All around - a solid debut. I would say that at first it started out very slow paced so whoever said it was fast paced lied. Thankfully, it quickly picked up at part two and kept strong going into part three. It was honestly hard to put down once I got to part two because I was pulled in. 

If you are having trouble with part one, try picking up the audio. That was a huge help to me. I do think that this could have been much shorter as some things seemed just a tiny bit repetitive or over the top for no reason. 

My main complaint besides the slow start would be that I'm really tired of seeing mysteries and thrillers with super smart female characters that repeatedly do stupid things. I know there wouldn't be a plot without the main character doing something stupid, but come on - give the reader something to bite onto. I also would have liked to see some actual lawyer action besides her saying she could be disbarred? 

Overall, I recommend this one if you're looking for a solid debut with a lawyer who has secrets of her own. I can't wait for the sequel for Vera's story. 

P.S - Save yourself some time and don't look at the 1 star reviews. They are mostly DNFs for being too slow (which I understand) or crusty, white people who are mad someone addressed how racist some white people in the south can be and think that this FICTIONAL legal thriller is CRT?