Smokin' Seventeen, by Janet Evanovich ***

Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie’s name is on the killer’s list. Short on time to find the murderer, Stephanie is also under pressure from family and friends to choose between her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie’s mom wants her to dump them both for a former high school football star who’s just returned to town. Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, suggests a red-hot boudoir “bake-off.” And Joe’s old-world grandmother gives Stephanie “the eye,” which may mean that it’s time to get out of town.
With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie’s life looks like it’s about to go up in smoke

Let's call these books what they are:  The 'By the Numbers' series by Janet Evanovich is purely bubble gum escapism.  There's little to no substance to the books, but they're fun to read.  This one was exactly what I expected after reading the others - a little bit of male fantasy (Will she pick with Joe or Ranger?  Would I pick Joe or Ranger?) and a fair bit of funny.

The Reversal, by Michael Connelly ****

Longtime defense attorney Mickey Haller is recruited to change stripes and prosecute the high-profile retrial of a brutal child murder. After 24 years in prison, convicted killer Jason Jessup has been exonerated by new DNA evidence. Haller is convinced Jessup is guilty, and he takes the case on the condition that he gets to choose his investigator, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch. Together, Bosch and Haller set off on a case fraught with political and personal danger. 

Opposing them is Jessup, now out on bail, a defense attorney who excels at manipulating the media, and a runaway eyewitness reluctant to testify after so many years. With the odds and the evidence against them, Bosch and Haller must nail a sadistic killer once and for all. If Bosch is sure of anything, it is that Jason Jessup plans to kill again.

I think I've got a new author on my list of favourites.  I've known about Michael Connelly for some time, but hadn't read his books until this year.  While I enjoyed 'The Lincoln Lawyer', I think The Reversal was even better.

It's a mystery and a legal thriller, all wrapped into one. It was maybe a little bit procedural, but I think court stories have to be by nature.  I thought it was a highly entertaining, easy read, and I'm definitely going to go looking for the next in the series.