Stone Cold was published by Grand Central Publishing in 2007. The novel finally reveals Oliver Stone’s true identity: John Carr, a former Triple Six operative — the CIA’s most elite assassination unit. Carr was the best killer the agency ever produced, and his handlers betrayed him. He faked his death, changed his identity, and became the eccentric protester living in a tent across from the White House.
Now his past returns: Annabelle Conroy, a con artist who stole millions from a casino magnate named Jerry Bagger, has gone into hiding with the Camel Club’s help. But Bagger is also connected to former CIA operatives who know Stone’s true identity. Meanwhile, someone is systematically assassinating retired CIA agents — and the pattern leads back to the Triple Six program.
The novel works as both thriller (multiple converging plotlines of escalating violence) and character study: Stone/Carr’s transformation from professional killer to homeless protester is Baldacci’s meditation on redemption — whether a man who killed for his country can ever achieve peace.
Collecting Stone Cold
First edition (Grand Central Publishing, New York, 2007): Hardcover with dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $15–$35
- Very good/very good: $8–$15