With two books now out the gate, Heavy Metal Pulp can claim one winner and one turd. The strange thing: Both are from the same series and author. Whereas Christopher Rowley’s PLEASURE MODEL: NETHERWORLD BOOK 1 seemed like stupid fun, his THE BLOODSTAINED MAN: NETHERWORLD BOOK 2 just seems stupid.
Although the first page plops you right into the action, doing so with no introduction, no recap, no chance for acclimation is jarring and frustrating. Even worse, it’s the beginning of one book-long chase. At least PLEASURE MODEL let its ingredients stew before boiling over; this one just wants to move, like a kid who forgot to swallow his Ritalin.
The story still concerns Detective Venner and the blond, Barbie-esque sex robot Plesur, on the run after they stick their noses where they didn’t belong — and I’m referring to investigating a murder, not the sex scenes. Speaking of, there are more this time ’round, so it truly earns that Heavy Metal Pulp brand of distinction. And those who like their sexual shenanigans to be illustrated — i.e. HEAVY METAL subscribers — Justin Norman’s letterbox sketches scattered throughout the text should satisfy.
I’m no longer interested in seeing how this one ends, in the forthcoming trilogy capper, MONEY SHOT. But at least this one has alligators. —Rod Lott
“When the boy realized he couldn’t toss her over his smelly bedclothes like a little play toy, he resorted to just ramming it into her. But Mistress Julia was used to being in control. The dominatrix personality demanded obedience, and Rico, fingers digging into her hips, taking her from behind, needed a lesson in rules. Fortunately he was experienced enough to have taken the trouble to lube things up, but there was still enough pain and degradation to focus her thoughts firmly on one thing: revenge. … He’d told her that she better fuck him good or he’d beat her senseless and put her out to screw passersby for small change. That had passed with one blow job.”
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• PLEASURE MODEL: NETHERWORLD BOOK 1 by Christopher Rowley
Related posts:
- Pleasure Model: Netherworld Book 1
- TRAILER PARK >> Pleasure Model
- Bloodstained Oz
- BOOK WHORE >> 11.29.05
- BOOK WHORE >> 5.23.06
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I was excited at the idea of this new book line(Heavy Metal Pulp) but I was done after the first novel, Pleasure Model. It was just too light, too insubstantial, like the first three chapters of a novel puffed up to novel length.
I was hoping for something more along the lines of Wired Books Cortext line of some years back. They were reissues, but all three of the ones I read were far more interesting than this. If Heavy Metal Pulp wants to be the Hardcase Crime of sf noir their editors should look back to that Cortext model.