The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card: A Jarvis Mann Private Detective HardBoiled Mystery Short Story

Jarvis Mann Detective #0.5

by R. Weir

Jarvis Mann is a private detective, whose business thrived on the mundane
Paying the bills by shadowing cheating spouses
Getting in the middle of messy divorces
And working for the fat-cat insurance companies running down false claims

On a Winter’s Sunday afternoon, a young man graces his office steps
His words coaxing with the simple declaration of “Please”
Convincing Jarvis to help find a valuable missing Ernie Banks rookie baseball card

With a dry sense of humor, Jarvis tours the Denver neighborhood with the lad
Door to door, friend to friend, until a clue leads to a surprising discovery
A young man’s personal pain revealed
Witnessing a friend’s act of self-sacrifice
Both teenagers teaching Jarvis a life lesson
That will shape him with new hope and resolve

An 8400 word Short Story by Author R Weir
Plus a preview of the first novel in the Jarvis Mann PI series: Tracking A Shadow

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery, Fiction

41 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2014

About the author

Award-winning Author R Weir lives in the Mile-High City with his family, where the Rocky Mountain High isn't always achieved with an herbal substance. When not glued to the computer, he relaxes by enjoying the outdoors and traveling in his motorhome. His writing delves into genres with gritty investigators exploring mystery, crime, suspense, and thrills, with involved plots and unexpected twists. Featuring former US Marshal Hunter Divine, a dire, determined man searching for salvation in his broken life. Private eye Jarvis Mann is tough and snarky, with as many faults as virtues. And his newest series featuring retired police officer Donnie Steel and his K-9 companion, Kogel. Characters exhibiting traces of his sense of humor, though he’s not nearly as tough and fearless. Though no evil stands a chance against his written word!

Be sure to visit R Weir’s author webpage (https://rweir.net) for information about new releases, to sign-up for his newsletter and receive a free eBook. Also reach out on Facebook, Twitter, or via email; for he loves to hear and interact with readers.

https://www.rweir.net
Email: rweir720@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/randy.weir.524
https://www.facebook.com/JarvisMannPI/
https://twitter.com/RWeir720

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars *

Private Investigator Jarvis Mann, carries out the usual cases - cheating spouses etc, but business has been quiet lately, until he arrives at his office cum home, to find a young man wanting to employ his services.
The young man in question, Dennis Gash, has lost a valuable bubble gum card on his way home from church, it’s not just the monetary value, (though that is important) but it’s also sentimental, as the card was entrusted to him by his father, who had it passed to him by Dennis’s grandfather. Jarvis agrees to help find the card, and in doing so, provides Dennis with a valuable lesson in life!
A nice little story about right and wrong, and forgiveness.

[Miranda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

"You’re going to laugh, but it's valuable to me. Someone stole a baseball card of mine."

Jarvis Mann, private detective, is overwhelmed and underworked.

He's from a small town but moved to the city because he wanted an

area had a good mix of cultures, with all races represented....a real city with real city people...

He's had just about every sort of case - from false insurance claims to cheating spouses - and (quite frankly) he's burned out.

Then, one winter's day, a teen (Dennis) walks in with an unusual case. A treasured family heirloom has been lost (or stolen?) and he has no one to turn to. Despite his misgivings, Jarvis Mann decides to take on the case and soon finds that there is something significant underfoot.

This was a short, enjoyable read!

I thought R. Weir did a good job engaging the audience with the minor mystery. It is a bit tough to keep an audience invested in such a small case (i.e. missing baseball card) but the author manages it quite well!.

There were a few things that threw me out of the book, namely ages of the characters involved with the mystery and the formal dialogue.

To describe him as a boy would have been unfair, though he was not quite a man either. He appeared to be fifteen, possibly sixteen years old.

In general, Dennis' actions, reactions and general behavior seemed more in line for a 6-8 year old (i.e. he brought his treasured baseball card to church to show his friends) than for a high school sophomore.

Several times, the oddity of his behaviors just seemed, well, odd considering his actual age.

"Let me go," Dennis yelled. "I want to punch his lights out."

In addition, while most of the dialogue felt genuine, but there were a few moments where the characters became extremely stiff and overly direct.

For example, when Jarvis Mann and Dennis confront the pawn shop owner:

"I'm sorry Dennis here has lost something of value. You have no proof he is the owner. His insurance will cover the monetary loss."

"We understand, and we accept the fact you are not to blame. You made a straight business deal..."

Any improper language (i.e. slang/ethnic) was also treated slightly strangely:

"Cool it!" I said firmly. It was the closest I came to the language of the streets.

I feel like toning down the formality and just becoming looser in general would definitely enhance the book.

Overall, this was a neat little mystery and really makes me curious how the rest of the novels go!

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


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[Cheryl (Pfffffft ..... Book Slump!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting short story that introduces us to a somewhat jaded Private Investigator, Jarvis Mann, and his decision to help a 16 year old find his stolen baseball card which is worth quite a lot. There is not a huge mystery to solve by any means .... this is just a wonderful, well written, little story with a satisfying end and a few morals included. This would make a great coffee break read, especially for young teens.

I received an ebook copy of this short story from the author via Bookfunnel. I have voluntarily chosen to review this book and the gifting in no way influences my review/rating, which reflects my honest opinion.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short story

A nice short story about doing what is right. A mystery, a theft, and friendship all come together in this short but nice story.

[Fictionophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story introduces the reader to Jarvis Mann, a struggling private investigator living in Denver, Colorado.  In his mid-thirties and single, Jarvis fancies himself a bit of comedian, though his sarcastic wit often only entertains himself. To save money, Jarvis works from his home, though 'homey' it is not.

When a sixteen year-old African American approaches him about his missing baseball card, Jarvis is at first hesitant, then he tells himself he isn't busy, so what the hell! The young man did say the magic word 'Please' after all. The baseball card in question in worth over a thousand dollars and he wants to help the young man, who fears his father's wrath over losing the card.

In Jarvis's old Mustang they retrace where the boy went with the card, interviewing some of his friends along the way.  When they discover what happened to the card, the story comes to an end in a satisfying way.

I think the title and the cover do the story a disservice.  It should have been called "The case of the missing baseball card" in my humble opinion.  And maybe a young African American man shooting hoops on the cover?  Anyway, I wasn't consulted. LOL!

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card took away some of Jarvis Mann's cynical and jaded attitude. I enjoyed the read, which ended on a positive note - paving the way for further investigations for Jarvis Mann.

This series prequel short story is now available in Kindle format FREE on Amazon!

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://kellisreviews.blogspot.com/201...

R. Weir asked me to review his books and asked that I start with this short story, which is a short introduction to his Private Investigator, Jarvis Mann. It was a neat little story.

Jarvis Mann is a private detective who makes his living with the usual cases: cheating spouses and divorces. That is, until a young man appears on his doorstep, wanting to hire Mann to find a missing baseball card; not just any card - Ernie Banks Rookie bubble gum card.

Driving all around Denver to help the kid, a clue leads to a surprise, and a lesson.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always on the hunt for a new mystery series to love and happily spotted this prequel novella that introduces Jarvis Mann, the main character and a simple mystery to get a feel for this down at his heels contemporary detective and his world.

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card takes place in Denver. Jarvis is the contemplative narrator of his own story in the style of old detective noir tales. Its the recession and business isn't exactly booming, okay its at a stand still at the moment which is why he accepts the case from a teenager to help him find his valuable collectible baseball card.

Jarvis has grown jaded since he sees mostly the sordid side of life as a detective and his own life is rather gray so helping this young man interview his friends and discover the complicated truth behind the theft gives him a payment he wasn't expecting- a renewal of purpose and enjoyment for what he does even if times are lean and people can be awful.

It was a short piece, but it was well developed if a tad cheesy at times. I liked Jarvis from the get-go and I do hope his temporary teenage sidekick, Dennis, appears in more of the books. Jarvis was so funny trying to get Dennis to laugh at his jokes while Dennis didn't even catch most of them.

The narrator, Joel Froomkin, was great as Jarvis and telling his story with that wry tone. I found his work easy on the ears when it was adult voices. As Dennis or his friends? That's the shaky part for me. It was a different voice than Jarvis' which was nice, but if I didn't already know, I wouldn't have guessed young African American guys. So, it took some getting used to. I'd try his narration work again and I do hope he continues to narrate Jarvis' stories.

In summary, it was a solid start and I look forward to more of the series. Mystery fans who like old-style detective novels or TV shows are the target I think.

My thanks to Caffeinated PR for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Tineil Tanksley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quick Columbo-esque Read

In this book, we're introduced to a gumshoe, with a tight budget, dilapidated car, and an office that doubles as his home... actually it's the other way around. Jarvis Mann has a heart of gold and is seldom wrong in his judge of character. I can't pinpoint when this story is taking place but I'm guessing the late 70s or early 80s. A young man who's looking for a baseball card that he believes was stolen seeks out his help and against his better judgement, Mann takes on the case. Fast paced and character driven, this story reads like the television procedurals my father enjoyed when he was younger than me. That's not to say that it's dated, but I could see this as a real show that would now be on the rerun circuit on TV LAND. I wish it had been longer but the ending was so sweet and endearing, I was happy to let its length ride. I hope that one day, the author creates an anthology of his Jarvis Mann stories and puts it in print so that I can gift it to my Dad. No strong language, no sex, brief non- gratuitous cursing.

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weir dedicates this short story to his wife and daughter. The language used is appropriate for a family setting. I passed this short story on to my 13-year-old son to read. The sense of humor and droll asides in the dialogues will amuse him.

There is little depth to the story. Based on my reading experience I will not do any follow up reading to this story’s promise “This short story is where the journey begins.” It seems as if Weir was trying to impress someone with how clever and humorous he could be.

There is no doubt that PI Detective Mann will solve the case. There is no surprise in how Dennis finally reacts with Terrence. All is predictable which, for me, does not make a good mystery. But I will still not spoil the ending for those who want to read this book. Just be warned, everything you expect, happens.

Fans of baseball may like this book. It is suitable for a learner of English as a second language with its opportunities for vocabulary development, although the humor would most likely have to be explained.

[Chelsi Tauscher · Rating 5 out of 5]

For 28 pages this sure is entertaining!!

This is an intro to a series and after reading R. Weirs format of writing and seeing his ability to develop characters and a plot line in 28 pages, I am very excited to read a full length novel!!

[Dazeeann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

A short interesting read..... good follow up...but not too exciting and a mystery solved without casualties.. I do feel the writer did well in leading to the solution

[Malum · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are probably some people that can make a good mystery out of a small page count, but Weir isn't one of them. The story is basically

Kid: Hey, detective, can you help me with a case?

Mann: Sure, kid. Lets check out a lead or two.

Mann: (after literally talking to a couple of people) Hey, we solved the case!

THE END

Also, this is billed as a hardboiled detective novel but in reality is about a detective helping a kid find his missing baseball card. It was far more YA than hardboiled.

Finally, everyone sounded the same. Both Mann (supposedly a hardboiled detective) and some African American kids all sound like they are middle aged women from Connecticut in 1940 (the story takes place in modern day, by the way). Can you imagine a streetsmart kid saying this: "You must come in. I still owe you money". You must come in? Is this kid going to get father's slippers and prepare a casserole next?

I picked up the first two books in this series at the same time, so I hope the next volume (which is a full blown novel rather than a short story) gets much better.

[Nola Arganbright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good moral

A very short story which has a strong moral to the story. Baseball cards are part of growing up for most young men.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

The Case of the Missing BubbleGum Card is a novella by R. Weir. It is an introduction to Jarvis Mann, Detective- and a small taste of what to expect from the series that will be based on him.
I really didn’t know what to expect when I started this book. But I am really very pleasantly surprised by how wonderful the story is. It’s so rich and full of life. Surprisingly, the author has been able to pack a lot into such a small package. His detailed and descriptive language transported me into the book, I was right there standing next to Jarvis and following him in his investigation.
Jarvis Mann is in his thirties, has been a detective for the past 10 years and has become slightly disillusioned by life. His business consists of following cheating spouses or investigating false claims for insurance companies. His business isn’t as successful as he’d like it to be, but he is getting by, just.
When he arrives at his office one afternoon, he finds a young man waiting for him. Dennis Gash has lost a valuable bubble gum card and needs Jarvis’s help to locate it. Even though Jarvis knows that the boy won’t be able to pay him, he agrees to help.
As the investigation ensues, Jarvis is quite impressed by Dennis’s mature outlook. They follow the leads and are surprised by what they uncover. The Slightly jaded detective discovers that you are never too old to learn a valuable lesson in life. Both he and Dennis come away from the experience all the richer for their efforts.
This is a feel good story, full of heart and has a moral to the tale. It has an old world detective story charm, and is very entertaining and engaging.
I really liked Jarvis, as well as being slightly disillusioned; he is sarcastic, witty, kind and thoughtful. He is really good at his job.
I liked that the book is told from his point of view and we get an insight to his thought processes, inner dialogue and funny banter. I am really looking forward to reading more of Jarvis Mann’s Detective investigation stories.
I recommend this book as a quick, fun and heart-warming story. You too, will fall in love with Detective Jarvis Mann stories, just as I did!
This is quite a remarkable little novella!

Thank-you Mr. Weir

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this novella on my commute to work today. It took less than an hour to finish and it felt great to have a more than satisfying ending. Jarvis Mann is a thirty-five-year-old private detective, who finds himself in between jobs more frequently than he would have liked. He has been in the business for 10 years and worked for himself for 7. One quiet afternoon, a fifteen-year-old sat outside his office and asked to hire him. Dennis Gash lost his most prized possession, a baseball card that had been handed to him from his grandfather. The Topps Ernie Banks rookie card was worth a lot of money as it was in mint condition but Dennis’ worst fear was his father’s wrath. His father bestowed him the card when he was seven and trusted him to take care of it. Dennis felt he let his father down.

Although the kid could not afford him and didn’t have any idea how much he costs, Jarvis was moved when the kid plead his case. Being a softie, he agreed to be paid in kind - with another card. It may not be as valuable as the lost one but may still be worth his while. They retraced Dennis’ steps starting from the church where he discovered he lost it. He suspects that someone stole it from him because he showed it to a few people at the church. They spoke to his friends who knew about the card to find out whether one of them stole it or if they had any information at all. When no one seemed suspect, the next move was to go to a collector’s store in case the card turned up.
Jarvis has a dry sense of humour that was lost on Dennis. His character is understandably cynical and jaded, having been in the business of uncovering lies and even deception for years. He tends to be sarcastic and that drives his take on everyday life. However, this chance meeting with Dennis restores his faith in humanity. Both the kid and the adult have grown up a little from this experience. The story unfolded in only a matter of hours but had a lot of “meat” in it. This book is a surprisingly different from the usual crime stories. The story is uncomplicated but the reader takes away so much. The ending was magnificent and beautifully written. There was a lot of talk on baseball and a little on football and I felt that these are the sports closest to the author’s heart.

[Jessyca Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card: A Jarvis Mann Detective Short Story by R Weir is the first book in the Jarvis Mann Detective series. It also happens to be the shortest story in the series. This short story is more like an introduction to Detective Jarvis Mann. When Dennis Gash loses a valuable baseball card he turns to Detective Jarvis Mann for help.

I admit I read the entire book in a Dick Tracy like voice in my head. It was hard not to. Weir has made Detective Jarvis Mann into the typical broke detective with a sarcastic attitude. I happen love this type of attitude in a detective. It is refreshing that Weir’s Detective Mann is not as serious as James Patterson’s Detective Alex Cross. However I did think that The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card was a little too easy for Detective Mann. I would like to see him use his detective skills a little more or at least have a more difficult case. I do understand that this was just a short story to introduce Detective Mann to the world. I hope that in the other books in the series that the cases are more complex.

So far Weir has two more books out in the Jarvis Mann Detective series. Both of those books contain a longer story. I can see this series doing well and I look forward to reading both of them. If you like to read old fashioned detective tales this this story is for you.
*I reviewed this book for Reader's Favorite

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card by R Weir 5 stars.

This very short story introduces us to Jarvis Mann, a private detective from Denver. He loves living in the city, and is quite happy there. These streets are his home, but work is usually quite hard to come by. He has a little office set up in the front of his apartment. The area is one where you definitely wouldn’t want to walk the streets alone.

He is just getting back to his place, when he sees a teenager waiting in front of his place. Turns out he has a missing bubble gum card and he wants Mann’s help to find it. It has monetary value, but more importantly is the fact that his dad trusted him with it. He can’t let his dad down. Mann doesn’t want to take the case, but he can see this a good kid, and he feels the need to help. Besides, what else does he have to do? He doesn’t think much will come of it, but he may be surprised.

This is my first introduction to this author and I am completely hooked. I just found a new author I will be addicted to. This is written just like the wonderful noir detective stories of the past. Gritty, sarcastic detective on the mean streets of a big city. The description of everything is brilliant, putting you right into the story. I didn’t think they wrote it em like this anymore and I praise Weir for sticking to it. Please, don’t stop writing. I will currently be trying to get my hands on more of this author’s work as soon as possible.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Case if the Missing Bubble Gum Card
R Weir
Jarvis Mann is a Private Investigator. He has been a Private Investigator for ten
years, the last seven being in private practice. Arriving at his office/home he
spots a young man no older than fifteen or sixteen waiting at the door. Jarvis
wonders what it is this young man wants. The young man is Dennis Gash.
Dennis explains he lost a precious baseball card that was given to his father by
his grandfather and now it was his. They trace tracks back to the church where
Dennis think the card was lost but couldn’t find it. So they ask the two friends
that was with Dennis when the card was lost if they had seen it both said no.
The last resort was going to a shop that bought and sold baseball cards, there
the card is found. The owner of the shop buys it for $800 when it’s worth more
than that. They discover it was the second friend Terence that had sold the
card. Dennis was furious with his friend until he found out the reason for
selling the card was so they didn’t lose their home. The cost of Jarvis’s work
was the choice of one of Dennis’s cards. All Dennis had to do now was tell his
father the card had been lost, found and sold.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card” is a short story by R Weir featuring private detective Jarvis Mann. Jarvis Mann is a very small time private detective who could really use a payday. He is in between jobs, as he normally is, when he meets young Dennis who needs his help. Dennis is in no position to pay Jarvis for his services, but the two strike a deal. If Jarvis helps Dennis find a valuable baseball card that he recently had stolen from him, Dennis will give Jarvis any of his other baseball cards in trade for his services. Dennis and Jarvis spend the day determining who had stolen the card as only three of Dennis’ friends had seen it on the day in question. Without giving away any details, Jarvis helps Dennis in more ways than he expected, and Jarvis learns a bit along the way as well. This was a fun, light read for an avid mystery reader like myself. I would have loved to have a bit longer of a story, but R Weir did a lovely job making this short story still have a lesson to be learned. I was happy to see that there are a few more stories to the Jarvis Mann world and I hope to read those soon! Jarvis seems like he is full of stories to have told about him and I hope R Weir continues to write them! I give “The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card” four stars!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 star review
Well what a lovely short story! The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card by R. Weir is the first in a detective series about Private Investigator Jarvis Mann. This isn’t a genre that I usually read but I found that a really enjoyed it! It may have only been 27 pages long but it was crammed full of story and I felt like I really got to know Jarvis’ character. The story was really well written, flowed well and was in no way rushed. It was short and straight to the point which sometimes I find refreshing! I liked that the story also had a nice moral and a deeper meaning to it. I have to admit I wasn’t sure about the title but that’s because I had no idea what a Bubble Gum card was!
Jarvis Mann is a private investigator whose business thrives on the mundane until one day a young man steps into his office and convinces Jarvis to help him find his missing and valuable Ernie Banks Rookie Bubble Gum card. When they eventually find the culprit, after going from friend to friend, his selfish act teaches Jarvis a life lesson that will shape him with new hope and resolve.
If you are looking for a nice short story then I definitely recommend this book and I think it leads nicely into the series about this private investigator.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some short stores that are good and some that are bad. They can leave you wanting more in a good way or in a bad way. They can be a complete story or frustrate you ad they leave you hanging. They can be a good introduction to a book. The Case of the Missing Bubblegum card was a complete short story. It is short- just 27 pages- but is completely satisfying. We are introduced to Jarvis Mann, a private investigator. A young man comes to him in search of his missing baseball card. Jarvis decided to help and the story is the search for the card with some unexpected results.

I got this short story on Amazon for free. I honestly did not have high expectations of the story (sometimes there is a reason why things are free….). I was surprised and highly enjoyed this short story and liked Jarvis Mann. It can definitely be read in one sitting.

I plan on checking out the next book in the series to see how a full length novel plays out. That next novel is Tracking a shadow. And if I like it I may check out the rest of the series.
I highly recommend this short story!!

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card: A Jarvis Mann Detective Short Story

Written by R. Weir

Genre: Mystery

This was a cute short story about a young boy named Dennis Gash. He is about to be 16 and he has a problem, he has lost a baseball card that his father gave to him when he was 7. Dennis contacts a local private detective , Jarvis Mann to help him find his missing card.
I really enjoyed this story actually. I wasn’t sure at first as this is a little different then what I normally read, but I was pleasantly surprised. The story was very well written, Mr. Weir does a wonderful job describing the surroundings. I think that he was able to capture what you would think (Or at least what I think based off tv shows) a private detective is like.
This is a fast read, just a short little intro but there are more stories featuring Jarvis Mann. I look forward to reading more by this author.

***I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher***

[Amber Sikes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 Stars

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card is a short story that introduces the reader to R Weir’s Jarvis Mann Detective series. This short story is set in Denver, and tells the story of how Detective Jarvis Mann goes out of his way to help a young teenage boy, Dennis, one windy, winter day in February.
Dennis Gash recently took his grandfather's prized A Topps Ernie Banks rookie card from 1954 to church for his friends to see. After playing a few rounds of basketball, he returns home to find that card, worth a little over twelve hundred dollars is missing from is pocket. Now after searching everywhere he can think of, young Dennis finds himself on the steps of Detective Manns office asking for help.
This is not the type of story I normally choose to read, but I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the humorous remarks of Detective Mann’s character and I really enjoyed the descriptive detail arthur R Weir used throughout the book. I look forward to the next novel in this series Tracking a Shadow and would definitely recommend this short story for anyone looking for a quick humorous mystery.

[Susanne Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I normally review romance novels, I’m willing to try something different. Short stories offer an excellent opportunity to check out new authors and this one was no exception. Jarvis Mann is a private detective who isn’t making a fortune at what he’s doing, but the man has a good heart. When a teenaged boy approaches him about his missing bubble gum card, Mann agrees to help him out, and plans to do so without exacting a hefty price for his assistance.
I liked the character and his off-the-wall sense of humor, and since it was a short story, I felt the matter was well resolved, but I would’ve liked a little bit more at the end. Since I don’t want to spoil it, I won’t say more, but you’ll recognize what I mean when you read it. I certainly applaud the values that were an integral part of the story’s ending and woul’ve liked to have seen that go one scene farther.
That being said, I would recommend the story to anyone who likes a quick read and will definitely put another R. Weir book on my reading list.

[Melissa Schaub · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card by R Wier was a very cute short story that had a nice life lesson behind it.
In this book Jarvis Mann is a private investigator that is not very successful in his career. He comes home one day and finds a teenager sitting on his doorstep looking for help. Dennis recently lost a valuable baseball card and wants Jarvis’s help in locating it before his dad finds out. After some negotiation Jarvis agrees to help, after retracing Dennis’s steps from the day before and turning up nothing, they decide its time to start questions the friends. After some time Dennis is finally told what happened to his card and why, but when the reasons come to light, will it be enough for Dennis to understand or will it change everything forever?
This was a very short story but I thought that it was really cool of Jarvis to help this kids out. Plus I think it was a real life situation that many kids have to deal with and this book handled it very well. I am interested to read the next book in this series and see how it does in a full-length book.

[Lauren Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card is a Jarvis Mann Detective Short Story by R Weir. This story is where the detectives journey began and gives an intoduction into Private Investigator Jarvis Mann.
Jarvis Mann is a private investigator just trying to get enough businness to pay the bills, but his business is not picking up the way he wishes it would. With some down time he decides to take the time to help a young man who has lost his baseball card that his father handed down.
Dennis Gash made the mistake of taking his most valuable baseball card to show his friends and has now lost it. He desperately needs help before his father finds out.
He quickly learns not everything is as simple as what he thought and sometimes material things are not what is most important.
For being so short I was really surprised and delighted with the plot and moral of this story. I think we could all use a reminder of this beautiful message!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card (book 1)
R. Weir

Denis Gash has lost his Ernie Banks Topps baseball card. Dennis wanted to show his friends on day at church; by the time he got home, he could not find the card. That card has been passed down from his grandfather to his father, then to Dennis. Dennis hires Jarvis Mann, a Private Detective, to help him find the card. Jarvis and Dennis make a payment deal, but Jarvis does not think they will find it. He sees how much this means to him so Jarvis is going to try to find it with Dennis.
Short story and it did not grab my attention as I was hopping. I love reading mysteries, but this book was so quick with the who done it. The story line was good, and had a wonderful life lesson attached to it. The details were really good I never had trouble picturing what I was reading. I think it would be a great read for teenagers.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by R. Weir and I have to say the title threw me a bit, but it was good. I found myself more intrigued by it. It was a great short story with a huge plot twist, and a great moral of the story.
The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card is a short story that starts with the introduction into Private Investigator Jarvis Mann, he is trying to get into the business, and get his bills paid. But he's business isn't picking up like he hoped, and with some down time he decides to help a young man who has lost a baseball card that was handed down to him from his dad. Dennis Gash made the mistake of taking his favorite baseball card to show his friends, and now he's lost it. And he's got to find it before his dad finds out it's missing. Will they find the card before it's too late?
This story was filled with dry humor and surprisingly funny wit, it's a great introduction to the Jarvis Mann Detective Series. Can't wait to see what comes next!!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s an interesting short story about a private detective, Jarvis Mann, trying to make a living by helping people the best way he knows how, by solving their mysteries. A young teen comes to Jarvis with a case to solve. Dennis Gash is a young teen struggling with his family to get by. When his valuable baseball card goes missing, he turns to Jarvis to help him find it. After a twist reveals the thief, lessons are learned and hope is restored.

“With such heart the future held hope if others like him emerged from this grim, greedy, selfish world. Maybe the ‘me generation’ would turn into the ‘we generation’.”

I enjoyed this story, even though it is a very big departure from my favorite types of stories. Weir writes with intelligence and is able to keep this reader entertained and looking forward to reading more about PI, Jarvis Mann. This novella leads us to the next adventure for Jarvis Mann, Tracking a Shadow.

[Tom Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Returning to his office, Private Detective Jarvis Mann finds a young man, 16-year-old Dennis Gash waiting on the steps for him. While playing after church, he had showed several of his friends his valuable bubble gum sports card, then stuck it in his back pocket and forgot about it. Upon reaching home he found the card was missing. Valued at over twelve hundred dollars, he doesn’t want to tell his father about its loss, and asks the detective to help him find.

This was an easy investigation, and Jarvis soon finds the card in a Specialty Shop, and discovers who sold it, so the case is closed, but how to handle the case is another matter.

The Jarvis Mann detective series is new, and easy reads. The author is a good writer, and relies on words instead of a lot of sew and profanity, yet offers good plots and characters, with a good mystery that will keep you interested. It could have used a better cover, however. Highly recommended.