Title: Not what I had hoped for...
Product review: I really enjoy Patricia Cornwell's other books, but was disappointed in this one. It was not, as suggested above, that I was unwilling to accept a new cast of characters; as a matter of fact, I enjoyed the characterizations of Hammer, West, Brazil, and a few of the other characters. Cornwell is a past master at letting you know the people she draws. What I admire about Cornwell's writing is the realism: the gritty details she presents and the sympathy with which she portrays her often unsympathetic characters. I found the plot of Southern Cross to be fragmented and scattered. Many of the characters seemed like ridiculous caricatures. I found it hard to "buy in." I assume that the presentation was intended to be sort of tongue-in-cheek, and I tried to read it in that light, but it really was not as enjoyable an experience as I have become accustomed to with Patricia Cornwell.
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