G1188 BOOK Review of Turn to Stone by James W. Ziskin
Author: James W Ziskin
ISBN: 978-1-63388-552-3
Publisher: Seventh Street Books
Part of a Series: Ellie Stone Mysteries
Type of book: September 1963, mystery, Italy, Boccaccio, Decameron, quarantine, secrets, stories, trip, curiosity, women's rights, wealth, WW2, second chances
Year it was published: 2020
Summary:
This 1960s-era locked-room mystery takes Ellie Stone to Florence, Italy--a seemingly idyllic setting, which in this case has sinister undertones.
Florence, Italy, August 1963. In Italy to accept a posthumous award for her late father's academic work, "girl reporter" Ellie Stone is invited to spend a weekend outside Florence with some of the scholars attending the symposium. A suspected rubella outbreak leaves the ten friends quarantined in the bucolic setting with little to do but tell stories to entertain themselves. Deciding to make the best of their confinement, the men and women spin tales, gorge themselves on fine Tuscan food and wine, and enjoy the delicious fruit of transient love. But the summer bacchanalia takes a menacing turn when the man who organized the symposium is fished out of the Arno. "Morto." As long-buried secrets rise to the surface, Ellie must figure out if one or more of her newfound friends is capable of murder.
Characters:
There are a lot of characters, but I think main one is Ella Stone, a thirty-somehing year old woman who has ambitions to be a reporter. She is not close to her dead father and seems to both love and hate him. She is also very curious and will do whatever she can for a story. Men tend to find her attractive and charismatic in my opinion, and she is obstinate towards getting to the bottom of the truth. There is also Bernard who is intelligent, devoted and is perhaps a sidekick maybe, although Ella sees him as a friend rather than anything else. There is also Max, a hedonistic libertine who would have been at home either in 17th to 18th century France or Heiian Era Japan. There are other secondary characters that make appearances, but they are more fun to be discovered rather than me saying anything else about them.
Theme:
Nothing is what it seems
Plot:
The story is in first person narrative from Ella's point of view. The tale clearly shows a lot of passion, knowledge and understanding of Italy. It also goes into explanations of how Italian fascism worked, that is various groups, which I have never heard or understood before. There is also a lot of knowledge of Italian language, and I love the way Ella was written, which is not a typical heroine. My favorite parts of the story dealt with stories from Decameron, ( few are mentioned,) and the comedy that is derived from the stories towards characters. All in all, a wonderful and pleasant read.
Author Information:
(From the book)
James W. Ziskin is a freelance writer. A linguist by training, Ziskin has a bachelor of arts and a master of arts from the University of Pennsylvania in Romance languages and literature. For five years, he was director of New York University's Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo, where he collaborated with an impressive catalogue of Italian writers, journalists, and academics on cultural and educational events.
Opinion:
What's a way to a woman's heart? For me it would be strong heroines, comedy, mystery and history, along with all too familiar references. Although this is my first Ella Stone book, I sincerely hope that I will find time to read the previous six books and get to know her even more. I haven't been to Italy, but I did read plenty of books set in Italy, be they modern or historical, and I will easily admit that I loved and delighted to be in these pages: to feel humor, read references to Boccaccio and even see extremely delightful character building in terms of Ella's group of acquaintances. One minor thing I didn't like is the candle lighting Ella did in a Catholic church for those who died, which I felt was a slap for her Jewish family members ( and I speak also as a non religious Jew...) but other than that one detail, I sincerely hope to see some characters in the future installments.
This was given to me for a review
4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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