I read this after a longish gap from the first book, and tbh I was a bit sceptical about how good a sequel would be since the original case was already closed in the first book, so this could end up being more contrived...but it wasn't! I'd say it was better than the first book—more nuances and shades of grey, and Pip (the protagonists) herself also matures as she realises/sees that. There were also many common characters and refs to the first book so it wasn't disconnected at all!