Customer Reviews

The Halo Effect

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Dr. Morgan Snow, the protagonist of this first installment in M.J. Rose's new series of Butterfield Institute novels, is a perceptive therapist and a newly divorced mother, an expert in sexuality with, at least in recent years, more theoretical knowledge of the subject than hands-on experience. She is troubled still by an unusually sad childhood--details of which drip into the narrative of The Halo Effect--from which she emerged scarred with abandonment issues. Morgan is a fully realized, multi-dimensional, wholly likeable character. And she is an unlikely amateur sleuth, which is part of the charm of Rose's new series: criminal suspense has not found a home before in the halls of a sex therapy clinic.

Morgan, who has worked with the police in past cases, becomes involved again when a serial killer begins murdering prostitutes and posing them, in death, in a series of religiously significant, grotesque tableaux. Dr. Snow numbers many prostitutes--both incarcerated and not--among her patients, so the crimes are of especial concern for her. But what is most alarming is the recent disappearance of one of her favorites: call girl Cleo Thane has enjoyed an almost Mayflower-Madamish level of success but may have put her career and person in jeopardy by writing a tell-nearly-all book about her high-powered clients.

The Halo Effect is not your usual suspense novel. Not only is the occupation of its principal sleuth unconventional, but Rose's writing is somehow similarly unexpected. She eschews hackneyed expression while bathing her subjects in rich description. See, for example, her oblique description of the (sub-)eponymous Butterfield Institute: "There is a small brass plaque on the outside of the building, identifying it but giving little else away: The Butterfield Institute. The black cursive letters are etched deeply into the metal plate. Run your fingers over them and you feel the edges pushing into your flesh. Could you cut your skin on those edges and draw blood? Probably not, but even if you did, none of us inside could offer more than a Band-Aid."

As must be obvious by now, I liked Rose's book very much. And I am eager to read the second installment in the series, which will reportedly be released in April of 2005--farther off than I should like.

MJ Rose has the rare gift of engaging her reader in a touching story, bringing out an empathy and tenderness for the people who inhabit her fictional world as she skillfully weaves a chilling plot. This unusual balance makes "The Halo Effect" an unforgettable read. Erotic, deeply psychological, and written with spare and often lyrical prose, this expert novel explores the underworld of both our city streets and our own unconsciousness. A tremendous piece of suspense writing from a gifted story-teller.

I was up into the wee hours reading this book. It's terrific suspense, combined with great characters and a truly sick bad guy. Rose keeps the psychological aspects of her other books while crafting a delicious page turner. I'm excited for the next one!

Just as freshly fallen snow can entice you to jump in and make your mark, Dr. Morgan Snow will pull you into her story...

Okay, that's a tortured metaphor perhaps, but M.J. Rose's latest book is a suspenseful roller-coaster ride that will thrill those who like their mysteries with a little grit. The characters of Snow, a sex therapist at Manhattan's Butterfield Institute, and the police detective she meets during her investigation are intriguing and the reader will be left wanting more stories from the Butterfield Institute.

M.J. Rose takes us into the mind of Dr. Megan Snow. Everything Morgan feels, you feel, be it how her body is reacting to the touch of a hand, or her fears about her daughter wanting to be an actress. If you could see a person's soul, you see Morgan's.
Rose writes believeable plots, exciting characters you would like to know, and thrilling on the edge of your seat suspense. She seems to do it with such ease, which is a talent in itself.
I wholeheartly recommend THE HALO EFFECT, the first in a series. Hooray! If you have not read LIP SERVICE, SHEET MUSIC, FLESH TONES, and IN FIDELITY, you are in for a treat. This author deserves to be on your favorites list.

This is a truly wonderful book. Too often I cast suspense novels aside because I couldn't care less about the characters. Who cares about the psycho killer? Let him kill them all. I don't care! But not this book. This book is so well written with a heroine you deeply care about. M.J. Rose is wonderful writer who deserves to be a bestseller. I read this book in two days. If this exemplifies all the books in the Mira line, I'll be reading a lot more. I wish other suspense writers would take the cue. Plot is great, but without complex characters and good writing, who cares?

Having been a fan of M.J. Rose right from her first book Lip Service, I knew THE HALO EFFECT would be an exceptional read with many twists and turns. I was engrossed from beginning to end in this suspenseful novel that deals with Cleo Thane, a special patient of sex therapist Dr. Morgan Snow, a woman who has seen it all and then some. Cleo is a highly paid prostitute who is coming to Dr. Snow for help separating her professional life from her personal life that is falling apart. Morgan Snow is alarmed when Cleo tells her she has written a book about her life as a prostitute and telling all about her clients.

Detective Noah Jordain is assigned to a case where a psychopath is targeting prostitutes in ritualistic killings. When a missing person's report is filed on Cleo he seeks Dr. Snow's help in getting some insight into the killer's mind. This is one darn exciting time, as Morgan doesn't want to help the police by breaching doctor/patient confidentially, but wants to help find Cleo on her own. And dare she become involved with Noah Jordain, a man who fires her desires as no other man ever has?

THE HALO EFFECT s a nail bitter and only the first book in the Butterfield Institute series-a fast blast of a read. I can't wait for Delilah, book 2, available April of 2005. Don't miss this tantalizing author who knows how to thrill and chill.

Dr.Morgan Snow's work was delicate. As a sex therapist she has seen pretty much everything, but one patient stood out from the crowd. Cleo Thane, despite being a prostitute, managed to be as regal as her name, somehow retaining a purity that belied being a high priced call girl. Now, she wants to write a tell all book, but knowing it could prove dangerous; she asks Morgan to read it. Shortly thereafter, Cleo vanishes, and the book is perhaps the best clue Detective Noah Jordan has to find her before she becomes the latest victim of a serial killer with a twisted vision. Yet, turning it over violates certain rules, so Dr. Snow chooses to investigate for herself; but doing so makes her risk sharing her patient's fate.

**** Intensely cold as the doctor's name, this book grips you by the throat. Although necessarily sensual, the writing is not overly lewd, given the subject matter.(...)

The Halo Effect is the first book in a series. I think that's wonderful news. I think we'll see the relationship between Dr. Morgan Snow and Noah Jordain develop in a very interesting way. In the mean time, I'm looking forward to more edge of the seat prose from M.J. Rose whose writing I've always enjoyed.

Welcome to the world of Dr. Morgan Snow. Gritty, sexy, and full of shocks, surprises and mysteries as tightly wound as a noose. Smart and vulnerable, Snow goes undercover and takes us all with her, plunging us into a world so suspenseful I could hardly breathe. I've loved all of M J Rose's books, but this one can only be described as masterpiece.