Isle of Dogs

Rating:
Summary: This book should be thrown to the Dogs
Review: This book is pure drivel - without question. It's so ridiculously bad I don't even know where to begin! It was all I could do just to get through it. If I could've given zero (0) stars I would have but I'll have to settle for one (1) if only for Ms. Cornwell's effort to put pen to paper. I'm absolutely mystified that any reputable editor would ever let this go to print. I can only assume it did because of Ms. Cornwell's previous successes. Frankly, I found the dialog to be absurd, the characters completely implausible and the plot wandering and lifeless. The story makes every person in the entire state of Virginia, with few exceptions, out to be a blundering dullard. Any attempt at comedy (if that was ever her intent) is so forced it's pathetic. With character names like Wendy Breeze, Hooter, Unique and a girl named Ragina (rhymes with vagina!!??) it's no wonder this book is bad. And, there is no suspense whatsoever. A third of the way into the book and you'll still be guessing what the story is all about. Please take my advice and don't waste your time. I wish I'd read these reviews before I started to read this book. I mean, a state governor who's nearly blind and can't see unless he uses a big magnifying glass??? And his wife and butler play silly games by hiding it from him? Should I state the obvious like why not just using glasses instead? And then to suggest the governor get a seeing eye HORSE??!! Yes, you read that right, a horse. I mean it's just plain idiotic. Inconsistencies abound. I thought the book had hit rock bottom when the crabs and trout started "talking" to one another and plotting their escape, and they could understand humans. But no, I was wrong. The worst was yet to come. Probably, the scene where the "Major" is trying to shoot his zipper off with a 9mm pistol in the back alley next to a bar named "Freckles" so he could take a pee, with a Blackhawk helicopter circling overhead took the cake. I could go on but I hope I've made my point clear. Take my advice, if you're not a HUGE Patricia Cornwell fan, leave it on the shelf. And even if you are I'd still leave it on the shelf.

Rating:
Summary: Do not buy this book.
Review: Do not buy this book. This book is awful, confusing, dull, and unbelievably idiotic. If you recieved it as a gift, I'm sure it was a regift, whoever originally received it palmed it off on you. I would certainly re-examine the relationship of anyone who gave me this book to see exactly what I had done to make them think so poorly of our friendship. Do not buy this book and think twice before you give it away. Perhaps it's best use is a nice winter fire, literally.

Rating:
Summary: I finished it by sheer force of will
Review: I thoroughly enjoy Patricia Cornwell. She makes it OK for a woman to be smart and sexy at the same time. But this....this was god-awful. I tried seeing it as a dark comedy, I tried to visualize everything as tongue-in-cheek. No dice. It seemed like every character (including the author, apparently) got a beating with the stupid stick. I read it through to the end, praying that it would get better, that one of the finest writers I read in years wouldn't do this to me, a loyal fan. She did. Don't waste your money on this book...if you're a die-hard collector and must have it, I'll send you mine - after I dig it out of the dustbin.

Rating:
Summary: Dangerous to Your Health
Review: Absolutely do not listen to this book while driving. While on Tape 4 at 7 a.m. in the morning I dozed off, but managed to spring back awake again to gain control of my car. I promptly turned on the radio. Then I just had to see if my perception was on target that this book is absolutely horrible, and sure enough, most other reviews out of 630 were one-star, and as at least one person said, would have been 0 stars. If I want mystery humor and pets with human-like qualities, I will stick with David Handler and his Stuart Hoag and Lulu series.

And the female narrator on the audio tape, though great with accents, was decidely very bad with male voices, of which there are many, like most of the main characters...part of the problem with putting me to sleep. I think this book would have faired better with a male voice.

It is comforting that Patricia Cornwell has apparently written better novels, so I won't totally write her off.

Rating:
Summary: I coudn't get through it
Review: I picked up the book on tape version of this to keep me awake on my commute, so it didn't need to be a literary masterpiece, but in spite of gritting my teeth and trying to tough it out, I couldn't finish it. I've never read anything else by this author, and I assure you I won't. Her characters are shallow and unsympathetic, animals (dogs, crabs) are smarter than people, and she manages to insult just about every kind of person you can imagine in this novel. Bad writing and offensive, hateful attitudes just made me angry rather than making my drive more pleasant.

Rating:
Summary: A monument of bad literature
Review: I could stand every piece of nonsense in this garbage but when the dog read the e-mail...well that was the real cake...I burst into a delirious fit of laughter and closed the backcover softly, vowing never to open it again...I very rarely give up a book but this oversilly item was stealing my time and insulting my brain.

I have already left Scarpetta series forever after the horrible (but I really mean horrible) Blow Fly. But now this book is a landmark for me that puts an end with my entire reading relation with Ms. Cornwell. Goodbye Ms. Cornwell...and never forget that if you go on writing such silliness, you will not find a single reader in future even if you give away your books free.

And another point: if this goes on like that, this book will be the first single-star rated book on Amazon (at least the first one I will see) and it truly deserves that status. After all it is a monument of incredibly poor writing

Rating:
Summary: Isle of Dogs is a dog
Review: I bought all of Patricia Cornwell's books after reading Blow Fly. I enjoyed the Kay Scarpetta character and her stories...however after reading more of them I have found that many details are inconsistent from book to book. I read Isle of Dogs after reading three Scarpetta books...it was not believeable which I had expected from this author...so that was ok though...she is taking a turn away from the realistic...no problem...well it was all over the place. Characters are not developed...stories intertwine in a truly unbelievable way...something can be fantasy but should still follow a reasonable path of understanding...the end of the last three books I have read from this author all of a sudden come to a halt...the endings are all of a sudden and just give the full attention to the detail to leave the reader satisfied.
I dont think I will waste my time reading the other Hammer/Brazil books. If they have the fantasy like talking crabs and dogs that can read emails, this just isnt my cup of tea. The bottom line was I expected more. I think blow fly on its own was a good book...trying to tie them all together has not been rewarding.


Rating:
Summary: I did borrow this book and DID throw it in the trash
Review: I have never posted a book review on amazon, however, this time I felt compelled to do so, if only it was to lower the overall rating for this literary disaster.
From page one, this is extremely boring and it's almost impossible to turn to the next page. I am about half way through the book, but will not finish it. If I never hear the term "submarine" again, it will be too soon, thanks to this horrible piece of .....

Rating:
Summary: It Should Have Come With A Warning Label
Review: Talking fish and typing dogs?

As a dedicated "Scarpetta" fan, Isle of Dogs was a huge letdown. It has been billed as a "dark comedy" but seems more like a bad psychedelic drug flashback. Incoherent at best.

I admire the work Patricia Cornwell has put in to base good crime fiction on real crime facts. This book, however, totally missed the mark.

My advice: SKIP IT.

Rating:
Summary: Not worth the time to read!
Review: So disappointing! I look for books with a good plot, intriguing story that is well written. In this book (which boasts the same cast as the Scarpetta series), we have modern day gypsies (street thugs), a talking dog, a blind governor and all kinds of really stupid side stories that make you think you are watching afternoon TV. So bad for a Cornwell novel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!