Sitting on the fence a bit with this one. It’s one I’ve been seeing in magazine reviews and on social media, hearing good things, so added to my ever growing To Be Read list. I’m
Glad I read it as I actually learnt a lot from the book and found it interesting read as a former law student. However I did have to keep back-tracking until the halfway point when the author allows you to learn that the QC for the Prosecution is actually a former student with a life changing trauma that has paved the way for her drastic change in direction and formidable career and allows you to gain a deep empathy as well as understanding for her desire to prosecute the cases that she does (the seemingly impossible, he said/she said cases).
It was a well researched idea and you can see Vaughan’s desire to be precise within the use of the legal language at relevant points. It’s all very well written and I found myself picking my jaw up off the floor toward the end and was unhappy with the result (I don’t want to give too much away, but those who have finished the book will know what I mean) and I do feel a happy ending past the finishing page for the female characters.
I do recommend this book but it is not for those who are struggling with experience or knowledge of the crime in question during the entirety of the book. It does make for uncomfortable reading at times, and is not sugar coated (again this is pressed on by the importance of legal persons discussing facts of a case for the jury and the need to be blunt for lay persons of the court in order to make a decision beyond all reasonable doubt). I feel that this would be a prime series for a televised drama or mini series and would get high ratings and is definitely one I would watch, and having been told by Vaughan that it will be made in to a series for Netflix, I’m highly anticipating its release and can’t wait to see the cast line up!
I am looking forward to reading more of Vaughan’s books in the future (once I have ploughed through my Increasingly vast shelf of books not yet read!)
Morelli’s Reads 