Rating: 
Summary: Was this really written by Cornwell?
Review: I can not believe that this novel was written by the same woman who has given us the Kay Scarpetta series. This book was boring and lacked plot and substance. I found that it jumped aroung too much leaving the reader wondering what just happened. Most of the "subplots" among the different characters just did not gel together. If you are a fan of the Scarpetta novels, DO NOT read this book, you will be highly dissapointed!
Rating:
Summary: Horrible disappointment.
Review: After reading this novel, I had to ask myself "why was this ever even published?" I've enjoyed Cornwell novels immensely over the years and was horribly disappointed in this piece of rubbish. Set in Charlotte, NC and centering around the local police force trying to catch a serial killer, the characters are simply flat and as a whole evoke no emotional response from the reader. The plot is childishly simple and not specifically engaging. This is not a true effort from a highly talented writer. There are many much better Patricia Cornwell novels. Forget this one and go try something else.
Rating:
Summary: THIS BOOK WAS DOA...
Review: I have read a number of other Patricia Cornwell books from her Dr. Kay Scarpetta series. While they have all varied in quality, they usually range from good to excellent. That is why this book was a complete shock, as it is one of the worst books that I have read in a long time. This book is not a Dr. Kay Scarpetta series book. Instead, it is a police procedural that focuses on three individuals: Charlotte's stalwart Police Chief Judy Hammer, her drop dead gorgeous Deputy Chief Virginia West, and Andy Brazil, an intrepid, young news reporter. Unfortunately, while the premise may have been inspired, the book fails in its execution, with characters that never quite work, relationships that are far fetched or never quite gel, a plot that lacks focus and fails to capture the reader's imagination, as well as an excess of mediocre writing in need of serious editing. This audio book also suffers from a painful reading by noted actor Chris Sarandon, whose performance on this audio book is almost embarrassing. Narrated in a precise, almost prissy manner, his performance lacks a certain grit that is almost demanded by a police procedural. Moreover, his segues into the different characters are done in a way that grate upon the ear. Chris, a word to the wise...don't quit your day job. Readers beware. This book was DOA. Do not spend one cent on this turkey. If you feel the urge for turkey, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Be thankful that you have not wasted your money on this book.
Rating:
Summary: In a Word: Terrible.
Review: I've heard good things about Ms. Cornwell's books. Perhaps I started at the wrong end of her literary scale. The book title and jacket cover had me expecting an intellectual thrill ride. Instead, what I got was a boring and aimless exploration of three characters who were about as intriguing as a dead goldfish. I kept waiting for relevance to the plot to emerge. Then, after fifteen chapters or so, I realized there was no plot. The actual crimes that appeared to be the point to the book were in fact an afterthought - the story could have been condensed down to two paragraphs like you'd find on page eleven of the Metro section. I did a better job of getting to the point (and making a point) when I was in fourth grade. This was a waste of several hours of my life that I'll never get back.
Rating: 
Summary: I wish I'd read these reviews first
Review: I, too, am a huge fan of Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series. I mistakenly thought Hornet's Nest was part of that series. Once I realized it wasn't, I hoped the characters in the book would be as well developed as the characters in the Scarpetta series. I was sorely disappointed. I guess, though, when you've written as many excellent books as Cornwell has, you're entitled to a flop.
Rating:
Summary: Scarpetta, this ain't.
Review: A diehard fan of Cornwell and Scarpetta, I bought this book without reading the flyleaf. After my initial disappointment due to the absence of Scarpetta, I went back to the beginning again in order to clear my brain for an open-minded read of new characters. Throughout the book I would go back again to a character (or characters) trying to get a fix on who they were or were trying to be. Nothing worked. By the end of the book I was convinced that either Cornwell did not write the Scarpetta novels or she did not write Hornet's Nest. The vast difference between these writings are palpable and real. For this reason, I left Southern Cross on the shelf. Less than 1 star rating.
Rating:
Summary: How bad can it get?
Review: Having read all of Cornwells previous books, I can't tell you how disappointed I was with this book. Maybe I've just gotten too comfortable with the Scarpetta/Marino characters, but those two characters are the only reasons why I even bothered to continue reading Cornwells books.
I tried to read the Hornet's Nest, but couldn't get into it..too many damn women and just not the same feel as with "Scarpetta" novels...wasted my money on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Big Flop in Charlotte
Review: I'm an avid reader of mysteries and after finishing Patricia Cornwell's Hornet's Next, I haven't read many as bad as this. The characters were whiney and insipid and the plot was very slow to develop. After wading through this book hoping things would imrpove, the ending was a complete bomb. I haven't read many Patricia Cornwell books, but all that I have read were much better than Hornet's Nest. Think I'll stick with Hillerman, Hiaasen, Grafton, Evanovich, P.D. James and Elizabeth George.
Rating:
Summary: Stay away
Review: First of all, I hated all the characters. They were two dimensional and unbelievably annoying. And if I don't care for the characters I certainly don't care what happens to them, and let me say right now, not much does happen. There *is* a plot going on the in the background somewhere but Cornwell is so busy trying to develop characters throughout the ENTIRE book (right up to the last page) that it never reaches potential.
And if you have read a couple of other reviews that agree with me, you'll know the ending is just unbelievably horrible. Even if she's trying to set up the book for a sequel I was so frustrated by then that I don't even care if there is a sequel. Why she wrote it like this I don't know because it really doesn't stand on its own.
You may wonder why I even finished the book. Well like I said, the "background" plot actually has some potential and I kept wanting to see if it would develop and when at the end the plot was no more developed than on page one I chucked the book across the room.
Rating: 
Summary: The Ultimate Love Letter
Review: This novel was the ultimate love letter to: 1. the police, and 2. Charlotte, NC. The guardians of the city are a matriarchy of mythic proportions. (The references to the pyramids add to the feel of a titan nobility.) Chief Judy Hammer stands out as someone who makes everyone near her a better person, and her devoted servant Virginia West is a noble wolf. I think Andy Brazil might represent author Cornwell, with his adoration. The standout character to me is Niles the cat: the Abyssinian living up to his heritage as guardian of gods. One other virtue of this book: the portrayal of food-abuse as a vice as relentless as any other on the street.
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