He helped me find out about fragrances that have been lost to us and what they smelled like. One of the most wonderful parts was working with a famous blogger, Dimi of The Sorcery of Scent. Click here to show all.Researching The Book of Lost Fragrances was a labor of love. I read this in one sitting, a true testament to the writer's ability to capture her audience. Her wording is precise, the story compelling and her ability to suck the reader into the story is impressive. Rose takes a taboo subject, gives it life and purpose, and never stops the action in the meantime. She must protect her clients' privacy but still help the police investigate the murders and stop the killer.

The secrecy that enshrouds the society hampers the investigation, and Morgan is thrust into the middle of the case. But when more of their male guests start dying, the suspicion falls on them. They even disguise themselves from one another. Their lives are so secret, they can't attend the funeral for fear of revealing themselves and the man's predilections. Several of the women approach Morgan for grief counseling. The number 1 is painted in red on the sole of his foot. 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 DELILAH COMPLEX has an inventive plot. It isn't necessary for continuity of storyline, but familiarity with the initial stages of Morgan's relationship with Noah is worth the effort.

I suggest reading the first book in the series, THE HALO EFFECT, before picking up THE DELILAH COMPLEX. Her assignations with Special Victims Unit Detective Noah Jordain thrive on the tension between them. She has a lovely teenage daughter named Dulcie, who emulates Morgan's dead mother, seeking a career as an actress. 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. Morgan is a fascinating character, full of her own flaws and the ironic inability to secure a lasting, satisfying relationship for herself.

Instead, she captures the psychological aspects of sexual problems and deviance with compassion and understanding. 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. With this second novel in The Butterfield Institute series featuring sex therapist Dr Morgan Snow, MJ Rose has hit another home run. 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. I could rush to my thesaurus for more, but you get the idea.

The Delilah Complex by M.J. Rose