Southern Cross

Rating:
Summary: What a waste of time - I could have had a root canal!!
Review: I seriously question if Patricia Cornwell actually wrote this book. This is as bad as anything I have ever read. The plotting was poor - who ever heard of two ladies, one assistant chief who hangs around with a clerk and the boss who doesn't do anything putting in a year to clean up a department because of reasons that were never quite clear. I really think there were several story lines here that Ms Cornwell never got going and I don't believe she actually finished writing her book, she just merely stopped. If Ms. Cornwell continues writing like this, I fear her reader base will decline. Enough said.

Rating:
Summary: NOT WORTH THE STAR
Review: THIS BOOK SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!! I WOULDN'T MIND NEW CHARACTERS, I WOULD JUST LIKE SUSPENSE, I READ PC FOR SUSPENSE AND A GOOD MYSTERY, THIS HAD NEITHER. SHE HAS BEEN GOING DOWN HILL EVER SINCE SHE GOT BUSTED FOR STALKING JODY FOSTER TO PLAY SCARPETTA IN THE MOVIE VERSION.

Rating:
Summary: Stick to Scarpetta
Review: I figured I'd give this book a fighting chance and read halfway through before I couldn't stand it any longer. As if the foul language wasn't bad enough, there were too many characters and not enough story. It should have at least seemed to be going somewhere, but it didn't. Was this Virginia or Arkansas? I've never met such a group of losers. Stick to Scarpetta; at least she makes sense and has a life.

Rating:
Summary: Defines unexceptional
Review: At some point this gifted writer may have to face that she's not good at satire and she's not meant to write comedy. The satire was half-baked, the humor was low-brow and contrived. The plot was weak, with too much time spent setting up events and jokes that just weren't worth it. The three regulars were insipid and bumbling. One character was ridiculed to death over a ludicrous, made-up accent that got very old very fast, and then annoying. The 'bad guy' was by far the most intriguing aspect of the book. Vile and menacing throughout the book he collapses in an ending that is classic Cornwell ie, rushed and unsatisfying. The 'victim' was a kid so unrealistically drawn as to be saccharin. Had Cornwell just done a dark, hard-hitting look at juvenile crime, letting her strong dialogue provide the humor naturally, Southern Cross would have been an exciting and compelling read. There was probably more detail on coon hunting than juvenile crime.

Rating:
Summary: WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT
Review: I was not able to finish this book. It is unusual for me to start a book that I don't finish. Everyone says if I can't finish a book, they won't even try to read it. I will think twice before I buy a hard cover book of Cornwell's again.

Rating:
Summary: horribly disappointed
Review: As one of Ms. Cornwell's biggest fans - I try to find the best parts of each book to re-read over and over again. In this one I found nothing. the only redeeming character was Weed - and his painting of the statue was pretty cool. The main characters from Hornet's Nest went no where. I can see the rest of the series being about this trio of characters going to different big southern cities - Atlanta, Baton Rogue, Nashville.. It is going to take a lot to get me to pick up the next book. After this huge disappointment - I don't know why I'd even want to.

Rating:
Summary: I agree with others that this is not a PC great.
Review: PC should stick with Scarpetta, but if she were to continue the series I would probably buy.

Rating:
Summary: Was a chore to get through, a poor, poor book
Review: This book was so bad its not worth more word than this

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining.
Review: This book was fun to read. I appreciate Ms. Cornwell's willingness to branch out of the typical "Scarpetta" mode and display her talents elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Hiassen wanna-be
Review: The best I can say is that Cornwell gives a reasonable try to write in Hiassen's inimitable style. But a bizarre continuation of characters introduced in a totally different style in Hornet's Nest. While I laughed out-loud occasionally, it wasn't worth the time to read. Cornwell's much better at the Scarpetta-hard-bitten style.