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Frances & the Navajo - The Mystery of the Vanishing Bullets.
★★★★★ "Excellent crime novella!" - Reader Review___
Crime noir meets mystery thriller in this book about a headstrong detective, a loyal assistant and crimes that seem impossible to solve!
Frances meets Navajo after saving him from two attackers!
Navajo reveals he is a private detective who deals with old cases for high-wealth individuals and asks Frances to join him on his current case.
Hugh Baxter-Wright has been killed, by a vanishing bullet, thirteen months earlier. The office door is locked, the window closed, and there is no trace of a bullet.
The police still need to close the case, so Mrs Baxter-Wright cannot claim her large insurance settlement, so she employs them to solve the mystery.
Several suspects are interviewed; family members that seem shadowy and employees who appear evasive.
On a visit to see the family solicitor, he too is shot, and again the bullet vanishes.
When they re-examine all the clues, Navajo suddenly realises how the murder was committed and how to catch the murderer...
Will Navajo be able to solve this case, or has he finally met his match? Click the BUY NOW button at the top and join the mystery hunt for the killer!
Crime noir meets mystery thriller in this book about a headstrong detective, a loyal assistant and crimes that seem impossible to solve!
Frances meets Navajo after saving him from two attackers!
Navajo reveals he is a private detective who deals with old cases for high-wealth individuals and asks Frances to join him on his current case.
Hugh Baxter-Wright has been killed, by a vanishing bullet, thirteen months earlier. The office door is locked, the window closed, and there is no trace of a bullet.
The police still need to close the case, so Mrs Baxter-Wright cannot claim her large insurance settlement, so she employs them to solve the mystery.
Several suspects are interviewed; family members that seem shadowy and employees who appear evasive.
On a visit to see the family solicitor, he too is shot, and again the bullet vanishes.
When they re-examine all the clues, Navajo suddenly realises how the murder was committed and how to catch the murderer...
Will Navajo be able to solve this case, or has he finally met his match? Click the BUY NOW button at the top and join the mystery hunt for the killer!
59 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 22, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 19, 2022
Jones blends tropes of the classic consulting detective story with distinct characters, creating a mystery that balances familiarity and freshness.
After Frances saves a stranger from two attackers, he reveals he is a private detective and asks her to help him on his latest case: thirteen months ago, a man was found dead in a locked room. Both the chance for excitement and the money are welcome; but with the bullet that killed him having never been found and the scene over a year old, how can they uncover what really happened?
From the detective with exceptional powers of observation and deduction, through the story being told from the point of view of a competent but less skilled assistant, to the unusual facts of the crime, this novella is very much a mystery in the Holmesian mode. However, unlike some such tales (certain Holmes stories included), Jones has his narrator notice, if not all the things the great detective does, enough that glimpsing the truth does not rely on knowledge only revealed when the criminal is unmasked; as such, readers who enjoy puzzling out the answer before the detective reveals it are unlikely to feel it was impossible for them to win.
That said, Jones’ crime is very much one that requires a great detective to solve it, so puzzling it out from what is narrated could be challenging; and readers who dislike the unfeasible might feel less than perfectly satisfied by the elegant complexity of events.
Jones’ writing style is on the descriptive side: this has the advantage for a mystery of meaning that confusion or missed information is more likely to be a result of the narrator’s imperfect senses than the reader’s misunderstanding of what was described, and the significant information does not stand out by dint of being the only matters detailed. However, this thoroughness might cause some readers to feel they are being told the obvious at a few points.
The setting is a modern-day England that is sketched in with small details; this creates a distinct enough sense of place and culture that the story feels British rather than, for example, American without drawing attention from the characters or plot.
The book is paced well. Therefore, although the length sits in the nebulous overlap between long short story and short novella, the plot does not feel either dragged out or rushed.
Frances is a well-crafted character: she possesses skills and a current circumstance that make it plausible she would involve herself and that Navajo would offer her a temporary position as assistant for this case; but her combination of skills and circumstance has arisen from a relatively commonplace series of events and choices for a young woman in the modern United Kingdom, preventing this from seeming an implausible circumstance.
While Navajo shares many of the intellectual skills of Holmes, he is more personable; this creates a sense of watching a master at work without the arrogance or smugness that some readers experience in Holmes.
Jones balances the supporting cast skillfully, giving them enough detail and complexity that they feel as if they have lives of their own off-page that might inspire the skilled murder of men in locked rooms without having every scene be a fishmonger’s counter of red herrings.
Overall, I enjoyed this novella. I recommend it to readers seeking a tale of a brilliant mind unravelling a devious mystery.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
After Frances saves a stranger from two attackers, he reveals he is a private detective and asks her to help him on his latest case: thirteen months ago, a man was found dead in a locked room. Both the chance for excitement and the money are welcome; but with the bullet that killed him having never been found and the scene over a year old, how can they uncover what really happened?
From the detective with exceptional powers of observation and deduction, through the story being told from the point of view of a competent but less skilled assistant, to the unusual facts of the crime, this novella is very much a mystery in the Holmesian mode. However, unlike some such tales (certain Holmes stories included), Jones has his narrator notice, if not all the things the great detective does, enough that glimpsing the truth does not rely on knowledge only revealed when the criminal is unmasked; as such, readers who enjoy puzzling out the answer before the detective reveals it are unlikely to feel it was impossible for them to win.
That said, Jones’ crime is very much one that requires a great detective to solve it, so puzzling it out from what is narrated could be challenging; and readers who dislike the unfeasible might feel less than perfectly satisfied by the elegant complexity of events.
Jones’ writing style is on the descriptive side: this has the advantage for a mystery of meaning that confusion or missed information is more likely to be a result of the narrator’s imperfect senses than the reader’s misunderstanding of what was described, and the significant information does not stand out by dint of being the only matters detailed. However, this thoroughness might cause some readers to feel they are being told the obvious at a few points.
The setting is a modern-day England that is sketched in with small details; this creates a distinct enough sense of place and culture that the story feels British rather than, for example, American without drawing attention from the characters or plot.
The book is paced well. Therefore, although the length sits in the nebulous overlap between long short story and short novella, the plot does not feel either dragged out or rushed.
Frances is a well-crafted character: she possesses skills and a current circumstance that make it plausible she would involve herself and that Navajo would offer her a temporary position as assistant for this case; but her combination of skills and circumstance has arisen from a relatively commonplace series of events and choices for a young woman in the modern United Kingdom, preventing this from seeming an implausible circumstance.
While Navajo shares many of the intellectual skills of Holmes, he is more personable; this creates a sense of watching a master at work without the arrogance or smugness that some readers experience in Holmes.
Jones balances the supporting cast skillfully, giving them enough detail and complexity that they feel as if they have lives of their own off-page that might inspire the skilled murder of men in locked rooms without having every scene be a fishmonger’s counter of red herrings.
Overall, I enjoyed this novella. I recommend it to readers seeking a tale of a brilliant mind unravelling a devious mystery.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
April 24, 2021
Frances and the Navajo - The Mystery of the Vanishing Bullets is a short novella in which a young woman joins forces with a nameless Navajo private detective to work on the murder case of a well-off gentleman named Hugh Baxter-Wright. It is an enjoyable whodunnit with likeable main characters.
The Navajo has very keen detective skills, to rival Sherlock Holmes - he can tell a woman is pregnant from her complexion and knows on which wrist the victim wore his wristwatch from some grooves on his desk. Frances agrees to assist him in the case having only just met him, after saving him from a couple of thugs outside her apartment. She tends his wounds and quickly agrees to join forces with him which seemed somewhat unbelievable, but if you suspend your disbelief on this, the concept of the two of them working together as a crime-solving team is enjoyable.
Navajo is a master at reading body language micro-cues no matter how small. He has almost superhuman powers of deduction.
I enjoyed Frances and the Navajo interviewing the various suspects and learning what the Navajo deduced about each of their characters. The conclusion to the case was surprising and I did not guess who the murderer was.
I understand that the author plans to continue writing more crime stories about these two main characters and I think they could make for an interesting collection of crime novellas.
The Navajo has very keen detective skills, to rival Sherlock Holmes - he can tell a woman is pregnant from her complexion and knows on which wrist the victim wore his wristwatch from some grooves on his desk. Frances agrees to assist him in the case having only just met him, after saving him from a couple of thugs outside her apartment. She tends his wounds and quickly agrees to join forces with him which seemed somewhat unbelievable, but if you suspend your disbelief on this, the concept of the two of them working together as a crime-solving team is enjoyable.
Navajo is a master at reading body language micro-cues no matter how small. He has almost superhuman powers of deduction.
I enjoyed Frances and the Navajo interviewing the various suspects and learning what the Navajo deduced about each of their characters. The conclusion to the case was surprising and I did not guess who the murderer was.
I understand that the author plans to continue writing more crime stories about these two main characters and I think they could make for an interesting collection of crime novellas.
April 3, 2023
A little Gem
Little because it is a ‘novella’. A gem because it is all things that a crime mystery should be, almost, but not quite, a homage to Agatha Christie. Not quite, because it is lean and not overly elaborate with shades of Holmes and Watson. In fact it is quite refreshing in that it is an extraordinary read of a fabulous theme: murder in a room locked from inside a victim shot with a bullet that has disappeared.
And then there are the main players. Frances a young woman down on her luck, struggling financially who through extraordinary circumstances meets a man; Navajo.
Navajo, what a great name for a main character and, countered with a ‘plain’ woman with untapped intelligence leading to a detective duo that I hope will endure. Navajo is a private detective of high repute, brought in to solve the shooting 13 months earlier, after the police have drawn a blank, and impressed with Frances, he invites her to join him.
The narrative is about solving this conundrum and then, a similar shooting elsewhere; both locked room and disappearing bullets.
The narrative follows the deductive trail with Frances beginning to show her analytical worth. It is an extraordinary solution and one not to miss, as is the development of the working relationship.
I highly recommend this book for the clever tale and the development of the characters. Simple writing that engages from page one. I will look for more from this author - 5 stars
Little because it is a ‘novella’. A gem because it is all things that a crime mystery should be, almost, but not quite, a homage to Agatha Christie. Not quite, because it is lean and not overly elaborate with shades of Holmes and Watson. In fact it is quite refreshing in that it is an extraordinary read of a fabulous theme: murder in a room locked from inside a victim shot with a bullet that has disappeared.
And then there are the main players. Frances a young woman down on her luck, struggling financially who through extraordinary circumstances meets a man; Navajo.
Navajo, what a great name for a main character and, countered with a ‘plain’ woman with untapped intelligence leading to a detective duo that I hope will endure. Navajo is a private detective of high repute, brought in to solve the shooting 13 months earlier, after the police have drawn a blank, and impressed with Frances, he invites her to join him.
The narrative is about solving this conundrum and then, a similar shooting elsewhere; both locked room and disappearing bullets.
The narrative follows the deductive trail with Frances beginning to show her analytical worth. It is an extraordinary solution and one not to miss, as is the development of the working relationship.
I highly recommend this book for the clever tale and the development of the characters. Simple writing that engages from page one. I will look for more from this author - 5 stars
April 9, 2023
The Mystery of the Vanishing Bullets is an old-fashioned, cozy mystery. Frances is a young, cash-strapped woman who acts bravely to help an older man stay safe in the midst of an attack.
She later learns this nameless man, referred to as Navajo, is a detective. He invites her to help solve a murder case involving a bullet that appears to have vanished into thin air.
The pair make a Holmes and Watson-like team, as they try to solve a case that has eluded police for thirteen months. Navajo uses his mystical abilities to deduce things from the smallest of clues. He shares some of his observations with Frances but also gives her space to figure things out on her own to help her expand her sleuthing skills.
Although the novella has a few grammatical errors, the story is an intriguing read with a mystery that does not have an obvious ending. I was left wondering if Jones was setting the reader up for a detective series featuring Navajo and Frances working together to solve more mysteries.
I, for one, hope Jones continues the series. I think it would be fantastic to see Frances and his writing abilities continue to grow.
Thank you to the author for asking me to read the book and for providing a free review copy. The opinions expressed in this review reflect my honest opinion.
This review, along with a host of others, is available on my website, www.bookpicksandpics.com.
She later learns this nameless man, referred to as Navajo, is a detective. He invites her to help solve a murder case involving a bullet that appears to have vanished into thin air.
The pair make a Holmes and Watson-like team, as they try to solve a case that has eluded police for thirteen months. Navajo uses his mystical abilities to deduce things from the smallest of clues. He shares some of his observations with Frances but also gives her space to figure things out on her own to help her expand her sleuthing skills.
Although the novella has a few grammatical errors, the story is an intriguing read with a mystery that does not have an obvious ending. I was left wondering if Jones was setting the reader up for a detective series featuring Navajo and Frances working together to solve more mysteries.
I, for one, hope Jones continues the series. I think it would be fantastic to see Frances and his writing abilities continue to grow.
Thank you to the author for asking me to read the book and for providing a free review copy. The opinions expressed in this review reflect my honest opinion.
This review, along with a host of others, is available on my website, www.bookpicksandpics.com.
March 18, 2023
“Frances and the Navajo: The Mystery of the Vanishing Bullets” introduces Frances, a young artist working several jobs to survive. She’s smart, motivated, and trained as a martial artist. Unfortunately, her parents passed, leaving her in debt and unable to attend university.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. It’s a quick read, so the plot and storyline move along quickly. It reminded me of one of those logic puzzles I used to love when I was younger where you ask questions in order to get to a solution. There’s some backstory written into the dialogue, but as it is a quick read there’s not a huge amount of development of Frances. I felt Navajo’s character was a little more well developed with his inexplainable talents and clever style of communication. Find the full blog post at heatherlbarksdale.com
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. It’s a quick read, so the plot and storyline move along quickly. It reminded me of one of those logic puzzles I used to love when I was younger where you ask questions in order to get to a solution. There’s some backstory written into the dialogue, but as it is a quick read there’s not a huge amount of development of Frances. I felt Navajo’s character was a little more well developed with his inexplainable talents and clever style of communication. Find the full blog post at heatherlbarksdale.com
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
March 25, 2023
This entire story takes place in a manner of days. Our protagonist, Frances, is a talented young woman who works as a barista in a local coffee shop. One day, while returning home from work, Frances happens upon a mugging and risks her life to rescue a Native American male named Navajo. He's much older than she is, but still wry and whip smart. He recognizes a keen intellect and a fierce fighting spirit, so he invites her to help him solve a mysterious murder that has baffled the police.
This sets up an entertaining read between Frances & Navajo as they go about gathering clues and evidence to solve an unsolvable crime. This is a short book, (read it by the pool in a day). It has many grammatical errors, but is otherwise a fun, fast read that is mostly enjoyable. You could do a lot worse.
This sets up an entertaining read between Frances & Navajo as they go about gathering clues and evidence to solve an unsolvable crime. This is a short book, (read it by the pool in a day). It has many grammatical errors, but is otherwise a fun, fast read that is mostly enjoyable. You could do a lot worse.
March 29, 2023
The fun of this novella took me by complete surprise. I haven't read a "locked room" mystery ala Christie in the very longest time, and I honestly enjoyed myself. The characters were relatable and funny and the mystery itself was right up my alley. Upon reading the conclusion, I could then very easily follow the traces of all the hints left by the author. I've read mysteries that have left me puzzled, leaving me feeling stupid for not understanding. Jones does not do this. He placed everything in plain sight, IF you knew what you were looking for. Excellent buildup. Descriptive, well paced, intelligent. Five stars. Definitely would love another Frances & the Navajo mystery!
March 25, 2023
This novella was intriguing because of its title and as soon as I started reading it, I was immediately sucked in. A skirmish in the streets next to Frances’ home led to a chance encounter with Navajo. The two of them soon began work on solving a mystery together and made quite the pairing.
It was fun to try and guess who the criminal was and to read about them unpicking the case expertly. The story is great for those of you who love solving crime puzzles and the characters are interesting and warm.
I totally recommend buying a copy of this book and relishing a well told mystery.
It was fun to try and guess who the criminal was and to read about them unpicking the case expertly. The story is great for those of you who love solving crime puzzles and the characters are interesting and warm.
I totally recommend buying a copy of this book and relishing a well told mystery.
May 5, 2023
"The Mystery of the Vanishing Bullets" was a fun and fast read. Too fast for me, though. Another 100 pages or so wouldn't go amiss! With such a great plot (give me more side issues!), intriguing characters (give me more insight into their lives), and lovely writing (give me more words!), it was a shame that it was so short.
My thanks to the author. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
January 11, 2022
If you are after a short crime novella this is the one for you, it certainly packs a punch, I found it a very interesting and engaging story with some brilliant characters through out. There is a fantastic twist at the end that I didn't see coming and the ending was excellent. It was the perfect short story as it left me wanting to read more by this author. Looking forward to the next book.
September 17, 2023
This has the potential to be a brilliant read but I found the writing a tad clunky. I think a good editor on this book would make such a difference.
That being said, the story and characters are set up nicely and I liked where it was headed. A nice length that was a welcome change.
3.5 so rounded up.
That being said, the story and characters are set up nicely and I liked where it was headed. A nice length that was a welcome change.
3.5 so rounded up.
January 8, 2023
It is a really good book. I like the way the author gave enough evidence and description to keep you thinking who the killer was until it is solved in the end. The ending paragraph gives a creative flow into the next book.
November 2, 2021
Love a good who done it mystery! This book was very intriguing and enjoyable! Great read for a warm cozy night!
November 4, 2021
I had no idea who the culprit was! Brilliant!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews