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21 of 21 found the following review helpful:
 Webcam venuses Aug 29, 2006
By Author Bill Peschel
"Writers Gone Wild"
"The Venus Fix" is a schizophrenic novel, a multi-strand thriller with erotic overtones.
At its center is sex counselor Dr. Morgan Snow. While her boyfriend, New York police detective Noah Jordain, is investigating the murder of an online performer, who died in agony during one of her shows, she's treating patients who may have a connection to the case. One is a mystery man who needs therapy for his addiction to Internet webcam shows, while the other is a group of teens from the same school.
Rose has said in interviews that she wanted the novel to reflect accurately the trauma caused by Internet sex addiction, and she has done so effectively, showing the lure of graphic images on the part of the men, and trauma such behavior inflicts on the women in their lives, and the girls who feel pressured to imitate the looks and behavior of porn stars.
But depicting behavior is not the same thing as telling a story. While the patients struggle with their obsessions and the murders of the sex performers follow the thriller template, the far more compelling story lies with Snow's personal life. Morgan and Noah, each with enough emotional baggage to fill a 747, feel their way toward a hopeful greater intimacy, which is threatened when Morgan's ex-husband returns, wanting to make things right with her. Morgan also has a problem with her daughter, who at 13 is acting in a Broadway play and has the potential of making a career out of acting. To Morgan, who saw her actress-mother self-destruct, this is unacceptable.
It is Morgan Snow's struggles to find her place in a relationship, to retain a connection with her daughter and her need to protect herself from her patients' traumas that give "The Venus Fix" its kick.
15 of 16 found the following review helpful:
 One of the year's best thrillers Aug 05, 2006
By David Montgomery
"Book Critic"
An erotic thriller isn't the kind of book you'd expect to find on most guys' reading lists. But most novels of this type aren't as good, and as universal, as those written by M.J. Rose. Any reader, man or woman, who enjoys a sexy, suspenseful read would be advised to pick up one of her books.
Rose's latest, "The Venus Fix," features the return of sex therapist Morgan Snow, a single mom and top-notch professional in her field. In a wonderfully-crafted plot, Snow is counseling a group of teenagers who are addicted to live Internet sex shows. When someone starts killing off the performers, while the boys watch, Snow is drawn into the investigation.
The plot of "The Venus Fix" is fresh and intriguing, but it is the characters that push this thriller to such a high level. The relationships that fill it -- mother-daughter, doctor-patient, girlfriend-boyfriend -- are so well-developed and so real that the story takes on considerable power and poignancy.
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Reviewed by Jenny Salyers Jan 25, 2007
By Front Street Reviews www.frontstreetreviews.com
Dr. Morgan Snow, sex therapist at the well known Butterfield Institute in New York City, has a new patient. He is an extremely influential and powerful man that she only knows as "Bob." His problem is an extremely strong addiction to watching internet porn of the web-cam variety. He is not the only patient that Dr. Snow has. She is also running a group session for a small group of teenagers, at a prestigious high school, who are all obsessed with the same type of internet fed sexual fantasies.
Then the women creating these fantasies start to die while performing. Suddenly, The N.Y.P.D. is fielding hundreds of phone calls from across the country. Phone calls made by the men who were watching as these women became sick and died. Dr. Snow's work becomes entangled with detective Noah Jordain's investigation as he tries to unravel the riddle behind the murders. All the victims are purveyors of the web cam porn industry. Also, all the victims are employed by the same company. What other connections tie the victims together?
The clues point towards Dr Snow's new patient. However, new evidence comes from an unexpected source and changes the focus of the hunt. Can they find the real killer in time, or will more women die?
The Venus Fix is M.J. Roses third book in the Butterfield Institute series. As a newcomer to this series, I found it easy to fall into Dr. Snow's world and sensibilities. M.J. Rose has crafted a story that pulls its elements from seedier aspects of society and combines them with well crafted events to make a quick, enjoyable, thrill-filled story. Being fairly new to the mystery/thriller world, I was unaware of M.J. Rose's reputation for writing that is a bit sexual, raw and underground. In fact I stumbled across her due to a self promotional contest online for this title. M.J. Rose is one of those authors that you hear a lot about. She self published her first novel, due to increased frustration with having her book turned down by several publishing houses, and put all her effort into using the internet to market her writing. As a result, her books have been picked up by the mainstream publishing industry. She still keeps a web blog called Buzz, Balls & Hype which she uses as an outlet to help publishers and authors reach a larger audience about their books. I've never been much of a reader of thrillers, however I found The Venus Fix a fantastic introduction to the genre and am looking forwards to reading more works by the author.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Touches on serious issues Feb 09, 2012
By K. J. T
"JK"
An avid mystery/thriller reader, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The storyline is interesting and while the end is not exactly surprising it is not a disappointment either.
Rose's protagonist Dr. Morgan Stone is not just a cardboard heroine but a complex character, and the author does a good job describing her feelings and actions. Most other characters are given the same level of attention, enough to make them feel real but not enough to distract the reader.
What makes the book especially interesting and to stand out is that it manages to touch an important issue: the unrealistic expectations today's teenagers have and the pressures they face due to exposure to Internet porn. Once again, many of the reactions and replies of the teen characters are spot on.
I would give the book 5 stars but for some of the stereotypes that clash with the otherwise well-developed characters. There is the Wise Older Woman whose main reason of existence is to smile quietly and tell the protagonist that she will find the answers to her problems from within herself. And there is the Sexy Policeman who is from New Orleans and thus plays jazz, collects fine art, cooks gourmet food and peppers his speech with words like "Cheri", just like every other New Orleans policeman in fiction (seriously, New Orleans police department must have very specific hiring principles).
All in all, a solid and entertaining read, with enough contact to real life to make the story believable.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A suspenseful novel, perfect for the beach Jul 10, 2006
By Bookreporter
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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