I have been a fan of Pat Conroy’s writing since 1987, when I read the The Prince of Tides. I appreciated the beauty of the images and depth of the truths his words and sentences evoked in me. Since then, I have read all of his books. I noticed a shift in his writing in his last novel, Beach Music. I felt he was caving in to the pressures of popular fiction by adding superfluous intrigue into the story. Sadly, for me, South of Broad is more of the same. The novel is overwritten and has a contrived and predictable plot. I found a few beautifully crafted sentences, but not enough to recommend the book.