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35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very interesting..., January 2, 2006
This review is from: The Delilah Complex (MIRA) (Mass Market Paperback)
Dr. Morgan Shaw is a sex therapist at the Butterfield Institute. In all her years of work no person or group has ever asked her to sign a confidentially agreement. Morgan is insulted that this one has, but decides to sign it in the end. This new patient is really a group of twelve women who are part of a secret club, The Scarlet Society. None of the women really know the identities of the others. The group invite selected men to share anonymous pleasures of the night with them. The men are willing participates and always subservient to the women.
The Scarlet Society is shaking from its very foundation due to the murder of a male member. The women need to know how to grieve for a man that they cannot even admit they knew. The number one is inked on the soles of his feet, so no one is totally surprised when the number two appears on the second victim.
All information and photos of the victims are sent to NY Times news reporter Betsy Young. It is only through Betsy's mail that the police ever realize that something is going on. The bodies of the victims are not being found. All the police have to go on are photos from the anonymous sender to Betsy and matching them to missing person reports. This is very frustrating for Detective Mark Perez and his partner Detective Noah Jordain.
Could it simply be coincidence that leads Noah to Morgan's office? After all, they've shared a brief, but powerful, connection in a previous case. One thing is for sure, Morgan is too close to the killer for comfort.
**** If you have had the pleasure of reading this author's first best selling novel "Lip Service", then you already know how well M.J. Rose writes. This author has a way of explaining human nature and making you feel that is all very natural, yet still leaves you feeling awkward and uncomfortable. THAT, my readers, is TALENT! This time Rose takes that same talent, then adds in some mystery and suspense. I see awards in the author's future again. Recommended reading. ****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Delilah Complex - Book 2, January 20, 2011
This review is from: The Delilah Complex (MIRA) (Mass Market Paperback)
I am working my way through M.J. Rose's trilogy. Book 2 "The Delilah Complex" was every bit as good as her first "The Halo Effect". This can be read as a stand alone but I would really recommend that the series be read in order. M.J. Rose writes a thrilling, fast moving story and the pace picks up even faster as the book climaxes. I like how her characters continue from one book to the next, but also like how she includes a bit of the back story in the subsequent book and does this without it seeming to be repetitively boring. Series order; The Halo Effect (MIRA), The Delilah Complex (MIRA), The Venus Fix: A Dr. Morgan Snow Novel (Butterfield Institute, Book 3).
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Mystery/quasi-erotica novel worthy of 3 1/2 stars, August 1, 2011
This review is from: The Delilah Complex (MIRA) (Mass Market Paperback)
The Delilah Complex, e-book edition by M. J. Rose is an interesting mix of mystery and quasi-erotica.
Dr. Morgan Snow is a sex therapist at the Butterfield Institute and is persuaded to undertake the therapy of a group of women who represent, and all are part of, a secret sex society. The society meets at various times for parties that allow them to treat men, who also are secret adjunctive members and in need of domination, in a subservient manner. Some of the men disappear sequentially and pictures of their nude bodies are sent to a newspaper reporter, who must, of course, inform the police. Eventually, the culprit is discovered after a series of twists in the plot.
The story centers around Morgan's activities on behalf of the society and her relationship with her daughter Dulci, a thirteen-year-old who shows acting ability, Noah Jordain, a detective with whom she is enamored, Nina, the Institute Director and mother figure for Morgan, who lost her mother tragically, and the various members of the society she is counseling. Morgan is carrying a large amount of psychological baggage, as are the other characters. This, plus the setting, allows dissemination of a large amount of psychological material to be interspersed in a plot that provides multidirectional clues. Delineation of the culprit provides an interesting climax.
Some readers may find the abundant presentation of supportive psychological material a little heavy at times. Additionally, I find some of Morgan's activity and ability a little suspect. However, the plot is interesting, the characters and their problems are relatively well portrayed, and the action is adequate to move the story at a pleasant pace. Reviewed by John H. Manhold, award winning fiction/non-fiction author.
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