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I have yet to find an author who integrates erotica and suspense as well as M. J. Rose. Her Butterfield Institute series is built on what I would call an ingenious premise. Dr. Morgan Snow, a sex therapist with the Institute, frequently encounters clients who find themselves embroiled in significant trouble as a result of their sexual problems. Such elements permit Rose to explore storylines that are unique yet believable. It is a given that sex specifically and passion in general have the capacity to get one into trouble. Rose proceeds from that premise and takes it to its logical conclusion, making each of her novels in that vein a riveting cautionary tale.
THE VENUS FIX, the third of Rose's Butterfield Institute books, initially finds Snow treating a patient who is unknown to her --- he identifies himself only as "Bob" --- but is obviously someone possessed of power and importance. "Bob" frequently visits live Internet webcam sex sites, and this obsession is worming its way into the cracks of his relationship with his wife and destroying its foundation. At the same time Snow is working with a group of male and female high school students who are similarly obsessed with real-time websites. The males watch because...well, that's what males do. The females visit them because they literally are looking for tips to attract the males, and thus are seeking to emulate the behavior of the women on these websites.
This is shocking, but Noah Jordain, a detective with the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit (and Snow's intermittent gentleman caller), is drawn into the world of Internet sex when a woman running one of these live sex websites dies online before a number of horrified viewers. It is quickly determined that her death, rather than being happenstance or by accident, is murder. When another incident occurs, it becomes clear that someone is targeting a specific group of women.
Jordain's investigation leads him to "Bob" and a revelation concerning his identity. Snow is convinced that "Bob" is incapable of committing murder, which is challenged by "Bob's" confession. But the investigation is by no means over and causes difficulties for Snow, who must preserve client confidentiality. This becomes even more difficult when Snow comes to realize that there is a link --- which may or may not be coincidental --- between the murders and the student group she is counseling.
THE VENUS FIX continues Rose's practice of interweaving complex philosophical, ethical and moral issues into a suspenseful plotline that entertains --- and yes, arouses --- while providing intellectual grist for thoughtful consideration long after the reader has completed the novel. Rose creates a rather ingenious modus operandi for the killer --- one that undoubtedly will raise the word of mouth profile for this book --- and her choice for the ultimate villain of the piece is at once sympathetic, diabolical and controversial.
However, she also raises some fascinating issues relating to sexuality in general and adolescent promiscuity in particular. An unfortunate byproduct of the so-called sexual revolution, combined with the instant gratification element of the Internet, is that it has resulted in an incredible amount of pressure being placed upon young women to conform to a sexual ideal that they cannot, and should not, aspire to. Adults have a different problem. How many relationships are affected by the obsession of one or both partners with the portrayal of an ideal that neither can equal in the real world? Rose provides an evenhanded and levelheaded view of the problem, even as it becomes clear that there are no easy solutions.
Rose combines exotic situations with mystery and suspense to provide readers with a novel that will raise the temperature --- among other things --- at the beach this summer.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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