The Venus Fix is the third in M.J. Rose's series of psychological suspense novels featuring sex therapist Dr. Morgan Snow. I haven't read the others, but that did not prevent my enjoyment of this latest in the series.

This novel addresses the serious issue of Internet porn addiction and its impact on society as a whole. One of Snow's patients is an influential man who maintains his anonymity but confesses his secret addiction is destroying his life and relations with his wife. Snow is also counseling a group of high school students of both sexes and a former webcam performer who is now training to become a therapist.

The lives of all these patients are impacted when women begin dying online before their eyes. Snow finds herself in conflict with her boyfriend, Detective Noah Jordain of NYPD's Special Victim's Unit. Adding still another layer to the novel is Dr. Snow's relationship with her teenaged daughter. It's a gripping mix, guaranteed to keep you turning pages.

Rose is a heroine to those who believe in the future of the electronic novel and I was previously familiar with her name as a result of having read a number of her essays and interviews on the subject. I'll be looking for the earlier novels in the Dr. Snow series now.

by John R. Lindermuth
Rambles.NET
23 September 2006