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Loading... Isle of Dogsby Patricia CornwellLibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendationsLoading...
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. Sometimes reading moves from the sublime to the ridiculous. The experience of finishing Steig Larsson's “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and moving on to one of Cornwell's non-Scarpetta books is almost enough to make one despair. It takes a while to work out what Cornwell is attempting with “Isle of Dogs”. Let's be clear, this is not another police procedural in the manner of the Scarpetta series, just with a different suite of characters. Herein lies the problem. Since “The Last Precinct” Cornwell has clearly been bored by the formula that served he well, the later Scarpetta novels, and the Andy Brazil series show a distinct change of tone, Scarpetta's story taking a profoundly darker turn, and Brazil representing an experiment with magic realism. Having made her reputation with Scarpetta she may well have sought to escape being typecast as just another formulaic crime novelist. As such something like “Isle of Dogs” can be seen as a completely understandable step. The trouble is it doesn't really work. Read full review at http://southlondonbook.blogspot.com/2... Judy Hammer and Trooper Truth solving highway pirate murders. This is an absolutely terrible book! Cornwell is author of the Kay Scarpetta series (which I highly recommend for readers of this genre - particularly the earlier books in the series). In fact, the Scarpetta books are considered an influence in the development of the fictional, forensic television series (like CSI).However, Isle of Dogs is not part of the Scarpetta series. I couldn't even slog through to the end in audio format. Wincing in embarrassment for the author, I went online to check out the reviews of others who had dared to read the entire book. The reviews were overwhelmingly negative (1-star or less). Here are just a few quotes that express my sentiments: - "It's just stupid," "Waste of money," "a truly bad novel." If this was Cornwell's first novel, it would never have been published. If this is a reader's first encounter with Cornwell's writing, sadly it will most likely be their last. The unabridged CD version is 14 hours long (12 CDs; narrator Michele Hall). I made it to the 5th CD, grumbled at my husband about how incredibly bad it was, packed it up and returned it to the library. At least I did not spend any money on this dog. I loved the first few Kay Scarpetta books, and although I think the later ones were not as good, I enjoyed them very much.This book is horrid. I could not even finish it. It was THAT bad. 1.283 seconds to build listing
Amazon.com (ISBN 0425182908, Paperback)Be aware: this is not your typical Patricia Cornwell novel. Not only is there no Kay Scarpetta, but Isle of Dogs is a comic romp, a real departure for this author. It does center around a couple of characters from past books--police chief Judy Hammer and reporter-turned-cop Andy Brazil of Hornet's Nest and Southern Cross. But the plot, style, and tone will remind you more of Carl Hiaasen's dark comedies.The madcap doings get underway when the addled, nearly blind governor of Virginia confusedly launches a speed-trap program on isolated Tangier Island, whose prickly, eccentric residents promptly attempt secession. Cornwell adeptly interweaves other crisscrossing plot lines involving a gang of street-stupid thugs gunning for Hammer and Brazil, an angel-faced serial killer, a kidnapped dog, and more. She does miss a few beats: the pacing sags during certain episodes, and at times the writing strains so hard for laughs that instead it draws winces. Nonetheless, Isle of Dogs is for the most part a funny, diverting read and a refreshing departure for Cornwell. --Nicholas H. Allison (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:12 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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Ms. Cornwell has written some winners, but this one isn't worth a minute of your time. (