Rating: 
Summary: Not up to her usual standards
Review: I've read and enjoyed several books in the Scarpetta series, but Hornet's Nest is nowhere near that caliber of writing. It is dull, plodding, disjointed, and confused. The viewpoint meanders around from character to character and place to place, and the plot (what little there is) just drags. Andy Brazil (stupid name for a character) is a fey loser with a capital "L". Skip this one -- read "All That Remains" instead -- it's a taut thriller written in the first-person style in which Cornwell excels.
Rating: 
Summary: Let's see a picture of Andy Brazil!
Review: While I was at first disappointed not to have Kay Scarpetta in this delightful gruesome story, I was pleased at the entrance, from stage left, of reporter/police officer Andy Brazil. From Patricia Cornwell's descriptions, he must be a total babe. So I'm wondering, why isn't a picture of this guy on the cover? I loved the plot, even tho Kay could have been involved somehow too. But the relationship between Brazil and deputy chief Virginia West is hilarious and worth perusing. Cornwell has done it again, except this time from the police officer's point of view. I just think maybe Kay Scarpetta and Andy Brazil should meet in a future book?
Rating: 
Summary: Feline humor
Review: There are some nasty rumours going around that Patricia Cornwell has written a bad book. However, I read 'Hornet's Nest' at an extremely rapid rate, which was not entirely due to a tight deadline. Admittedly, I had only read one previous Cornwell novel, 'Cruel and Unusual', and that was a tightly plotted thriller.'Hornet's Nest' isn't, and is all the better for it. I can only think that the negative reactions have been caused by Cornwell usurping expectations. She has reached the stage of her career at which she can only feel shackled by genre. There are a number of revelations here. The most obvious is that Cornwell is funny - funny in the Pratchett way of making you laugh out loud in otherwise silent staff rooms. What Cornwell achieves here is to effectively convey the irrational thoughts which go through everyone's mind. So, there is no forensic approach to the solving of the crime. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Cornwell has gone some way to writing an entertaining literary novel, rather than a conventional crime thriller. The only character who knows exactly what's going on is the Deputy Police Chief's cat. In short, Cornwell's 'Hornet's Nest' is nothing but cool. Read it, and you'll be pleasantly surprised, if more than a little embarrassed by laughing on the tube.
Rating: 
Summary: Always the Unexpected
Review: Patricia Cornwell is probably one of the best mystery writers I know. This book is an easy reading book and keeps your interest. It is not what you think. But must be read in sequence with other books containing same characters for maximum reading intrigue. Never a dull moment.
Rating:
Summary: Women Rule, Men are Swine
Review: Have you noticed that most of the men in Cornwell's books are weenies? Same characters as "Southern Cross." Not as interesting as the books featuring Scarpetta and Marino.
Rating:
Summary: Translated Version
Review: I'm sorry to say that I read the Japanese-translated version of this book, but it was fun none-the-less. The details were not as gruesome as some of Cornwell's other stories (though I love them all) so it was great to read on the way to office and not be as rattled.
Rating:
Summary: Harder to swallow
Review: As a Kay Scarpetta fan, I was a little disappointed when I started reading this book. It took me awhile to get into it and really interested. I thought in some places that the plot needed a little CPR, and frankly all the different characters are a little difficult to sort out. But once I finally got all that straightened out, it was a decent book. I recommend it if you like Kay Scarpetta but have read them all and need to bide your time until the next comes out.
Rating:
Summary: A True Pleasure
Review: This was the most enjoyable book I've read in many years. The characterizations and meticulous details that Patricia Cornwell always uses put her in a catagory with only a few other writers. This time I found myself rereading many sentences just for the pleasure of seeing how she is capable of putting words together. I come from a family of readers who also like to read aloud and be read aloud to. My 16 year old daughter - who reads everything from Dr. Seuss to Shakespeare - was curious as to why I was laughing so much while reading another one of my 'serial killer books' so I starting reading aloud the section where we are introduced to "Bubba, who was begot by a Bubba and probably related to a long line of them, ...". She enjoyed it as much as I and begged for more as I quit after about 40 pages. She has since nagged continuously for me to finish so she could read it. I finished the book last night and this morning dialed up amazon.com hoping to find another book with these characters. I was stunned by the criticism for the two books with these characters. I believe the criticism was mostly because Patricia Cornwell readers - while not lacking in a sense of humor - probably are not in the mood for the playful hilarity of a cat dreaming of past lives when they pick up what they assume will be the seriousness of Kay Scarpetta. I personally hope there will be many more novels with these characters. One concern: The relationship that will undoubtedly grow between two of the main characters. I am a 47 year old single female who, because of the ages of my children, am fortunate to have a relationship with several wonderful young men (ages from 19 to 23). Sometimes I feel motherly towards them and sometimes, since I attend the same university they do, I forget we are not 'peers'. These young men, intelligent and well read, are maturing beautifully. BUT they are still kids. I hope that the author will be real sensitive to Andy Brazil's youth, need for a mother/parent figure and his misguided but understandable feelings of inadequacy.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Southern Cross
Review: I liked this book. I read it after Southern Cross, looking for the same characters and plot development that kept me page turning in the aforementioned sequel. I dont claim to be any sort of critic, but it does seem like the author was learning about her characters in this book, as they are a bit less refined and more "in your face" than in Southern Cross. Also, the plot "backups", in which the author jumps to a minor character in order to give credibility to an upcoming plot twist, come across more as necessary than part of the flow...they are much better in Southern Cross. Anyhoo, I liked it, and even though the end was a bit too abrupt for my taste, it made me think. I await the next Hammer/West/Brazil title eagerly, and in the meantime, I will check out her older books, coz I am having fun. :)
Rating:
Summary: Southern Cross
Review: I have enjoyed reading Patricia's series about Dr. Scarpetta so when she came out with Hornet's Nest and Southern Cross, I was excited about reading them. I found them both to be very disjointed and hard to read. I got very frustrated when reading them both and I don't believe I will read anything else pertaining to Chief Judy Hammer, Virginia West, or Andy Brazil. I'll stick to the Scarpetta series.
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