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Lush. Evocative. I could rush to my thesaurus for more, but you get the idea. Whenever I pick up a book by MJ Rose, I get lost in the masterful details, the top-notch misdirection and the picture perfect prose that never wastes a word. With this second novel in The Butterfield Institute series featuring sex therapist Dr Morgan Snow, MJ Rose has hit another home run. Her protagonist is unique, and while some may shy away at the idea of a sex therapist as a main character, Rose's books are never smutty or obscene. Instead, she captures the psychological aspects of sexual problems and deviance with compassion and understanding. Morgan is a fascinating character, full of her own flaws and the ironic inability to secure a lasting, satisfying relationship for herself. She juggles work, home and divorce like any other woman, but the nature of her work at the Butterfield Institute tends to drag her into the fray more often than not. She has a lovely teenage daughter named Dulcie, who emulates Morgan's dead mother, seeking a career as an actress. Her assignations with Special Victims Unit Detective Noah Jordain thrive on the tension between them. I suggest reading the first book in the series, THE HALO EFFECT, before picking up THE DELILAH COMPLEX. It isn't necessary for continuity of storyline, but familiarity with the initial stages of Morgan's relationship with Noah is worth the effort. THE DELILAH COMPLEX has an inventive plot. The Scarlet Society, an all-female club populated with women unafraid to satisfy their sexual desires with subservient men, are dealt a horrific blow -- one of their male guests goes missing and is later found murdered. The number 1 is painted in red on the sole of his foot. Several of the women approach Morgan for grief counseling. Their lives are so secret, they can't attend the funeral for fear of revealing themselves and the man's predilections. They even disguise themselves from one another. But when more of their male guests start dying, the suspicion falls on them. The secrecy that enshrouds the society hampers the investigation, and Morgan is thrust into the middle of the case. She must protect her clients' privacy but still help the police investigate the murders and stop the killer. Rose takes a taboo subject, gives it life and purpose, and never stops the action in the meantime. Her wording is precise, the story compelling and her ability to suck the reader into the story is impressive. I read this in one sitting, a true testament to the writer's ability to capture her audience.
Reviewed by J. T. Ellison, January 2006
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