Southern Cross (Andy Brazil Book 2)

• Southern Cross #2 Andy Brazil [used book]!
• Publication Order of Andy Brazil/Judy Hammer Books.
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Andy Brazil first appears as a fresh-faced and ambitious 22 year-old reporter for the Charlotte Observer who is assigned to write about police activity after impressing his editor with his hard work. Brazil has logged numerous hours of overtime and is allowed to tag along with Judy Hammer and some of her officers and detectives during a case.

Never one to just sit back and be an observer, Andy Brazil quickly becomes immersed in the cases and in fact becomes a bit of a volunteer police officer helping to solve the crimes and nab the bad guy. Professional and strong-willed, Hammer not only faces the challenges of heading up the police force but also the personal challenges of dealing with an overweight and depressed husband at home. Hammer and Brazil have an up-and-down relationship as the young go-getter sometimes rubs the older professional the wrong way, but eventually, as Andy Brazil begins to learn the rigors of police work and dealing with city politics, the two begin to find some common ground.

As they bond the dynamic of the interaction between an older woman and a younger man begins to take shape and becomes an integral part of the series. As the duo investigate a rash of crime in Charlotte heartbreak, sadness, hilarity, and adventure ensue.

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Andy Brazil in the meantime, is a bit overeager and Virginia West has a hard time adjusting to working with someone much younger who is not a police officer. The city of Charlotte is a dangerous place, not only for tourists but also for the protagonists who seemingly find danger at every turn. The second novel, Southern Cross, finds the trio heading off to Richmond, Virginia where they are tasked with the challenge of overhauling the city police department in an attempt to quell an uptick of gang violence that has plagued the area.

This time the team is confronted with an even bigger, and unexpected obstacle in the form of a dysfunctional police force which is resistant at best to the overtures of help from Brazil, Hammer, and West. The story is populated by a rich supporting cast of eccentric characters whose subplots carry Andy Brazil, Judy Hammer, and Virginia West into wild new directions. In an incredibly fast-moving police procedural Patricia Cornwell takes her readers on a roller-coaster ride of action and emotion.

Hardback Editions December Southern Cross Author s: Southern Cross Windsor Selections S.

Wheeler Pub Inc Availability: The Family Author s: PT2 Sourthern Cross Author s: Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Southern Cross by Patricia Cornwell. Judy Hammer has accepted the challenge of Richmond, Virginia's police department to try and reverse the escalating crime statistics in the city.

They find a lot of things they are all too familiar with - teenage gangs, a rash of robberies at cash dispensers, street corner drug-d Judy Hammer has accepted the challenge of Richmond, Virginia's police department to try and reverse the escalating crime statistics in the city. They find a lot of things they are all too familiar with - teenage gangs, a rash of robberies at cash dispensers, street corner drug-dealing, racial tensions, too many people with too many guns and a cardiac inducing lack of parking spaces. They also meet resentment from the established police force and over-high expectations from the city's institutions.

Then a computer virus crashes the police computer, freezing their screens with a design of blue fish, and the same blue fish appears on the statue of Jefferson Davis, which a graffiti artist has turned into a black basketball player and a gang called the Pikes claim it is their symbol, which also has links to the robberies. In an incredibly fast-moving police procedural Patricia Cornwell takes her readers on a roller-coaster ride of action and emotion.

Show more Show less To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Southern Cross , please sign up. What happened to Virginia West? See 1 question about Southern Cross…. Lists with This Book. I'll start with the best: This a prime example just throwing some ideas towards a wordprocessor.

This is not literature for anyone that considers themselves educated. Jun 23, Bex rated it liked it Shelves: Plenty of animals featue in this book too with almost more-human names than some of the actual humans. One of the charms of this book is the easy-to-read and fascinating historical backdrop of the city of Richmond and the state of Virginia. Going back to we hear about British explorers, local Indians, African slaves, Thomas Jefferson, tobacco and the American Civil War to name just a few. However, this is a crime book and a sad tale of young no-hoper gang members, middle aged "simple" characters who enjoy nothing more than huntin', fishin' and guns, and middle class citizens of Richmond whose characters are all delightfully painted by Cornwell.

Cleverly, the paths of all these characters including our 3 police officers, become crossed in the final few chapters as the story reaches its climax. This book has a delightful comedy style in one way and yet contains its fair share of murder and violence. The plot is well thought out and presented and should provide plenty of entertainment to new and established Cornwell readers, although those expecting to find a Kay Scarpetta type thriller may well be disappointed. Jun 09, Jennifer Oddo rated it did not like it.

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The second Cornwell book I ever read was Isle of Dogs. I hated it so much that I donated it to the book burning event my friends host annually. Each person is supposed to bring the worst book they've ever read. Isle of Dogs earned that privelege. Southern Cross was only slightly better than Isle of Dogs, and that's being generous. I'm not much into rednecks, and this book is full of them. Mostly, I hate this type of book, in which a series of completely unrelated folies collide at the end in a ve The second Cornwell book I ever read was Isle of Dogs.

Mostly, I hate this type of book, in which a series of completely unrelated folies collide at the end in a very transparent way. In this case, most of the follies come from irritating characters who are too stupid to be in a book. Also, I really dislike when animals are given thoughts. I don't need to read an entire chapter about how the main character's cat feels about her owner.

I would have given this 0 stars, but I was afraid people might think I forgot to rate it. May 26, Roderick Hart rated it it was amazing. The plot involves a planned mass shooting by a character named Smoke, and the efforts of the police to prevent it. Smoke has recruited Weed into his gang, though Weed — who has both artistic and musical tendencies — is reluctant.

Another important character is Bubba, who is into all things DIY which, unfortunately, includes firearms. Smoke happens to discover this when he overhears a conversation at a garage and later steals the entire collection. Although Patricia Cornwell is famous for her handle on forensic pathology — sometimes in extreme detail — there is almost none of that in Hornets nest and Southern Cross. The interest lies in the interaction of the characters. Theses books are still well plotted, it is just that their plots do not depend on forensics.

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But what is most amazing about Southern Cross is the humour. He knows that Bubba, as usual, has made matters worse by trying to effect a repair himself. The characters of the two men come out very well in this chapter, and though there is a lot detail concerning vehicles and vehicle repair, it works well. It might have come across as research but in fact it places you at the scene.

And the humour runs all the way through. Another example occurs when Bubba, having had his guns stolen, goes to a store to buy another. Bubba loves guns, just as he loves the tools he uses for his forays into DIY. It is also worth mentioning Lelia Howell, a well-intentioned but tiring individual with an unusual take on the English language. Dealing with her in real life would be a trial, but reading about her is amusing. I find most of these reviews strong on assertion and weak on analysis. View all 6 comments. Southern Cross depicts the experiences of big-city police in Richmond, Virginia.

Police chief Judy Hammer has been brought in to clean up the force, bringing with her deputy Virginia West and good-looking rookie Andy Brazil. There is a bad guy, some suspense, and way too many characters. I found myself irritated with a lot of things early on in this story: Tons of characters, most of them minor who don't seem to have too much to do with the plot.

The most annoying thing about them are their nam Southern Cross depicts the experiences of big-city police in Richmond, Virginia. Weed, Smudge, Smoke, Muskrat, Twister, etc. Worst of all, Butner Fluck IV. Written in the s, it contains numerous pop culture references that are now just distracting. Take the opening line of the third chapter.