Southern Cross

When Judy Hammer accepts the Richmond, Virginia police department’s challenge to reverse the soaring crime rates in the city, she is faced with a few unexpected problems. Teenage gangs, cash dispenser robberies, drug-dealing, racial tensions, too many people with guns, and the cardiac-inducing lack of parking spaces are all familiar irritations, but the computer virus that crashes the police network, vandalized statues, a rash of blue fish and a gang called the Pikes all come as something of a surprise. Patricia Cornwell, in this roller-coaster sequel to HORNET’S NEST, takes us into the world of intrigue and incompetence, action and emotion, as Judy Hammer fights both crime and the police department itself.