Rating: 
Summary: Just because it's a bestseller... doesn't mean a thing
Review: When one reads roughly 50 pages or so of a novel, he/she expects a catcher, a strong storyline to have been developed and endowed with enough meaning to get you to continue. Unfortunately, no great focus was found and the remainder of this dictionary of a novel continued to displease me. Especially the rather extravagant detail that went into the imaginations of Ms. Hammer's cat. I felt that the entirety of this novel was wasted on weak portrayals of an excess of characters, which ultimately sacrificed a REAL plot. I did enjoy Cornwell's unique writing technique of perspective rotation where each characterization changed dramatically with the novel perspective of a new character. This gave each persona a multi-dimensional effect, but unfortunately was not enough to compensate for a dry story line. I will never again purchase a book, simply because it's been on a bestseller list for ages. Being on the list only means that a lot of misguided ppl have purchased the novel but, just like me, have never read it before
Rating: 
Summary: I liked it - even without Dr. Kay
Review: I've read all of Cornwell's books. This wasn't my favorite but I did enjoy it anyway. Yes, the characters and the sense is different from her books about the adventures of Dr. Scarpetta, but I don't see why we'd want to doom Cornwell to serial novel hell. Critics, lighten up
Rating: 
Summary: A major diappointment
Review: The first four Kay Scarpetta books were fantastic. This book was not. Simply put: Don't buy it, don't read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Re-read and it just gets better
Review: Like most readers I was a little disappointed when a book came out that didn't include Kay Scarpetta, and while I enjoyed Hornet's Nest I found myself wondering, 'What had happened to Kay?'. Well now Unnatural Exposure has come out and after finishing it I re-read Hornets Nest. This time round it was brilliant! There was so much I missed the first time and I found myself really sympathising with the characters and even laughing at some of Andy's accidents.
Congratulations Patricia on a brilliant book and for having the courage to do something a little different. I look forward to reading the next book in this series as well as your next Scarpetta novel.
Rating:
Summary: Not in keeping with her usual style.
Review: Being a fan of Patricia Cornwell's Dr. Kay Scarpetta character, I was very disappointed by Hornet's Nest. The character depth just wasn't as elaborate as in her other books. The characters were actually unlikable to me. I was unable to care what happened to any of them. This was very disappointing coming from the creator of Kay Scarpetta and Pete Marino
Rating: 
Summary: TO MANY NEW CHARECTERS JAMMED INTO TOO SMALL A SPACE
Review: Having become a devoted fan of Patricia Corwell after discovering "From Potter's Field" at the used bookstore, I looked forward eagerly to exploring new characters with her in her new book. However, I found the book less a mystery novel than a minute study of the many (too many?) characters she is obviously trying to introduce in order to promote another series without Dr. Kay Scarpetta. While I always throughly enjoy Ms. Cornwell's novels, she should stick to the formula that works so well with the Scarpetta novels, to whit, focusing on one or two central characters and making them come alive gradually to her readers over the space of several books, rather than giving us so many new people to study in such a short space that it became rather a chore to try and keep them and their individual personalities and personal histories straight. While I look forward to the next book in this new series, I hope that the next book is a little less jumbled and more along the lines of her previous (and better) ef
Rating:
Summary: What happened, Ms. Cornwell?
Review: When I saw "Hornet's Nest" in the local librarylast week, I jumped at the chance to check it out.The waiting list for this book is several weeks long, and there was a copy just sitting on the shelves! Now, that I've read it, I see why the book was available. Word must have gotten out that this novel was not worth the trouble. I've really enjoyed Ms. Cornwell's other books (up until "From Potter's Field"), but her writing is really going downhill. I get the impression that this book was only published because she's a big-time author. If this book had been by anyone else, any editor/ publisher in their right mind would have refused to read it. It isn't just the plot (what plot?) that I object to, it's the writing style! I only finished the book because I wanted to see how much more fragmented and choppy the paragraphs could get. Please, Ms. Cornwell, don't disappoint your loyal readers again! No more drivel like "Hornet's Nest"!
Rating:
Summary: Is Cornwell on a feminist soapbox?
Review: The mystery lover and Kay Scarpetta fan that I am was shocked by the twist that Patricia Cornwell has taken in her writing. I found the tone of "Hornet's Nest" both offensive and laughable with her preoccupation with the scourages of women over 40 and their amazing ability to always look all-knowing, beautiful, and more powerful (Batman and Robin)than every man in the book. Even the murder victims were these "weak" men. Several times I had to try to remember what the plot was...it was like "Oh, by the way, there is a killer lose in the midst of all this muck and mire of characters." Very disappointing effort by Miss Cornwell
Rating:
Summary: Certainly not Cornwell's Best - very dissappointing!
Review: Hornet's Nest subject matter could have provided fodder for a good read, however, this is not the case in this book.
The absence of Scarpetta is partly accountable for the lack of continuity that Cornwell's fans have become accustomed to. The characters of Brazil, Hammer and West are likeable enough, however, there is little to no character development present in the book. The reader does not care about the characters, and theretofore elicits no emotion for them.
The plot is very choppy, the paragraphs are often disjointed and fragmented, rarely completing thoughts. I often wondered while reading this book if Cornwell developed an outline, and stuck to it. A "good read" should bring the reader to a climax in the story, elicit emotion and provoke thoughts of "what if", or "if only". At the end, most readers wish for the story to continue, and that is Cornwell's success with Scarpetta. It could also have been the case for Brazil, Hammer and West had the writing been good instead of indifferent. This book is better to have missed than to have read, I am sorry to say
Rating:
Summary: Not the best work of this fine writer
Review: Hornets Nest was a disappointment without the trials of Dr. Kay Scarpetta. Police Chief Judy Hammer did nothing for me. I found this book a diffucult read. It failed to hold my interest
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