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.

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