Isle of Dogs (Andy Brazil)
Be aware: this is not your typical Patricia Cornwell novel. Not only is  there noKay Scarpetta,  butIsle of Dogsis a comic romp, a real departure for this author. It  does center around a couple of characters from past books--police chief Judy  Hammer and reporter-turned-cop Andy Brazil ofHornet's NestandSouthern Cross. But the plot,  style, and tone will remind you more ofCarl Hiaasen's dark comedies.The madcap doings get underway when the addled, nearly blind governor of  Virginia confusedly launches a speed-trap program on isolated Tangier Island,  whose prickly, eccentric residents promptly attempt secession. Cornwell adeptly  interweaves other crisscrossing plot lines involving a gang of street-stupid  thugs gunning for Hammer and Brazil, an angel-faced serial killer, a kidnapped  dog, and more. She does miss a few beats: the pacing sags during certain  episodes, and at times the writing strains so hard for laughs that instead it  draws winces. Nonetheless,Isle of Dogsis for the most part a funny,  diverting read and a refreshing departure for Cornwell.--Nicholas H.  Allison--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.