Reversible errors / Scott Turow 225 p.

Arthur Raven draws a murder case where his client is on death row and has gotten the judicial system to reopen his case.  Told with flashbacks, there is much more to this than just a convicted murdered working the system.  With every rock Arthur turns over, more puzzles are discovered.  The original prosecuting attorney with an eye to making chief and the LAPD case detective fight to keep the conviction standing.  The judge in the case is called to testify and brings baggage of her own (disbarred and convected of a felony).  A dying con now admits he committed the murders.  Many twists keep the suspense rolling.


6th in the Kindle County series.

Reversible errors / Scott Turow 225 p.

Plea of Insanity/Jilliane Hoffman/426 pgs.

Julia Vacanti is the second chair to Rick Bellido, the Assistant Division Chief of Major Crimes. They are going to try what could be the biggest case in Julia's career: Dr. David Marquette is on trial for the brutal murders of his wife and three children. His plea is not guilty on the grounds of insanity. Was he insane at the time of the murders, or is he a skilled enough doctor to know how to appear insane during the time he is arrested, through the duration of the trial? In addition, the story line delves into Julia's childhood, and what has her second guessing Marquette's motives. It's a fast, tortuous ride, with questions left open at the end of the novel. Recommended.

Vendetta Defense / Lisa Scottoline 390 p.

Vendetta Defense / Lisa Scottoline 390 p.
In this sixth in Rosato and Associates series, lawyer Judy Carrier takes the case of "Pigeon" Tony Lucia, who's been arrested for the murder of his life-long enemy Angelo Coluzzi. The cause is a long time vendetta held by the Coluzzis against septuagenarian Pigeon Tony. The supporting characters are long time friends and fellow residents of South Philly. Judy has a tough row to hoe to mount a good defense. Strong characterizations and strong sense of local add to this legal thriller.

Legal Tender / Lisa Scottoline 295 p.

Legal Tender / Lisa Scottoline 295 p.

In this second of the Rosato and Associates legal thriller, lawyer Bennie Rosato is repeatedly hit with bad news. Her associate is taking her place in bed with her ex-lover, Mark. Mark says he is dissolving their partnership. Then when he turns up murdered, she is the prime suspect. Clients depart until she has just a animal rights activist. When the warrant for her arrest appears imminent she assumes disguises. All while take care of her mentally ill mother who needs electro-shock therapy. Strong in humor, fast-paced, and characters keep the reader wanting more.

Wrongful Conviction/Janet Heijens/295 pgs

I haven't been on here for a while but I felt I needed to review this title.  The woman who wrote the book is a former boss of my husband and a friend.  This is her first book and I loved it.  It is a legal thriller - one of my favorite genre.  The main character Jean is a high school teacher in New Jersey and she is contacted by a law student who is looking into a murder case that she has some knowledge of.  The case is 40 years old and she had babysat for the family - the husband was convicted of murdering his wife and 2 girls.  Both my husband and I read this book over the weekend so it is a very quick read and you will not see the ending coming.  Hopefully there will be more titles to come.

Vendetta Defense / Lisa Scottoline 390 p.

Vendetta Defense / Lisa Scottoline 390 p.

Rosato associate, Judy Carrier (Everywhere that Mary went), takes the case of Tony Lucia, who has been arrested for murdering his life-long enemy Angelo Clouzzi.   Anthony "Pigeon Tony" Lucia, widowed for some 60 years, is the murder.  He has shoved Angelo in the storeroom of the pigeon-racing club house. Pigeon Tony is happy to have killed Angelo with his bare hands as Angelo murdered the love of his life and mother of his son some 60 years before.  What enrages Pigeon Tony is when Angelo taunts him with his murdering of Pigeon Tony's son and daughter-in-law in a fiery truck accident the year before.  A highly entertaining story.

Sixth in the Rosato and Associates novels series.

Legal Tender / Lisa Scottoline 295 p.

Legal Tender / Lisa Scottoline 295 p.

Bennie Rosato is still reeling from her breakup with lover and law partner Mark Biscardi when he is found murdered in his office. Bennie is the chief and only suspect. When the weapon is found in her home, that puts paid to her innocence. She has no alibi as she was out rowing alone. It is up to her to foil the case the police is building against her. This fast-paced features a gutsy strong woman who can get herself out of hot water...with a little help from friends. Interwoven into the story is the story of her caring for her deranged mother. This is the 2nd in the Rosato and Associates novels series.

Final Appeal / Lisa Scottoline 269 p.

Final Appeal / Lisa Scottoline 269 p.

Lawyer, single mom Grace Rossi needs this job as a law clerk for a federal appeals court judge.   She doesn't expect a huge case involving the death penalty to land on her desk.  Nor does she expect a love affair with her boss.  But both do.  And when her lover commits suicide, she is caught unawares.  She feels in her gut that he would not have committed suicide but that he was murdered.  His death leads to the perception that he was involved in judicial bribery and corruption.  She gets involved in finding the murderer.  When she becomes a target, she realizes that her gut was right and that it is murder.  She has to find the evidence.   Scottoline creates strong feisty women with the ability to get in and out of hot water.

Everywhere that Mary Went / Lisa Scottoline 359 p.

Everywhere that Mary Went / Lisa Scottoline 359 p.

First in the Rosato and Associates series.

Mary DiNunzio piles up tons of billable hours on her road to making partner in a top corporate law firm in Philadelphia.   Her goal is just in reach when crank phone calls she's been receiving for sometime escalate.  The phone rings as soon as she gets to work and then again as soon as she gets home.  She cannot shake the feeling that someone is following her.  When the notes arrive in inner office mail, she looks at her co-workers.  She breaks off relationship with Ned, her friend from law school (his father runs a rival law firm).  As the danger escalates, Mary becomes paranoid and begins to believe that the hit-and-run accident that killed her husband is connected to the accident that killed her secretary.  Twists and turns in the plot keep the suspense high.

Dirty Blonde / Lisa Scottoline 368 p.

Dirty Blonde / Lisa Scottoline 368 p.

Cate Fante is a strong and smart lawyer.  She only in her 30s.  When she earns an appointment as a federal judge, she wonders if she can do the job.  Even she cannot right the injustice of a high profile case where former district attorney Richard Marz is suing high powered tv producer for stealing his idea for Attorneys@Law.  When Judge Fante must rule in favor of Art Simone, Marz loses it and attacks him.  When Simone is shot dead outside the restaurant where he and his attorney are celebrating their win, Marz becomes the prime suspect, especially when he commits suicide.  Cate's secrets become fodder for the media when she becomes a target.  Look for Judges@Law set in Philly come fall prime time.  This is a fast-paced, compelling, and very believable legal thriller sparkles.  Can't wait to get another by Scottoline.

Devil's Corner / Lisa Scottoline 400 p.

Devil's Corner / Lisa Scottoline 400 p.
U.S. Attorney Vicki Allegretti's meeting with her confidential informant (CI) goes horribly wrong and she finds herself looking down the gun barrel while her CI is murdered upstairs. She just misses getting shot to death but her AFT partner dies in front of her. Resolved to find her partner's killer, she ignores her boss' orders to close the case. She forms an unlikely ally with the defendant in the case involving the dead CI, Reheema Bristow. Vicki is pugnacious and willing to take many risks to catch Morty's killer. Reheema is a product of the decaying Devil's Corner, Philadelphia. The interplay between the two so makes this legal suspense thriller. I so hoped that this would be the start of a new series.

Defending Jacob / William Landay / 432 pages / Mainstream Fiction

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney for two decades. He is respected. Admired in the courtroom. Happy at home with the loves of his life: his wife, Laurie, and their teenage son, Jacob.  Then Andy’s quiet suburb is stunned by a shocking crime: a young boy stabbed to death in a leafy park. And an even greater shock: The accused is Andy’s own son—shy, awkward, mysterious Jacob.

Andy believes in Jacob’s innocence. Any parent would. But the pressure mounts. Damning evidence. Doubt. A faltering marriage. The neighbors’ contempt. A murder trial that threatens to obliterate Andy’s family.  It is the ultimate test for any parent: How far would you go to protect your child? It is a test of devotion. A test of how well a parent can know a child. For Andy Barber, a man with an iron will and a dark secret, it is a test of guilt and innocence in the deepest sense.  How far would you go?

Read alikes :  The Dinner ( Herman Koch),  Gone Girl ( Gillian Flynn), We Need To Talk About Kevin (Lionel Shriver), Nineteen Minutes (Jodi Picoult), Presumed Innocent (Scott Turow)

Defending Jacob/William Landay/421 pages

How far would you go to protect your child or a better question, how far would you go to protect others from your child? When the murder of a teenage boy rocks a small community in Massachusetts, Andy Barber, the assistant district attorney is called into action. The story quickly changes directions when Barber's only son, Jacob is accused of murdering his classmate. Jacob insists that he is innocent, some shocking revelations and what little evidence they have all point to Jacob. The story moves quickly between courtroom transcripts and present day, with the whole story changing when Barber has to switch from investigating the murder to defending his son. Good book for a book discussion group.

The Confession by John Grisham/418 pages

A young black man has been charged with murdering a white classmate and is currently serving time on death row in a prison in Texas.  The execution is scheduled and lawyers are down to their last appeal.  Five days before the execution, and several hundred miles away, a man claiming to be the murderer shows up in a Lutheran minister's office confessing to the horrible crime.  I really enjoyed the first half of this book, the details of the case, the rush to save a wrongly accused man, the anguish that all the families go through but then the second half of the book gets bogged down with all the legal injustices. Grisham is a great storyteller, but when he gets on his soapbox and stops telling the story, I get bored. The portrayal of crooked politicians and lawmakers is probably not too far from the truth and the tensions between the black and white communities in a small town in the south are heartbreaking.  The book really makes you think about our legal system and the death penalty.

The Fifth Witness / Michael Connelly / 421 pages

Another Lincoln Lawyer novel. This time Mickey Haller has to battle his own heart as a criminal defense attorney, both to defend his client but also to come to terms with the impact his job has on his relationship with the love of his life, Maggie McPherson. The insight into the justice system, how attorneys approach cases, how cases evolve in trial and what goes on the the judge's chambers is all very interesting and sometimes scary. As always Connelly leaves readers with a twist to the resolution of the case. Recommended for all readers of legal thrillers.