continue with the series.

[Timothy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's just say it right off: a pretty teen-age girl is a target. It's true today in the era of #metoo, and it was true in the early sixties, when the Ellie Stone mystery series is set. Maybe even truer when the girl has a bit of mischief in her. And nobody knows that better than Ellie herself, who, as she learns more and more about the missing girl, Darlene Hicks, sees herself in the child, realizing that there but for the grace of God she might have gone.
But where has the girl gone? Has she run off with a boyfriend? Or has she come to some harm? Is she alive or dead? There are certainly enough suspects, from a lecherous teacher to an insanely jealous boyfriend, to her own stepfather. Elle, an investigative reporter has promised Darlene's mother to find out the truth, is plunged into danger from all sides, not to mention sabotage from her own co-workers.
It's hard to believe that a series set in the sixties is a period piece, but Ziskin brings that era alive, with a heroine who's always a fish out of water as a "girl reporter". I can't remember how many books there are in this award-winning series (this is the 3rd) but I look forward to reading them all.

[Mindysue · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars - I didn’t find this one quite as engaging as the prior 2 books in the series, subject matter (child molestation and the misogyny of the times both) might be to blame.