Heather's Reviews > The Strange Task Before Me: Being an Excerpt from the Journal of William J. Upton

Add-on novellas are a newish thing and I would say 50% of the time I do not enjoy them. Often they lack focus. This novella is refreshingly well-plotted and has a specific story to tell with an ending that is also sort-of a cliff-hanger. There's something enjoyable about giving the audience a more omniscient knowledge than the main character!

Still present is Gibson's impeccable grasp of the period writing style and ambiance. And I always look forward to his mix of adventure and humor. His writing style never causes me to avoid reading because the plot clips along and there are always unexpected, but believable, twists.

I'm not sure if this novella is as good to read if you haven't read the first book in the series. However, because it does come before book one, you can definitely start here before reading the first "real" book.