# Stone Cold (Swindells novel)

Stone Cold is a young-adult novel by Robert Swindells, published by Heinemann in 1993. Set in Bradford and on the streets of London, the first-person narrative switches between Link, a newly-homeless young man adjusting to his situation, and Shelter, an ex-army officer scorned after being dismissed from his job, supposedly on "medical grounds", with a sinister motive.

## Synopsis

Link is homeless, frightened and alone on the streets at the age of sixteen. Estranged from family and society, he survives with the help of the more streetwise Ginger. But then Ginger goes missing. As homeless teenagers mysteriously disappear, one by one, Link feels a sickening sense of foreboding...

## Plot summary

The story, told in a dual narrative, follows Link and Shelter and their experience of homelessness. After Link's father abandons his family, Link's mother starts a relationship with a new boyfriend, Vincent, who forces Link out of the family home in Bradford. Link, now homeless, decides to travel to Camden, London. He tries to get used to his surroundings and is soon assaulted by another homeless person. Soon after this, he meets Ginger, a streetwise homeless man, who takes him under his wing. Link and Ginger work together and become friends.
Meanwhile, Shelter is busy with his own task. A sociopathic ex-army member, dismissed for "medical reasons", he is convinced that he must "clear" the streets of the homeless population. He begins abducting and murdering victims, hiding them under the floor of his room and dressing them in army clothes. Shelter also explains his techniques to committing successful murders. Once, when Link and Ginger beg for money, they come across Shelter but do not know who he is. Shelter, however, notices them and plots to murder them.
Whilst Link and Ginger talk about where to stay, Ginger mentions about a man named Captain Hook (real name Probyn) who owns boathouses for homeless people to stay in. They stay in a boat for a night. The next day, while Ginger talks to his friends, he overhears that Doggy Bag, another homeless person, has gone missing. Link does not suspect anything suspicious.
One day, Ginger decides to meet his old friends in Holborn. Link waits for him, but he doesn't return. It transpires that Shelter has abducted Ginger by telling him that Link was at his apartment, badly injured. Link talks to Toya, one of Ginger's friends, in order to get information on Ginger's whereabouts. Unfortunately, Toya does not know anything. Toya agrees with Link to find Ginger for him.
Link then makes a resolution to only worry about himself, but this is soon broken when he meets a mysterious young woman named Gail. He gains a crush on her and they "doss" together and begin to piece the puzzle together, tracing clues to track down Shelter. Soon after, Toya's father approaches them as Toya also goes missing. Link tries his best to give whereabouts. Gail also acts more secretive, taking phone calls more often.
Gail takes a long telephone call and Link wanders off by himself, where he is approached by an old man. Unbeknownst to Link, it is Shelter, who uses the excuse of a free shelter and hostel to lure Link into a building.
Shelter invites Link over to his apartment and Link explores the house until he finds his watch, which was taken by the homeless person that assaulted him. Shelter then reveals who he really is and Link realises that Shelter is the murderer. Shelter and Link then get into a fight and Shelter almost kills Link by suffocating him. However, luckily, Gail is able to summon the police in time, and Shelter is arrested.
Link then questions how Gail managed to summon the police even though she is homeless, and Gail reveals the truth — Gail isn't truly homeless, but turns out to be Louise Bain, a journalist who had posed as such in order to write an "authentic" story about homelessness.
Link feels betrayed and is angry with Gail. Gail then gives money to Link, and then tearfully leaves Link alone once again. Link ponders the unjustness of a world where he is homeless and hungry, while a murderer like Shelter is housed in a warm prison with 3 meals a day.

## Analysis and reception

The story, set in the late 20th century, most possibly in 1993, is told in chapters that alternate between the perspective of Link, the protagonist, and Shelter, the antagonist. Shelter's chapters are designated by military-style Daily Routine Orders; Link's are told in a journal- or interview-like fashion. Both characters have aliases by which they prefer to be known and their birth names are not revealed. This and the fact that no perspective other than theirs is ever offered means that they are both unreliable narrators, albeit whilst allowing that Link's side comes across as the more plausible.
Swindells won the annual Carnegie Medal recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject.

## Television

In 1997, the novel was adapted for a television series of the same title, starring James Gaddas, Peter Howitt and Elizabeth Rider, and produced by Andy Rowley. It was nominated for a Best Children's Drama Award at BAFTA. The short series was shown on Scene.