Isle of Dogs (edition 2001)

Slow, dragged out.....nit up to other Cornwell books I've read ( )

I read the 3 Andy Brazil books against advice from more than one person. I wanted to see for myself if they really were that bad. I liked the Scarpetta books (although I thought that the endings of some of those books were too rushed, too contrived). The Andy Brazil books are nothing like those! Hornet's Nest is probably the best of the three, although the characters are shallow and unconvincing and the plot is weak and implausible. There is some humour and some sexual tension which is frustrating for lack of relief. 5/10. Southern Cross degenerates from this. Ms Cornwell seems to be having fun at our expense, but the result isn't really funny or vaguely satisfying. 3/10. Isle of Dogs, well, how much lower can you go? What were you thinking, Ms Cornwell? Or what drugs were you on? This book was ridiculous! I persisted to the end of these books because I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. Not sure why I bothered. Even if one reads these as tongue-in-cheek romps through the workings of a Police Dept, the final book is hugely disappointing. 1/10. Scarpetta fans who pay full price for these books will feel angry and very much cheated. Luckily I bought mine 2nd hand. Readers whose first taste of Cornwell is one of these books will never buy another. Whatever you do, don't pay full price for these books! ( )

Ugh... I finialy finished this one. Definitely not my favorite Patricia Cornwell book. I have read other of her off wall writing style and enjoyed them more than this one. This one was just a little too unrealistic for my taste. ( )

When I realized that this is the final novel in the Andy Brazil series, I was saddened. This is a terrible book, and I am glad the series is over. The fabulous trio of Hammer, West, and Brazil has disappeared with no explanation and only Hammer and Brazil remain in this escapade. Brazil seems to be in charge and does anything he wants and Hammer seems out of her element. Andy is now a state trooper on detail in the governor's mansion. The governor, a bumping Mr. Magoo character is being poisoned with ExLax by his assistant. Smoke, that terrible and frightening juvenile has escaped from prison and has formed another gang. This time, the girl is Unique, a bloodthirsty maniac. Cornwell has inserted every imaginable character in this story. There is Pony a convict serving in the governor’s mansion. Pony, like Victor Hugo’s Jean Valjean, has earned his prison time for stealing some trivial item. Another character is the dentist, Dr. Faux, who goes to the Island of Tangier off the coast of Virginia and commits fraud and mayhem with the simple-minded inhabitants. Of course, even Bubba from the last novel makes an appearance. I am reminded of the old Keystone Kops movies where everyone is running around and no one knows what is happening. ( )

ANDY BRAZIL