Turn to Stone: An Ellie Stone Mystery (7) Paperback – January 21, 2020

It is 1963. The events of World War II are 20 years in the past and yet this book strongly evokes that time, the choices made by characters alive and dead and the consequences and secrets held close. We watch as Ellie Stone uncovers these secrets, prying them one by one from unwilling keepers with causes and motives of their own. Set in Florence, Italy, some scars are still evident from the War.Ellie has come to Italy to accept a prize on behalf of her deceased father and arrives just as her father's colleague, the very person who invited her to the conference in Italy, is discovered floating dead in the Arno. An accident or something more sinister?Richly told and enhanced by colorful Italian language, Turn to Stone is a different and exotic setting for an Ellie Stone story. Here, Ellie is challenged to keep her handsome host and other less desirable suitors at arm's length while gathering the evidence she needs to answer the questions surrounding the mysterious death. Her tenacity, her humor and her strong sense of justice make Ellie Stone one of my favorite heroines.

Great book for lovers of Italian and lovers of history. I was glad to see him set one of the series in Italy—especially Florence, where I studied abroad myself. Ziskin cares about the country and her language and history deeply—all this shines through in the novel. The Italian is always right, as are the details (which is not always the case with internationally set novels). I learned a lot, and I’m a quarter Italian! Ziskin has also captured the flavor of an academic conference. You’d think the participants would all be about learning. However, typically, they are not. They are about themselves, and to think differently is to set yourself up for danger….. Fun use of setting throughout.

James W. Ziskin’s most recent Ellie Stone mystery finds her in Florence and its environs in 1963, where she’s attending a symposium on medieval Italian literature at which her late father is to be honored. But things go very wrong when the body of the conference’s organizer is fished out of the Arno River. Then, quarantined with a group of other symposium attendees at a country villa, Ellie is compelled to discover the truth about the dead professor: did his complicated past lead someone to kill the man?With his keen ear for language and love of all things Italian, Ziskin brings us a lush and intriguing mystery replete with gorgeous descriptions of the Tuscan landscape, its delicious food and wine, as well as its vibrant history. Another must-read from this master of storytelling.

Florence, 1963: Ellie Stone is accepting an honor on behalf of her late scholar father and she’s been invited with a select few are to spend a long weekend at a nearby estate. The day before the symposium is to begin, the organizer and a host of the party, is found floating in the Arno. But the symposium goes on as does the weekend of drink, pasta, sun, and flirting. Life becomes complicated when the police announce the drowning was no accident.The book has a literary style to it with strong underpinnings of traditional mystery. A luxurious read, as well it should be taking place in Italy, it has sinister undertones with a flavor of Casablanca. I’m not entirely sure why it reminds me of the movie. The heat, perhaps, or the backstory, or maybe it’s the characters’ desperation.An enjoyable book with a satisfying ending. I can’t wait for the next Ellie Stone.

What a treat to be in Florence with Ellie, and then to be quarantined with her and her disparate companions in a palazzo in the countryside. The author's skill with word pictures continues to delight. Be prepared to be quarantined, to increase your Italian vocabulary and to experience an atmosphere of intrigue, beauty, and Decameron-esque tales told by the assemblage, one of whom might be the murderer -- or not.

What a joy to accompany Ellie Stone on her seventh adventure, set in the bucolic Florentine countryside. An intricately woven murder mystery that will entice, enlighten, educate and entertain you throughout this craftily written novel... and once again, I was unable to predict the perplexing conclusion. Molto bene, James.

Best book yet...Jim gets better with every book! .This book set in Florence. It Brought back many memories of my travel there while providing a very interesting history lesson. Couldn’t put it down...can’t wait till the next Ellie Stone book.BarbW

Agatha Christie meets the Decameron. Lyrical, lush, and at times hilarious, Ellie keeps you guessing until the very end in this beautifully written tale.