Andy Brazil

In this first title of a new mystery series, Cornwell introduces us to a dynamic trio of crime-solver in Charlotte, North Carolina: Andy Brazil, an eager young reporter; Judy Hammer, the city's police chief; and Virginia West. Hammer's deputy and a genuine head-turner. They're after a serial killer who pulls male out-of-towners from their rental cars, then mutilates, spray paints and shoots them, in that order. What the trio uncovers jolts them like the sting of the hornet-Charlotte's symbol.

Following in the path of her blockbuster Kay Scarpetta thrillers, Patricia Cornwell's novel is a testimony to the singular versatility and narrative power of one of the country's best-read storytellers. In Southern Cross, she casts her shrewd and knowing eye at the men and women in blue, in a story of corruption, scandal, and murder. Richmond, Virginia, is a city rich in Southern history, yet overrun by such modern-day problems as drug trafficking and escalating juvenile crime. Former Charlotte police chief Judy Hammer is brought in to clean up the police force-the most difficult assignment of her career. Now, in the face of overwhelming public scrutiny, she must navigate through local politics and prejudices to solve a brutal murder that springs straight from the rotting core of Richmond's heart…

Newly installed superintendent of the Virginia State Police, Judy Hammer, and her right hand and confidant, Andy Brazil, are at their wits' end trying to protect the public from the politicians – and vice versa. And amid the mayhem, an island off the coast of Virginia declares UDI – claiming its independence lies in the history of America's first settlers, those who set sail from London's Isle of Dogs in 1607.