Used book – The Southern Cross, Patricia Cornwell

Judy Hammer, the heroine of The Hornet's Nest, is appointed to Richmond, Virginia. Her mission: to reorganize the police force, to fight at all costs against a criminality that has turned the former Southern capital into an urban jungle. By her side are her deputies, Virginia West and Andy Brazil.

They will have to fight on all fronts: reform a corrupt or recalcitrant police force, brave racist and narrow-minded mentalities, and overcome delinquency often made up of very young criminals, subject to the iron rule of gangs. Like the one enforced by Smoke, a true psychopath who sows terror and kills in cold blood.

Darkness and humor form an explosive mixture, where effectiveness does not preclude lucidity. In this new series, Patricia Cornwell paints an uncompromising picture of a society adrift.