Rating: 
Summary: Does not even warrant 1 star--not worthy of Cornwell's name.
Review: As an avid fan of all her books, SOUTHERN CROSS was a huge disappointment. It seemed like it was written by someone else. Characters were poorly developed, the story line was disjointed, and the story provided no sense of closure. How could an author as talented as Patricia Cornwell produce such an embarassingly sloppy novel. It is an insult to her talent and her readers' loyalty.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than Scarpetta!
Review: Southern Cross and Hornets Nest have allowed Patricia Cornwell to open her talents and really go for the gusto. In Southern Cross, she has created a clever commentary on social ills.She touches on education, computer problems, police relations, police work vs. marketing, etc. Readers should give her a chance. Most reviews here have slammed her, but for what it's worth, I think this book is better than her Scarpetta work. Her characters are funny and ring of the sarcasm needed to carry her plot out. This book is like Joseph Wambaugh's Choirboys meets David Lynch. Give it a chance. Read it and enjoy the social satire. Don't give up because some characters seem too shallow. People in real life are shallow at times. This is a great read!!
Rating:
Summary: Stick with Scarpetta.
Review: Cornwell needs to stick with Kay Scarpetta. Both books that did not feature her were lacking greatly in depth and character development. ALL of the Cornwell books that featured Kay Scarpetta as the main character were books I couldn't put down. She's an excellent author and can do better than this one.
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money!
Review: Tired plot, same cast of charatcer's as from previous novel, Hornet's Nest, but characthers were not fleshed out at all, and even though I have read Hornet's Nest, the cast was not memorable enough to carry them into a whole new book. As a re-located Southerner, I was privy to all of the innuendos, and they are still just as tired, as they were 30 years ago. I was sorely disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Not any where near her usual standard.
Review: I loved her Kay Scarpata series. This is not anywhere near the quality of her other books. It moves slowly, is boring. It reads as if it were written for junior high school aged readers. SKIP THIS BOOK!
Rating: 
Summary: VERY DISAPPOINTING...A REAL LET DOWN!
Review: I've enjoyed all of Patricia Cornwell's books except Hornet's Nest and Southern Cross. I continued reading, hoping it would get better... it didn't! Too many characters, very confusing sentences...they didn't make any sense. The characters are boring. I'm sorry I wasted my weekend reading this book...PLEASE bring Dr. Scarpetta back!
Rating:
Summary: This book needs a medical examiner!!!!
Review: Although my shelves are lined with Cornwell's book, Southern Cross will immediately find its way to the used book store. How many characters need a point of view? And apparently, Cornwell believes the dogs and cats in this book need one too -- maybe because her human characters have nothing interesting to say. I fully understand the need for an author to "break out" periodically and follow a new avenue -- but this "avenue" is full of pot holes, leaving this reader to wonder who really wrote this book and why it was published. Books like this can make a reader distrust a favorite writer's future work, so, come on Patricia -- write another of your great suspenses to help me forget I spent $25 for this.
Rating:
Summary: Where is the suspense...?
Review: This book is a fall from the standard we expect from this author. Where is the suspense and who thought up this wacky computer scheme? What is next...does West and company make it a threesome?
Rating:
Summary: what was she thinking
Review: Sorry Patricia, this was the third strike. I will give any author two bad books, but not three. This was so bad I didn't even finish it. I will not be reading Cornwell again. To bad, I thought her first four books were SOOO good.
Rating:
Summary: I Stopped Reading this Halfway Through
Review: I stopped reading this halfway through when I figured out nothing was happening either plotwise or characterwise. Too much like the author is trying to imitate Elmore Leonard or Hiassen. The previous book by Patricia Cornwall was disappointing as well. It just ended very abruptly. I'm not sure what's going on here -- too much time spending research? Or maybe Ms. Cornwall, now that she is rich and famous, is rejecting some good editing or her editors are now too intimidated to insist on changes. Whatever it is, I will not be buying more.
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