A Stone’s Throw by James W. Ziskin (Review by Lara Ferguson )
Ellie Stone is a lady reporter who is not afraid to turn over stones and repeatedly ask the hard questions in order to write the story and solve the mystery. From the first page of A Stone’s Throw by James Ziskin, her strength and determination are apparent. She is curious, observant, smart, and will not be taken advantage of. These characteristics are evident consistently throughout the story, as she asks the questions and puts herself in perilous situations.
Ellie is just one of the great characters in this book. Throughout, Mr. Ziskin builds characters that are like real people you might know. Characters with quirks and flaws, with virtuous and not-so-virtuous motivations. Characters who have relationships with each other and as you read, you are pulled into these relationships–you want to know more.
And you get more. This story has so many twists and turns that by the end, you are not sure who did what or why—until those last few pages and then it all comes together with another unexpected twist.
In addition to the people, there are the horses and the horse racing. A Stone’s Throw does a wonderful job of describing the horse racing world, from jockeys to forms, owners to bettors, and weaving it into the meat of the book. You walk away feeling like you were there, in that place and with those people.