James Scott Bell writes in fast-clipped, judiciously chosen words, that deliver a punch in his action-packed novella, Framed.
If his opening sentence doesn’t grab your attention…
“It’s not everyday you bleed to death.”
… well, you must be dead.
The story follows Jonathan Curtis, a petty thief released from drug rehab, trying to stay clean and start a fresh life. His dream of opening his own auto-body shop seems set when a rich L.A. stage director invites him to fix his old car. Unknown to Jonathan, that is just a pretext. The director selected him, not for his knowledge around a car engine.
Jonathan gets caught up in a murder he thinks he accidentally committed. The ex-criminal must decide whether to walk away while he can or stay and face the consequences. That could cost him his dream — and his life. Every attempt to set the story straight backfires, and keeps you guessing how he’ll ever get out of this mess.
Along the way he meets Kris, an aspiring actress. Both learn to accept themselves and not allow past resentments and the chaotic events from destroying their dreams.
Craftsmanship
Bell is an International Thriller Writer award winner and a prolific writer/teacher about the mechanics of writing fiction (Plot & Structure). Framed showcases how he applies what he preaches.
Each chapter is told from one character’s point of view. Their speech patterns, internal struggles, and reactions transport you into a face-to-face encounter.
Bell also excels in pacing. His action keeps you huffing and puffing as Jonathan faces roadblocks and personal threats to get at the truth. Though Jonathan may appear a little unsympathetic as a protagonist in the beginning, you’ll liken up to him. Page by page you discover his past and experience his exasperation while charging through scenes that keep you reading to see what’s next.
Another thing I appreciated is that Bell proves foul language, graphic violence, and sex aren’t necessary to tell an excellent story. The author even surprises you, taking a different tack from what you expect is coming.
Conclusion
My only complaint is the ending. After a roller coaster ride of action, the story ended sooner than I expected. That doesn’t mean Bell left loose ends or an implausible outcome. I only expected the rendering to play out for a few more chapters equal to how Bell developed the story.
Having said that, I still recommend Framed, especially for young writers looking for character development, picturesque word imagery, dialog, and scene construction. As far as making a final judgement of Bell’s endings, l think I will just have to read a few more.
You can find out more about James Scott Bell’s books, including a free copy of this book at: https://www.jamesscottbell.com/ I’ll review one of his literary short stories later.
Read a review of Bell’s short story Golden, here.
