The Con Season

I'm a big Adam Cesare fan, but this novella was unfortunately a swing and a miss. It takes too long to get to the action and when the good stuff does happen it doesn't happen for nearly long enough. The beginning feels padded and the ending feels strangely rushed. The characters also seem rushed; I liked them initially but nobody was given time to grow or develop. The ending could've been good if it had been built up properly, but as is it just... kinda happens?

It hurts to rate this so low because it has a great premise and I love Cesare's work. That said, I'd be lying to myself if I went even one star higher.