THE HALO EFFECT

THE HALO EFFECT
M. J. Rose
352 pages
ISBN: 0-7783-2080-4
Mira Books/Canada
July 2004
$12.95 U.S./$15.95 Canada

“Everyone has secrets that they hide.”

As a reputable sex therapist, Morgan Snow understands that to help her patients, she needs to distance herself from them. However, Morgan does have a favorite patient named Cleo Thane, who works as a high-class prostitute. Cleo has also written a tell-all novel in which she has barely disguised the real names of her clients. When Cleo disappears after giving a copy of the manuscript to her sex therapist, Morgan decides to personally find Cleo before she can be killed.

Cleo’s girls were even allowed to interview first with a particular client. Each girl meets with a prospective client and then both the client and the girl are given a twenty-four hour window before establishing any relationship. In Morgan’s search, she sets herself up as one of Cleo’s girls and personally attempts to meet five of the men in the manuscript.

To add to the suspense, a serial killer is murdering local prostitutes in an unusual ritualistic style. All of the victims have been wearing nun’s clothing when they are found. It appears to the police that the victims were dressed after their deaths.

A question that I could not find the answer to though was about one of the rituals of being a nun with her scalp shaved. Even after asking a few Roman Catholic nuns, none of the nuns (another play on words?) had experienced this or had heard of it within their church. I am aware of Buddhist nuns shaving their heads, but not Catholic nuns. I’m not saying it doesn’t or hasn’t happened in the Catholic Church. I’m just questioning if it is a common practice or just the practice of a particular order or if it was an error.

My only concern about this haunting novel is the sexual descriptions that might not be appropriate and acceptable to all readers. The plot and pace is riveting and keeps the reader guessing. Even though I did figure out who had to be the serial killer about half-way through the novel, it was an enthralling plot that kept me motivated to increase the pace as I read.

From the first page to the last word, the reader is hooked to this novel. (Sorry about the hook pun with a book about prostitutes.)

M. J. Rose has written other novels including LIP SERVICE, FLESH TONES, and SHEET MUSIC. She is currently writing her next novel in this first Butterfield Institute series.