Missing: The Morris Mysteries #1

by Shawn Jolley

There's a Missing Person in Oaks Cliff

Metal crumples and sparks fly when a train collides with a car, killing the driver and passenger instantly. Their teenage son's life is shattered and he is sent across the country to live with his uncle. What he finds--and doesn't find--waiting for him in the small western town surprises him. Will he be able to help his uncle solve the local kidnapping case?

The Crime, The Detective, The Mystery

The Morris Mysteries is a detective series of short mystery stories involving crime fiction, quirky characters, and interesting relationships. Uncle Cecil looks for clues and demands answers alongside his somewhat angsty, adopted teenage nephew. As far as detective stories go, Missing brings a contemporary approach to a tried and true whodunit formula that generations of readers have enjoyed. What starts as a tragedy quickly becomes a new start for everyone involved.

Visit The Small Town of Oaks Cliff

Will you ride the rails to Oaks Cliff to look for clues? It all starts here with the first story in the series. The west desert awaits your arrival.

34 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 2, 2018

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Required Headline for this Review

This book is quite good. It is full of mystery and suspense. It is so, despite the straight line it takes to get from A to Z.

There aren’t a lot of twists and turns in here. Everything is pretty straightforward. You just get a straight line of details from one end to the other.

I love a good mystery. I love trying to figure out what the next step is going to be. I’m pleased to see if I’m right or am I wrong.

Shawn Jolley (with the delightful name), is the author of The Morris Mysteries, and he is an excellent author who writes a lot of mysteries that I am going to read. So it’s time for four stars.

Four stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery listening 😯🌙

This kindle ebook novella is free from Amazon book one of four

His parents have died and his only relative is an uncle on the west coast. He arrives at the town where his uncle is. He meets a girl 😏 who becomes his friend. He over hears something which helps his uncle solve the case he is working on. 👀

I would recommend this series and author to readers looking for a quick mystery read 😊😏 2025 😃😁🎵

[Julia Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a big fan of short stories. But “Missing” was honestly an enjoyable read. I wish it lasted longer than it had. Another thing about short stories is they’re short.
<3
I would think the pace of the story would’ve been rushed, but it was actually well-written. There wasn’t much character development as the book didn’t even hit 100 pages, yet I still came to like Evan and his uncle Cecil.
<3
The plot was intriguing. I’m a big fan of mystery, so it wasn’t hard for me to enjoy. Short stories and stand-alone books, though, I’ve never been a huge fan of. I don’t even have a handful of stories falling into those categories that I like. But there was something about “Missing” that I loved reading. It made me want to read more. It made me wish “Missing” was more than a compilation of short stories.
<3
Thank you Voracious Readers Only for the recommendation!!

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through Voracious Readers and finished it in less than 15 minutes.

I don’t mind short stories and I often enjoy reading mysteries but this story was a little more miss than hit for me. I felt like the story was telling me what was happening rather than the character’s were living through what was happening, i felt a little disconnected. I also felt the cliffhanger at the end was the triumph card and the story was just something needed to get there.

I haven’t read any other books by this author yet, so I’m not sure if this book is just a small taste to get you involved in a bigger series, or if each book in the series will be written the same way.

While I liked the idea of the story and can see potential in the series, I’m not sure if this book was written in a way that would make me want to read on.

[Tina Fritchley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so, where to start....

I received this book for free, in exchange for an honest review. And I'm glad I didn't pay for it, because at less than 30 pages (PDF file), I would have been very annoyed with the length!

The Good Bits:
1. The writing style. Strong, easy to read style, I really liked the way the book was written - which is why I wish it was longer and more filled out. I feel like it wouldn't have taken much effort for this author to have added more to this. It reads well - give me more of it to read!
2. The storyline. The basic story was right there - again, like point 1 above, it just needed....more. Good premise, but...
3. The uncle / nephew characters - I think there's a good basis for a couple of strong MCs right here. But it's hard to be totally sure, because 30 pages just isn't enough to get to know them well.

The Bad:
1. Jeanne. So, this girl appears from nowhere, at every opportunity. And also, disappears in the same way. I would have thought she was a ghost or something, except everybody can see her. Absolutely no character building here, no idea what she's got to do with the story, she didn't add any value at all that I could see
2. Lack of content. I know, I know, this is a repeat of what I've written before, but I'm disappointed.

In summary, I didn't hate the book, I hated the length of it. In fact, I quite liked the book - that's why I wanted more! Would I read more from this author? Yes, as long as the page count is substantially higher!

[Taiylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the Voracious Readers Only scheme...
I really enjoyed the fact that it was a short story as it meant that I could finish it in one sitting and the story was fresh in my mind. I do feel like the story could have been extended and made into a normal length book so we could find out more about what led the characters to get into the situations that they ended up in. It was in a genre that I normally read and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. The story hooked me right from the very beginning and was most definitely a page turner. The story did make me feel a bit disappointed that it wasn’t a normal length novel as I think the characters could definitely have been explored further. However, the content of the story was good and made me feel a few different emotions including sad and happy. I feel like there wasn’t much time to see the characters grow due to it being a short story which is a shame. I think the intended audience is someone who likes a crime mystery and is looking for a short read. The book did live up to the blurb and I think it was a good way to hook readers into wanting to read the story. I would absolutely read the next book in the series and would love to learn more about the main characters.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evan Morris’ parents died when he was 15.
Uncle Cecil (investigator) introduced himself to Jeanne & Evan (amateur investigator).
Room # 118, Paul Paz (son) is missing.
Mr. Paz & Mrs. Paz are genuinely concerned.
They hired Uncle Cecil, Jeanne & Evan to find him.
Will Paul be found safe/sound?
What did Jeanne reveal to Evan?

I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.

An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally written mystery book. It was extremely easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is an extremely easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; StoryOrigin; PDF book.
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this copy for review from Voracious Readers. This was a quick read that left me wanting to dive into the next in the series. The author has a great eye for pacing, scene setting and propulsion of the storyline forward. The scene he set and the atmosphere felt very easy to visualize and I found myself transported to this middle of nowhere small town environment in anywhere America. I didn’t expect the read to be as short as it was...I think I was done in about forty minutes! If that...
The conclusion of the missing person seemed so quickly wrapped up, without the reader having a window into the elements that might scatter some clues to the resolution. Not being familiar with the authors general style...I imagine that perhaps more insight and details may unfold in upcoming books? It did end with a cliffhanger...

[CJ Burton-Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the Old West....and the mystery begins for the first in the Morris Mysteries Series Book # 1 MISSING. Will there be a shot out in the middle of town?

I would like to start off by saying I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voraciousreadersonly.

Missing brings a boy Evan together with his uncle Cecil Morris and they met for the first time after Evan travels by train to an old sleepy town out west. Both the nephew and the uncle are reluctant to trust each other. There is mysteries in both the town and the people, shadows follow Evan everywhere he goes he's befriended by a young girl but she too keeps disappearing. The story grips you - you want to know more and I couldn't put it down. The ending leaves with more questions to ask then answered.

Good start for the series and looking forward to the books to follow

[Deb Threadgill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts with both of Evan (age15) being killed. He is then sent to the only relative anyone knew about Uncle Cecil who is Evan’s dad’s brother. When Evan arrives at the train station, no one is there to meet him. The a girl, named Jeanne, who is probably close to his age comes to the train station and I am sure you are hungry, let’s go to the diner next door. Evan says I am waiting on my uncle. Jeanne says he will know where to find you. His uncle does come in and says when he is done come to his hotel room 118. Evan goes and Uncel Cecil is there. That is when Cecil tells Evan he is a P.I looking into the disappearance of Paul Pax. Things get more interesting and even though it is a short book, it ends with a cliffhanger. Looking forward to next book.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a review copy and this is my honest opinion. This story is a prime example of why I do my best to avoid short stories. Even a really good author (and I'm not saying Mr. Jolley isn't a good author) has difficulty catching my interest with a short story. I like my characters fully developed, my mysteries with many twists and turns, and lots of action. It's just not possible to include all of that in a short story. However, that being said, this was fair for a short story. The reader meets the characters, there's a kidnapping, Uncle Cecil figures it out, and it's done. I'd love to see Mr. Jolley develop these characters into a full-length novel because I think they have potential, but it looks like the series is only short stories. Guess I'll have to pass on the rest of them.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a complimentary copy of Missing by the author and Voracious Readers Only. I really enjoyed this novel. I liked the main characters of the Evan and his Uncle Cecil. I also liked the character of Jeanne and I hope that in future novels she is explained a little more. She always seems to pop up randomly and it would be interesting to know why she was so fascinated with Evan. The story is well written and keeps you interested in what was going to happen next. I loved it so much that I wish it was a little longer. I look forward to reading Evan's next adventure.

[Cair-Paravel Emyth Brenn De Luney Morrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first picked it up, it seemed like it was a shortened version. It took me a moment to realise it was the whole story.

A young fellow goes to stay with an eccentric uncle. There is more than meets the eye with this uncle. He seems to know everything and the anticipate everyone's next moved. Turns out, the uncle is a detective of the private nature and he is in the middle of a case.

The book is very short and yet a whole lot is packed into 32 pages. A very quick read and rather enjoyable, I look forward to the next round.

I received a free copy in return for an honest review.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part 1 of a mystery series where Evan is a young boy who has lost his parents now finds himself as part of a crime-solving team with his uncle. Well-written and extremely compelling, I could not put the book down! Seems everything is a mystery in Evan's life. I will immediately read part 2 because I am impatient!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[karin whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missing

A quick bedtime read.I received this novella for an honest review. As I was saying, a quick read, the author pulled me into the story with his characters, and am ready for more. I realized this is a young adult book, and I am 70years old, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, I found it to be interesting, it wasn't filled with swearing, or violence, just a charming story that I loved.

[Leigh F · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from voracious readers. It’s a quick and simple read, not much to the characters unfortunately. There is a spark there though, and I could have found myself really enjoying the characters of the story had been just a little longer with a little bit more development. I will say this though, the author does have the spark and I would love to read more of his work.

[Donna Bradbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the start of the book. I thought it had potential. Once Evan got to train station the story seemed to go down hill. I think there could have been lots more added, more detail, more investigation and more character development. I feel the story misses out on a lot of interesting parts. I know it’s a short story but it definitely could of have some more information to keep reads interest.

[Carol Peace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short story but if I am honest it was a little too short for me. Evan has been orphaned and is sent to his uncle who he has never heard of, I liked Evan and the plot was quite clever it had me hooked but I would have really have liked more from the book. I realise there are going to be more so hopefully the series will improve.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premise of this book, I just wish it had been fleshed out a bit more. The characters were interesting but I don’t feel like we found out enough about them. Just because it’s YA doesn’t mean it can’t be more detailed. Overall though I did enjoy it even though it was very short, I’m interested in what happens next.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missing: The Morris Mysteries #1 by Shawn Jolley is a quick story that will have you turning pages to the end. This is a short story, but well worth reading. I enjoyed reading this story in which the plot and characters are well developed.

I look forward to reading more stories in this series by this author. I recommend this one.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy from voracious readers only. I thought this book was well written and fast paced. Even though it was a rather quick read, the story didn’t suffer. The writing style was good. You aren’t given many clues to help solve the case but I thought it wrapped up well. The ending does make me want to continue reading the series.

[Greta Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book through Voracious Readers Only scheme. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and as it is a short story it can be read and enjoyed in one sitting. I feel that it lends itself to a lot more stories and wonder where Evan and Jeanne will end up within their developing friendship. Would definitely read this author again.

[GinaRay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hercule Poirot for the YA

I love short stories, especially when they move at a quick pace just like a Hercule Poirot novel. Uncle Cecil reminds me so much of the Agatha Christie detective although Evan is so much better than Captain Hastings. I am excited to read more of the Morris adventures.

[Jeannine Wickliffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and easy read

Missing is a quick straight forward read. It's short with no surprises but does leave you with another mystery. I wish was longer and have more information on characters. Was enjoyable

[Artist_carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome fast read, I loved it, about to start the next book. So teenage Evan loses his parents in a train wreck and the uncle he never knew takes over taking care of him Evan knows nothing about him but is thrown in to his uncle's world as a private investigator.

[Mark Pearce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have to agree with some others in saying that it was a good story in so far as it went. But it was painfully short and the ending was a bit rushed. But all in all, it was interesting enough for me to buy the next one.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short story! The author's writing was engaging. The characters were nicely developed leaving the reader wanting to know more about them. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment! I'm a fan!

[Patricia Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read short stories, but this was enjoyable. There were not so many characters that it was hard to follow, which I liked. The ending set the perfect stage for the next installment. I'll be sure to read it!

[Savanah Salvesen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short Review

This story was a lot shorter than I expected. This has everything wrapped up like a 30 minute tv show. I felt like the author could have delved into more detail as a whole. I found the plot ending fairly predictable too.

[Kathy Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Voracious Readers for an
honest review. I enjoyed this book very much. The characters were great. Was a quick read. Look forward to
reading more from this author.