StaceyHH

The problem with this "prequel" is not that it is short (although it's much shorter than anticipated,) but that it is stupid. The young, poor, put-upon heroine figures out a deep and complicated mystery, from a mark, a bruise (that shouldn't be showing yet,) and a passing sentence. It was just a little too Encyclopedia Brown. Not only that, but on the sheer strength of her character (as a poor working class servant,) threatens and shames the wealthy upper class into admitting their crimes. WOULD NEVER HAPPEN.The other problem with this so-called prequel is that 65% of the Kindle book is taken up with a tease for another book. IMO, that's a blatant bait and switch, especially since there's no mention of the teaser. I know that authors of series often put out little short stories and scenes, like easter eggs, for regular readers of the series novels. I like them. But at least make some attempt to make the stories coherent and complete within the short story format. The story itself should be the hook, not the extended surprise teaser. The story should be smart enough, or funny enough, or scary enough... according to the genre, to make me want to seek out those characters. Instead, in this short, we have a young, female character with entitlement issues, who figures out a mystery with a few glances, from facts not in evidence to the reader, and totally wins the "make the rich men confess" game. Yeah, that makes me want more. *rolls eyes so hard they pop out*