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Stone Dead
She was a doll secreted away in the back of a quaint antique store. The engraved riddle she carried made her all the more intriguing and irresistible to Hally, who can't understand why the owner is so anxious to part with the doll. But Hally soon learns all the horrible things of which the doll is capable.
- GenresHorror
347 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1993
72 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Jamison
6 books2 followersJane Ellen Jamison was born on 27 December 1926 in Los Angeles, California, USA, daughter of Frances (Crooks) and James K. Jamison. She passed away on March 5, 2014 at the age of 87 in Ontonagon County, MI. She continued writing and publishing up until the final year of her life.
Jane Ellen published numerous books, both in paper and electronic format, as well as some articles. She used a form of her maiden name, Ellen Jamison, and probably most famously her married name: Jane Toombs. She also used other pseudonyms: Olivia Sumner, and Jane Anderson. She also wrote as Diana Stuart in collaboration with Dee Stuart, and under the collective pseudonyms: Rebecca Drury and Lee Davis Willoughby.
Her writing covered various romance genres such as gothic, suspense, contemporary, historical, paranormal, mystery, fantasy and horror.
Jane was a member of a closed twelve author group of authors designed to promote each other called Jewels Of The Quill, where she's Dame Turquoise and has her own page at the site: Jewels of the Quill. This group has won many awards: In 2006, Best Anthology: Tales From the Treasure Trove Vol. I , a Jewels of The Quill anthology with multiple authors. (The Turquoise Mask.) And again in 2008 the JOTQ won Best Anthology with Tales From The Treasure Trove Vol.III (The Turquoise Talisman) and we won Best Anthology once more in 2010 with A Valentine's Day Anthology, Magical Kisses. (The Third Kiss).
Jane was also a charter member of Romance Writers of America and belonged to several of their chapters. Because Jane wrote for Harlequin for many years and they sell foreign rights, she has books published in many foreign countries in their languages. Besides Harlequin, she wrote for other New York publishers in the past, but in the last years of her life concentrated on writing only for electronic publishing companies
Personal History:
When she was nine months old, her parents, both teachers, took her to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where she grew up most of her childhood. Her father played a key role in encouraging her as a writer, who was, himself, a history writer. She attended Michigan State University, College of the Sequoias and Northern Michigan University. She has been a registered nurse as well as a Cadet Nurse during WWII.
On 24 June 1949, she married Doctor Albert Jenke, became a housewife and had five children: James, Ellen, Ann, Bobbie Jane, and Robert. Years later, she found time to write, but her husband told her it was trash. Despite this, she persisted until he finally gave her an ultimatum–writing or him. The divorce left her with all the kids except the eldest, who was in med school, and having to work as an R.N..
When she met fellow author John Toombs in the writing class that led to her first sale, she was not contemplating marrying again. But she did on 2 March 1972, adding to the mix two stepchildren: Michael and Leslie.
Jane Ellen published numerous books, both in paper and electronic format, as well as some articles. She used a form of her maiden name, Ellen Jamison, and probably most famously her married name: Jane Toombs. She also used other pseudonyms: Olivia Sumner, and Jane Anderson. She also wrote as Diana Stuart in collaboration with Dee Stuart, and under the collective pseudonyms: Rebecca Drury and Lee Davis Willoughby.
Her writing covered various romance genres such as gothic, suspense, contemporary, historical, paranormal, mystery, fantasy and horror.
Jane was a member of a closed twelve author group of authors designed to promote each other called Jewels Of The Quill, where she's Dame Turquoise and has her own page at the site: Jewels of the Quill. This group has won many awards: In 2006, Best Anthology: Tales From the Treasure Trove Vol. I , a Jewels of The Quill anthology with multiple authors. (The Turquoise Mask.) And again in 2008 the JOTQ won Best Anthology with Tales From The Treasure Trove Vol.III (The Turquoise Talisman) and we won Best Anthology once more in 2010 with A Valentine's Day Anthology, Magical Kisses. (The Third Kiss).
Jane was also a charter member of Romance Writers of America and belonged to several of their chapters. Because Jane wrote for Harlequin for many years and they sell foreign rights, she has books published in many foreign countries in their languages. Besides Harlequin, she wrote for other New York publishers in the past, but in the last years of her life concentrated on writing only for electronic publishing companies
Personal History:
When she was nine months old, her parents, both teachers, took her to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where she grew up most of her childhood. Her father played a key role in encouraging her as a writer, who was, himself, a history writer. She attended Michigan State University, College of the Sequoias and Northern Michigan University. She has been a registered nurse as well as a Cadet Nurse during WWII.
On 24 June 1949, she married Doctor Albert Jenke, became a housewife and had five children: James, Ellen, Ann, Bobbie Jane, and Robert. Years later, she found time to write, but her husband told her it was trash. Despite this, she persisted until he finally gave her an ultimatum–writing or him. The divorce left her with all the kids except the eldest, who was in med school, and having to work as an R.N..
When she met fellow author John Toombs in the writing class that led to her first sale, she was not contemplating marrying again. But she did on 2 March 1972, adding to the mix two stepchildren: Michael and Leslie.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 28, 2022
What I was hoping to be more like a "Child's Play" type book, with the evil doll running amok all over killing people turned out to be a softer, kinder version. We do have soul transferance. But it jumps back and forth from human to doll. There was some killings, although mostly told about after the fact. So this Zebra horror is average to be kind.
The long and the short of this is that a sort of self absorbed actress is trying to get pregnant. Her Dr. suggests to maybe get a doll. So she stops in at an antique shop and buys a doll that's chained to a board. Soon after she starts to get the roles in The T.V. shows she wants because her competition starts to turn up dead. Only a lonley police inspector who was raised by a Grandma who dabbled in the occult believes her. Few more people die.
You'll be able to see the ending coming from a mile away. This book is from 1993, so it's out of the classic Zebra timeline of the 80's. Those books where a whole lot better to me.
The long and the short of this is that a sort of self absorbed actress is trying to get pregnant. Her Dr. suggests to maybe get a doll. So she stops in at an antique shop and buys a doll that's chained to a board. Soon after she starts to get the roles in The T.V. shows she wants because her competition starts to turn up dead. Only a lonley police inspector who was raised by a Grandma who dabbled in the occult believes her. Few more people die.
You'll be able to see the ending coming from a mile away. This book is from 1993, so it's out of the classic Zebra timeline of the 80's. Those books where a whole lot better to me.
June 21, 2016
This book was a disappointment. Entertains at times but really didn't make a whole lot of sense. Lots of sex, but didn't explain why two people were attracted to each other so fervently. Was it the doll? Was it the spirit inside the doll? The book was all over the place. I just didn't enjoy it as much but the folklore was interesting. I'd pass this one up though. Not worth it.
August 5, 2012
Although it reminded me a little of child's play it was way more interesting to read! I enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more horror in the future!
March 26, 2016
Poor writing.
October 11, 2021
The main character is a rising actress. During a session with a doctor, the main character, Hally, mentions a peculiar quirk of her childhood: she has never been allowed to own a doll, because her old-country Italian grandmother feared the evil eye.
After the appointment, she goes to an antique store. She finds a doll chained to a rough board, and feels both sympathetic and enthralled by the doll. Once she acquires her, hidden memories start surfacing about why her grandmother had forbidden them, and her enemies start dying in gruesome ways.
The doll lore is interesting. The rest of the story, not so much. The characters in the prologue were probably the most interesting characters but it's difficult to figure out where they fit with the rest of the story.
The story does get rather long in parts, and there seems to be a lot of repetition. Some of it helps portray the obsession that Hally soon develops, but it can also seem narmy at times.
After the appointment, she goes to an antique store. She finds a doll chained to a rough board, and feels both sympathetic and enthralled by the doll. Once she acquires her, hidden memories start surfacing about why her grandmother had forbidden them, and her enemies start dying in gruesome ways.
The doll lore is interesting. The rest of the story, not so much. The characters in the prologue were probably the most interesting characters but it's difficult to figure out where they fit with the rest of the story.
The story does get rather long in parts, and there seems to be a lot of repetition. Some of it helps portray the obsession that Hally soon develops, but it can also seem narmy at times.
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January 13, 2026My doll
my fav one
my old love
my killer dream
my ston death
my rulur to bearth
my ugly futur
my nair breath
my hidden illness
my strong fate
my unspirt one
my mine
my sun hidden
my red hands
my post steal
my worlds taken
my mine
my horror
my love
my prison
my buity
my chain
my mine
my fav one
my old love
my killer dream
my ston death
my rulur to bearth
my ugly futur
my nair breath
my hidden illness
my strong fate
my unspirt one
my mine
my sun hidden
my red hands
my post steal
my worlds taken
my mine
my horror
my love
my prison
my buity
my chain
my mine
January 13, 2026
soap star harassed by
evil doll; not as wild as
anticipated
evil doll; not as wild as
anticipated
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews