Rating: 
Summary: Don't Even Bother..
Review: This may well be my last Patricia Cornwell purchase. I can't believe how low she went in this one...calling black children 'nidgettes' repeatedly, portraying all the black characters in the book as uneducated, backward people who butcher the english language ('we's done' and multiple mistakes like muscular dysentery instead of dystrophy). And yet she wants the reader to believe that a dog is capable of taking a pencil in it's mouth and typing on a computer keyboard??? Come on! It's a ridiculous story with little respect to the reader or black people. And what's her problem with the citizens of the Commonwealth of Va.? Hmmm..they can't all be blind, bumbling, inbred or redneck race fans! She's collected my last dollar. The only reaason I gave it one star is because Amazon wouldn't let me leave it blank!
Rating:
Summary: Isle of Dogs
Review: I have bought and read every book written by Patricia Cornwell and am an avid reader of many other authors. This book was pitiful, just pitiful. I read 2/3 of the book and quit -- it was just too tedious. Too bad there is no money-back guarantee for this waste of time. Hopefully Ms Cornwell will get the message -- I will surely not blindly buy her books again.
Rating:
Summary: Stinker
Review: Isle of Dogs truly is a DOG! Cornwell's previous works have been enjoyable but this effort was a great challange to complete. It was stupid and uninteresting. A prepublication review would have saved many the cost of purchasing and the time to painfully read. She should stick to the type of product which she does very well. Book totally misses the mark.
Rating:
Summary: A dog about an Isle
Review: I was very disappointed in the latest Patricia Cornwell work. My wife introduced me to her mysteries several years ago and I had grown to like and look forward to her works. However, I am sorry I wasted my time on this one. This book really tarnishes the image of this fine writer. I am afraid I will not be anxious to buy her next book. I shall wait until I have read several reviews.
This book is an attempt at humor and intrigue. It did not work for me.
Sorry.Mitch Sanner
Rating: 
Summary: Much Unrewarding, Obvious, and Ponderous Humor
Review: Caution: This book contains much foul and coarse language, and crude references to sexual situations. Here's what this book has in common with the Kay Scarpetta novels: It is located in Virginia; crimes, criminals, and bodies are involved; forensic medicine is explained from time to time; and medical examiners make brief appearances (pp. 230-230, 274-278, 291-301, and 319-321). Any other similarity is totally accidental. If your interest in this book is because you liked the Kay Scarpetta novels, you are making the same mistake I did. Humor is very hard to do well. Only a few writers can carry it off in a crime genre. My favorite is Elmore Leonard. Ms. Cornwell, who is a fine writer in her other novels, does not seem to have the knack developed yet in this book. "Unique First fit her name like a glove . . . ." This sentence opens the book, and nicely captures many of the book's problems. Each character has a joke name, usually wrapped up in a trite phrasing that over explains the joke, and then the book repeats the joke past the point of creating nausea. Most situations have a slapstick element to them, which are written in the following way: Slapstick is coming. Slapstick is starting. Slapstick is continuing. Slapstick is still continuing. You have just seen a slapstick scene. With good editing, this book should have been about one-third this length. Normally, I would not have finished a book this bad . . . but it got a little better beginning at page 178. So I kept going. But, Isle of Dogs ran out of steam in waves of predictability for me around page 342 and finished with a whimper of interesting material. You will find a couple of plot devices in Isle of Dogs that will probable intrigue you with their potential involving the Internet, and if you are like me, you will look forward to another writer capturing that potential (which was mostly untapped here). I would have graded the book lower, but there were a few cogent passages on Virginia history that were well written. In humor, timing is very important. Take too long to get to the point, and peoples' minds drift. Move too fast, and people don't get the point. Start with something very visible and simply write about it, and it will lose its power. Where do you need to improve your timing and way of portraying key ideas?
Rating:
Summary: Isle Of Dogs
Review: I have read every single Patricia Cornwell's book. However, I am sad to say that the "Isle of Dogs" is a huge disappointment. The plot is scattered and boring. It is hard to believe that Patricia Cornwell actually wrote this book!
Rating:
Summary: Isle of Dogs
Review: How disappointed I was, after waiting months for Patricia Cornwell's new novel. I have read all her books, and this one is the first that I have not finished. The Trooper Truth website was BORING. The story line was pathetic...not funny at all. Patricia, you have a winner with Kay Scarpetta. I have read those novels more than once...only hope more are coming.
Rating:
Summary: Two thumbs down
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed all previous Patricia Cornwell books, including Hornet's Nest and Southern Cross, so I eagerly bought Isle of Dogs the instant I saw it and listened to the unabridged version. I should say, forced myself to listen, because it certainly didn't hold my interest. Nevertheless, this was Patricia Cornwell, so I was sure it was going to improve. It didn't. When it finally got to the last side of tape 10, it ended rather quickly with a lot of loose ends left dangling.
There were very few characters in a large cast that I could empathize with and enjoy, and they were all minor (Pony, Possum, Hooter and Trip). I didn't even like Judy Hammer in this one. And Andy Brazil was only occasionally his usual self. There is NO Virginia West here, and she was my favorite from the previous 2 books in the series! Until just over halfway thru the book, there was not even an explanation for her being missing. When it came, the explanation was thoroughly unsatisfactory, and contrary to the ending of Southern Cross.
Oh, there were a few funny moments, when I thought the book was finally going to turn out to be a worthwhile read. But they didn't last long. Hornet's Nest had a talking cat, precursor to the crabs and trout of this book, but he was much more plausible. Both Hornet's Nest and Southern Cross were hilarious and had characters I could enjoy. Trooper Truth had his moments, but his web essays were hopelessly pedantic in places. It sounded like Cornwell was trying to use up all the research she'd been doing.
If Cornwell decides to do any more in this series, I hope she remembers that readers like to identify with characters. And brings back Virginia West!!!! As an incurable optimist, I would try one more of this series before writing it off. Anyone is entitled to one mistake. Patricia, this was it.
Rating:
Summary: E for Effort
Review: There is only one word for this book: Ridiculous. I have enjoyed Patricia's books for years but this one really missed the mark. Ms. Cornwell should stay away from humor. Fish and crabs talking? Give me a break. Don't buy it.
Rating:
Summary: A great author gone bad
Review: I wish I had read the reviews; however, I was so excited to see another book by an author I have enjoyed in the past that I bought it immediately. I was sadly disappointed. I have always had trouble putting her books down - this one I have trouble trying to finish. The names of the people are so fake you laugh at them, I mean Trish Thrash, Trooper Truth, Major Trader?! I'm will be reluctant to purchase any future books by Patricia Cornwall.
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