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Southern Cross | 
| Author: Patricia Cornwell
Publisher: Little, Brown
Category: Book
Buy New: £16.99
New (26) Used (135) Collectible (21) from £0.01
Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 921261
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.1
ISBN: 0316846791
EAN: 9780316846790
ASIN: 0316846791
Publication Date: January 21, 1999
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
With the phenomenal success of her Scarpetta books, Cornwell set herself something of a problem: how to strike off in new directions with different protagonists. It's good to report that the trio introduced so compellingly in Hornet's Nest Police Chief Judy Hammer and colleagues Virginia West and Andy Brazil make an assured return in this up-tempo sequel. The locale this time is Richmond, Virginia, and Cornwell quickly immerses us in the personal lives and politics of a big-city police force reeling from corruption and intrigue. Hammer is there to reduce the crime rate, but is still trying to come to terms with the death of her husband. And when a gang of juvenile killers starts creating havoc, she finds herself dealing with both public scrutiny and the resentments of her staff. While the characterisation and plotting (always Cornwell's strong suits) remain as razor sharp as ever, there is more emphasis on humour, making a piquant contrast to the high-octane action (although some might find the whimsical character names--Smudge, Muskrat, Weed et al--a tad too Dickensian for this kind of urban thriller). Supremely entertaining stuff, and though some may yearn for the return of her doughty pathologist heroine, Cornwell has demonstrated that she is no one-trick pony. --Barry Forshaw
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Very disappointing April 12, 2000
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Cats and dogs that can dial the telephone and use a computer - I don't think so. This has moved from fiction to fantasy and it's not even well written. Can we have our money back please?
 And now for something completely different... January 6, 2000
This is definitely not a Scarpetta novel - those readers expecting to find a Scarpetta-clone should reflect that Cornwell would be the last to write one of those! (Copies come from other authors.) Southern Cross doesn't seem very realistic in its plot, but it's a fun read with some wierd black humour. Maybe this book and its predecessor Hornet's Nest form a new genre, Fantasy Crime, where million to one chances happen 9 times out of 10! Once while reading Southern Cross I was surprised to be reminded of Carl Hiassen - no-one could match him but a faint echo was there. Cornwell has a way to go before this series reaches the quality of Scarpetta but I for one will read any more Hammer/West/Brazil novels that appear in the hope she really makes it work.
 A Fantastic Sequel to Hornet's Nest October 23, 1999
A great book. I love the new characters and this great new theme. I can't wait for the next in the series.
Not funny and not clever September 4, 1999
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
A very disappointing book, I was expecting much more from someone of Cornwell's calibre. The only consolation was that I was given the book, and didn't pay for it under the mistaken impression that anything by PC had to be good. Non-credible characters, ridiculous mis-understandings and worst of all, downright stupid names made this novel memorable for all the wrong reasons. "Could do better" sums it up.
This is NOT a Scarpetta-book! June 22, 1999
An allright sequel to Hornets Nest. The novel is building on humor and the relationship between the 3 main characters. The violence or sophistication of the plot is almost gone here - and I think thats on purpose. Patricia Cornwell also want to write crime storys that is not as bloody and speculative as the Scarpetta-collection. It is a good book on its own...
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