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Hornet's Nest
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Plot Summary of Hornet's Nest
"Andy Brazil wants to be a cop. But for now he is a journalist. Until he can reach his goal, he will combine the two by volunteering to ride around with the police. He's allowed to write about some bizarre murders of some very prominant men while on business trips. Brazil ends up riding with the Deputy Chief of police and finds her very attractive but they can do nothing but argue. Despite many mistakes and humorous moments, the murders of visiting business men are solved once and for all."
Tracey Ray, Resident Scholar

"Charlotte Observer police beat reporter Andy Brazil is tired of his life after college. He lives with his shut in, alcoholic mother and works out when not putting in long hours at the newspaper. He wants to be a cop like his deceased father. A series of gruesome serial murders have occurred and the police are looking inept. The politicians are pointing fingers at Chief of Police Judy Hammer, a woman. Hammer authorizes Brazil to ride along with deputy chief Virginia West to help improve community relations. West and Brazil fall for each other but fight like crazy as only people in love can.

Meanwhile West's marriage is failing, the number of murder victims continues to increase, and the heat is turned up on the investigation and the romance. Despite occasional moments of humor and lightheartedness the novel has a dark side and is full of nasty characters; corrupt politicians, philanderers, drug dealers, weasel-like journalists, moronic rednecks, and a psychotic gender-conflicted killer. The story reaches a satisfying climax when the killer is tracked down in a final confrontation with police.
"

David Fletcher, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Hornet's Nest
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 25%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 25%




Tone of story - very humorous - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Challenging
Time/era of story: - 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 40%
Special suspect? - chronically deranged person
Murder of certain profession? - businessmen
Misc. Murder Plotlets - character killed during/after sexing - Big focus on forensic evidence - Killer purposely leaves clues
Kind of investigator - police procedural, American
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings towards lover
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - journalist - writer
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - killer - criminal
Eccentric: Yes - deluded - wild - eccentric - mentally ill - emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - kicks
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Southeast - Mid-Atlantic states
City? Yes
City: - dangerous

Style
Part of a series? Yes
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths - very gorey descriptions deaths/dead bodies
How many deaths? - 3-4 - 5-7
Sex Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy
A lot of techno jargon? Yes
Unusual forms of death - perforation--bullets
Is this an e-book? Yes
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Hornet's Nest
Terror in the Tank by Calley Moore
HNIC by Gregory Keith Morris
The Last Lesson by Donna Conger
Four Blind Mice by James Patterson
Fruitcake by R.J. Kaiser


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Patricia Cornwell Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Tracey Ray  

SCHOLARS:
LaPierre  Carol Patton  David Fletcher  Ally  Troy Buerger  Sherry Chen  Shanna Christiansen  danzel  Marianna  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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