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James W Ziskin

(b.1960)

James W. Ziskin is the author of the Ellie Stone mysteries. Winner of the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original and the Macavity Award for Best Historical Novel (Sue Feder Memorial), his books have also been finalists for the Edgar , Barry, and Lefty awards.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery

Series

Ellie Stone Mystery
   1. Styx & Stone (2013)
   2. No Stone Unturned (2014)
   3. Stone Cold Dead (2015)
   4. Heart of Stone (2016)
   5. Cast the First Stone (2017)
   6. A Stone's Throw (2018)
   7. Turn to Stone (2020)

Novels

Bombay Monsoon (2022)

James W Ziskin recommends

Leave the Lights on (2023)
Liv Andersson
"A poetic inevitability emerges from the dark, secret past of damaged lives forever linked. Taut and, at turns, haunting and terrifying, Liv Andersson's Leave the Lights On twists and turns then twists again, defying readers' expectations and assumptions about naivete, betrayal, and revenge. Beatrice Wicker is a compellingly imperfect heroine, whose very survival depends on cunning and endurance in a decades-long game of hide-and-seek. Tense, chilling, and absorbing, Leave the Lights On is a superb psychological thriller."

Pesticide (2022)
(Linder and Donatelli Mystery, book 1)
Kim Hays
"Giuliana Linder and Renzo Donatelli make for one of the sharpest, most compelling police duos you'll ever read. Their conflicted attraction bristles with true emotional depth and poignancy as they lead a rich ensemble cast through the surprisingly nefarious world of organic politics. A remarkable procedural set in Bern, Kim Hays's Pesticide is Switzerland's answer to Scandinavian noir. Fresh and oh so readable, you won't want to put it down."

Cover Your Tracks (2020)
Daco S Auffenorde
"Daco S. Auffenorde's thrilling Cover Your Tracks unspools a relentless crescendo of menace and doubt. A chilling tale of damaged souls, iron wills, and dark obsession. Two strangers--a resourceful ex-soldier and a pregnant doctor--must trust each other to reach safety after their train is swept down a remote mountain by an avalanche. Survival as a team sport."

Murder at the Mena House (2020)
(Jane Wunderly Mystery, book 1)
Erica Ruth Neubauer
"An exotic trip back in time to 1920s Egypt, with a cast of winning characters right out of the Golden Age of crime fiction. Murder at the Mena House is a charming adventure cum murder mystery set in a luxury hotel at the foot of the great pyramids. Gigolos, card sharps, smugglers, rich aunts, and one achingly handsome romantic interest surround our plucky, irresistible, complex heroine, the young widow Mrs. Jane Wunderly. An auspicious start to what promises to be an exciting and compelling series."

The King's Justice (2020)
(Maggie Hope, book 9)
Susan Elia MacNeal
"Set in wartime London 1943, Susan Elia MacNeal's latest Maggie Hope novel, The King's Justice, is a powerfully emotional work that poses difficult questions for Maggie as she searches for justice. Or is it actually vengeance she wants? Perhaps redemption? A charismatic but severely damaged heroine, Maggie's a ticking bomb, not unlike the dangerous, unexploded ordnance it's her job to defuse daily. The King's Justice is a poetically nuanced portrayal of London in war, twisted souls, and hard moral choices. But more than anything else--and best of all--it's a brilliant novel featuring a very human Wonder Woman."

Finding Zelda (2019)
(Zelda Bowen, book 1)
Sue Ann Jaffarian
"A zany, irreverent hilariously honest and touching tale with true heart. Readers will Pray Zelda's first road trip is not her last. She's a character for the long haul."

The Wrong Boy (2018)
Cathy Ace
"Drenched in Welsh atmosphere, forbidding weather, and mysterious folklore, THE WRONG BOY is a gem of a thriller that bewitches right up to the twisted ending you won’t see coming. Masterful plotting and characters so real, you’ll swear you know them. Ace is a master portraitist."

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc (2015)
(Anna Blanc Mystery, book 1)
Jennifer Kincheloe
"A madcap frolic through 1907 Los Angeles, Jennifer Kincheloe’s debut mystery is an addictive read. Both hilarious and tragic, with inconstant suitors, cigarette-smoking suffragettes, and sinful painted ladies aplenty, The Secret Life of Anna Blanc transports you back to a City of Angels that few will recognize today (besides the blazing Santa Ana winds). The plot is tight and clever, and the historical research is quite simply remarkable. But most of all, there’s Anna Blanc herself. . . . One of the most infectiously likable heroines you’ll meet all year."

More recommendations

Anthologies containing stories by James W Ziskin

In League with Sherlock Holmes (2020)
edited by
Laurie R King and Leslie S Klinger

Die Behind the Wheel (2019)
Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Steely Dan
edited by
Brian Thornton

Low Down Dirty Vote (2018)
A Crime Fiction Anthology
edited by
Mysti Berry

More anthologies

Awards

	Anthony Awards Best Paperback original nominee (2015) : No Stone Unturned
	Barry Awards Best Paperback original nominee (2016) : Stone Cold Dead
	Anthony Awards Best Paperback original winner (2017) : Heart of Stone
	Edgar Awards Best Paperback original nominee (2017) : Heart of Stone
	Anthony Awards Best Paperback original nominee (2018) : Cast the First Stone
	Anthony Awards Best Paperback original nominee (2019) : A Stone's Throw

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