Hornet’s Nest audiobook

This is not part of the Scarpetta series. This book is hilarious. I had no idea Ms. Cornwell had such a great sense of humor!

Low feedback is okay, *with respectful explanations*. Reviewers have no truck declaring something isn't worth reading! The first thing I observe is writing. Any story, plain or bizarre, can carry you away if the writing draws you in. I love Patricia Cornwell's creative description! Fleeting instances that non-writers clearly miss. Another attitude I can't abide is bleating that a novel "Isn't like her usual series". Of course not: it's another series! If Patricia's famous premise is superior, I am in for a treat. I did not have "Postmortem" until recently and enjoyed "Hornet's Nest" as my introduction.I wasn't keen on all threads and characters, especially the redneck wanting to kill Victoria and Andy for defending themselves. How preposterous to harass them at a shooting range and be offended that they deflected him. Its especially dubious that anyone would pursue police. I wasn't interested in Andy's alcoholic parent but it gave him humanity, after being portrayed as asexual or robotic. When he discussed his policeman Father and comforted a shaken officer, I liked him better. Humour arrived when it was needed, like a parade and funeral challenging a detour!The gift with words I admired came in the first pages, when Victoria eats junk in Judy's office. Her crinkling aluminium-foil sandwich was described as "Something the health-conscious Judy would never raise to her lips"; a titillating little image stated with surprising eloquence. There was a complex, grizzly murder to solve and strong-willed Judy and Victoria couldn't have made better department heads. I especially appreciated how these managerial women showed in a pinch, that they were still police professionals to the core. I own hardcovers of this brief series and love the humanity and whimsy alleviating sobering topics. I am late to the Patricia Cornwell party but am glad to arrive!

Fun, fast paced, filled with likeable characters. As I listened to this book, I found myself falling in love with the idealistic young reporter, Andy Brazil. Pulling himself from the mire of an alcoholic mother, Andy works very hard as both a reporter and a volunteer policeman. Still viewing the world as mostly filled with good people, and completely oblivious to the more sinister and jaded aspects of life, Andy approaches every story and crime scene with an eagerness to help people and to make the world better. Completely surrounding this young man are women of incredible strengths and at times it is comical watching him try to navigate this new and foreign realm of femininity. The murder mystery part is good, spooky at times, but a good storyline nonetheless. However, it is the characters that make this book great.

3,75 sterren- Nederlandse hardcover

I picked this up thinking it would be a Kay Scarpetta mystery, and it took me a couple of chapters to figure it out. I enjoyed meeting new characters and found this book to be a refreshing change from the Scarpetta series. The characters were very complex. The budding relationship between Virginia West and Andy Brazil was fun to watch develop. But by the end of the book, I was tired of the constant miscommunications and misunderstandings between them. I get that they are both emotionally damaged individuals, but do they have to keep thinking the other one was using them and/or ignoring them? I also didn't like the way the author kept saying that others thought the main characters were gay, when neither of the were. Is this a particular pet peeve of the author? Still, I really enjoyed this book, and want to read the next in the series. I want to find out what happens to Brazil and West.

This was a rousing audio book that I enjoyed on my travels to the Albany area and later it entertained during my errands around town. The story was about a serial killer who targeted men, killed and then spray painted an orange hour glass pattern, on their private parts. Andy Brazil is a newspaper reporter/ride-a-long guest deputy who helps two fiesty lady cops, in these murders. It was fast paced and exciting. The action kept going until the dramatic end.

This was decent - it was a nice break in everything else I've been reading. I liked the main three characters, but like other reviewers, I did find there to be a plethora of side characters. Some helped the story line, and some I felt could be omitted. I might have to go find the next in the series just to find out what happens to Andy next. I want to know if he becomes a cop, stays a reporter or some other combination!

A fast paced departure from Cornwell's usual murder thrillers, this is a police procedural that has a lot of humour, heart and a few murders which don't take centre stage. Introducing three new protagonists, rookie reporter Andy Brazil, Deputy Chief Virginia West and her boss Chief Judy Hammer (aka Batman and Robin) not to mention co star Niles. Who are all battling dysfunctional personal lives as well as crimes committed in the City of Charlotte. The gifted young reporter/volunteer cop gets an education in life with two very stylish ladies. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I'm presently organizing my book collection and am now working on my "C" paperbacks. I've read and enjoyed the Scarpetta series, but I have boxes of unread books and I'm fighting with my OCD for collecting and am getting rid of my Cornwell collection. All except this one and Southern Cross. I can't find Isle of Dogs so I'll trade the others in for it at the used book store. The newer Scarpetta books have been depressing (as far into the series as I've read) and being so far behind, I'll probably never read them again (even though I enjoyed them the first time around) but the Andy Brazil series is hilarious and these will be read again, probably more than once. They may not be as well written as the Scarpetta series, and not appeal to the same demographic, but to me they are worth keeping along with Carl Hiaasen and Evanovich Janet (I couldn't find any better examples of Crime/Comedy in my collection)

Charlotte, North Carolina: Judy Hammer is the Chief of Police; Virginia West is the deputy chief; Andy Brazil is a reporter who went to the police academy in order to cover the police beat. West is given the job of having Andy ride-along for a week to write articles. He does excellent work but finds that he is constantly being scooped by a TV newscaster. One mystery is: who is leaking inside information? Another is: who is killing visiting businessmen and marking their bodies? A third is: who is the woman making harassing phone calls to Andy? Patricia Cornwell does an excellent job of revealing the characters' personalities, vulnerabilities, strengths, emotional quirks, and all that makes them - and those with whom they work and cross paths - real human beings. Their backgrounds are diverse and tragic but their lives move forward without resentment or excuses. The story is told through the eyes of the cops, crooks, and public officials. A great read that even has the touch of romance.

I don't understand the hatred for this book. Though I see the reviews and their issues. Poor things. A book made about the average people like your selves but you're so in denial and unaware you can't see it. Stereotypes? Yes. Because that's how peolle see things. Duh. Sexual. Sexually frustrated. Yep. Because so many people are. Adolescent situations? Mmm hmm take a look around your colleges and even jobs. Stores, parents, etc. Just because people are 30 plus doesn't change that. Take a look in the mirror, folks. This book was quite realistic you just can't admit to reality. Keep up the denial with your immature friends and family I know it helps you all make it through the day :).I enjoyed it. And it's descriptiveness. I devoured the book in two days. To each their own I guess. I didn't even buy it. I came upon it at a book donation box on the corner of some random street. Now I want to read more Cornwell.

I started reading this book expecting a high-powered police thriller but—after a few chapters— was surprised to find it more of a hilarious satire on the entire political system in the city of Charlotte, Virginia. The main characters are hysterical. First, there’s Andy Brazil, a young, athletic reporter who is intelligent and driven yet nieve and sulky. His sometimes partner, Deputy Chief, Virginia West, is an older woman who’s attractive, challenging, and knows how to handle herself. The two are drawn together yet always at odds. Next is Judy Hammer, the Chief of Police. She is often described as an angel by the public and is known for her fairmindedness and ability to get things done. What happens in this story is comparable to blind people stumbling around in the dark and occasionally solving crimes. Patricia Cornwell has a knack for getting into people’s heads and demonstrating their vulnerabilities. The result is very entertaining.

Deputy Chief Virginia West likes and respects her boss, Hammer, but with an increasing number of visiting businessmen being murdered in her city by a maniac with a penchant for painting his victims bright orange, she finds it hard to accept Hammer's edict that a rookie reporter should ride on patrol with her to better relations with their citizens. Her worst fears are confirmed when the reporter, Brazil, presses the button to activate the boot-release rather than the siren on their first outing. He's not the only blight on her life right now: her cat's angsty, her hormones are misbehaving, her opposite number in the uniformed division is behaving like a jackass, the radio despatcher is determined to trip her up, the D.A. is in the middle of a hot battle with the trial schedule. And orange coloured corpses keep turning up on her patch.

Voor een thriller een heel bijzondere. Er is wel sprake van een seriemoordenaar, maar het verhaal gaat daar nauwelijks over. Het verhaal gaat vooral over de onderlinge relaties. Die van commissaris Hammer met haar man, die van hoofdinspecteur West met de jonge verslaggever (Andy Brazil) die met haar meerijdt. Die van Andy met zijn alcoholische moeder. Die van de politiek met het politiekorps. Die van een andere hoofdinspecteur (Goode) met een verslaggever (Webb). En zelfs die van West met haar kat Niles. Boeiend verhaal, de personages krijgen de nodige diepgang, ook wordt er een intrigerend beeld geschetst van de wereld van drugs, hoertjes, pooiers en mensen die opgegroeid zijn met armoe en geweld.

kept me on my toes the whole timep112: hammer nailed goode with a look.teeheep149: even if jerald or his bad friends would get in, she'd at least hear things scraping and clanging and have time to get out her matte-black nine-millimeter baretta model 92fs pistol with its tritium night sights, wood grips, and fifteen-shot magazine.p93: his calico model 110 auto pistol, with its hundred-shot magazine and flash suppressor, wasn't half bad, either, nor was the browning hi-power hp-practical pistol, complete with pachmayr rubber grips, round-style serrated hammer, and removable front sight.p191: still at large when west had called was hammer's old faithful smith & wesson stainless steel five-shot .38 special with pachmeyer grips.

This is my second Andy Brazil book. I thought the 3rd book in the series was hilarious so have to back track and read the first two. This book is the first in the series and introduces Andy and his cohorts. I really like the people and how Cornwell develops them into who they are now. Andy is slowly finding himself, growing up and trying to become that person. He has found two great role models and mentors that are women. They continue to evolve in the book and grow too. Add a splash of humor and it was another highly enjoyable read.

Andy BrazilThis is the first book in the Andy Brazil series about a reporter who goes to the police academy and becomes a volunteer police officer. The Charlotte, North Carolina police chief, Judy Hammer, decides that they will let the reporter, Andy Brazil, ride with them and assigns Deputy Chief West to be his partner. At the same time, there are murders being committed against out of town gentlemen and West is in charge of the task force trying to find the killer. How Brazil, West and Chief Hammer discover the killer makes for an interesting read.

What a refreshing style of writing in the first book about Andy Brazil. The protagonist was intriguing from the start. The other characters were fascinating as well. Andy Brazil is all of twenty-two years old when he becomes a volunteer policemen. His love of writing lands him a job at the Charlotte Observer. The intersection of these jobs makes for a fascinating storyline.Patricia Cornwell gives the reader insight into parts of the narrative that even the characters aren’t privy to.An entertaining read.