I did not realize this was second in a series until after I finished this absorbing mystery and provocative story. The reader can pretty soon guess who the culprits are but the gripping part of this book is the engaging backstory and character development, and then the gripping courtroom drama that starts with one person on trial, and then eventually brings two more into the spectacle. The horrific crime is front and center, and as the full extent is revealed, the denouement becomes spellbinding. Recommended.