"Money Shot" is the third book in the Netherworld trilogy. Reading this book, just like the first two, is akin to watching an action-packed science fiction movie. Only this time it is all/out battle with troops, bombs, robots, missiles and more. Great science fiction battle scenes featuring a small group of desperate battle-hardened warriors and "mods" against a while army battalion of soldiers and robots. The main characters of this series include a policeman-Rook Venner, a dominatrix- Julia, and a pleasure mod who is so fresh out of the box that she is merely called Pleasur. A mod is a kind of genetically engineered, factory grown person but in this case, the mod has crazy battle skills and has secrets embedded in her mind that can save what's left of the free world. This is a quick-reading, action-packed, futuristic story pitting a tiny band of freedom fighters against a despotic government. It's definitely a good read. ( )

Money Shot: Netherworld 3
Author: Christopher Rowley
Publisher: Tor / Heavy Metal Unloaded LLC
Published In: New York City, NY
Date: 2010
Pgs: 272

REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Summary:
The Insured World and the Uninsured World, between them a hinterland of vice, corruption, and evil. Detective Rook of the Hudson Valley Police Department hadn’t realized where his life was going when he caught the case. A murdered General, a pleasure mod with a secret loaded in her head, a senator from Texas and master of a paramilitary mercenary company determined to keep that secret from going public, open warfare on American soil under cover of the drug war. Big enough that Tactical Robotic Regiments are being deployed on American soil. Drone war in the mountains. Finally on track to the mountain where the coordinates lead after being on the run for the first two books. Operation Taste Imperative is almost ready to go. Either Rook and Plesur stop it or all hell is going to wash over the world.

Genre:
Adventure
Androids
Corruption
Fiction
Intrigue
Mecha
Military
Robots
Science fiction
War

Why this book:
Cause I read Book 1 and Book 2 of the trilogy.
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Favorite Character:
Hudson Valley Police Department Detective SIO Rook Venner.

Character I Most Identified With:
We’re meant, I believe, to identify with Rook Venner, his square jawed all-Americanism in the face of people acting against the good of the country and the world, his growing love for the pleasure mod, Plesur who looks just like a television star from the old days, his willingness to help her complete her mission no matter the cost. But while he came more alive to me in the first two books, he feels more like a character on the page here. Instead of the living breathing presence that he was in the first two books.

The Feel:
This feels like it fits with the first two books narratively. But there’s something different in the tone. I can’t put my finger on it, but there is a difference between the first two and this one. The first two flowed together while this one stands a bit apart even though we jump, action-wise, practically directly from Book 2 to the opening pages of Book 3.

Pacing:
Great pacing. Starts off in the middle of a firefight and goes up from there.

The pace does wane a bit and wander around as we make it into the mountains and through Dr. Jim’s reserve and up to the aqueduct caverns. I expected “go for broke” when we hit the caverns and were this close to the climax, but we seem to be wandering and rudipooting a bit as the climax is aborning.

The pace and immersiveness of the story does kick back up at the climax.

Plot Holes/Out of Character:
There are some “lock and load”, Rambo-ish cliches here.

David and Angie/Julia having sex in the abandoned tunnel while being hunted by hunter/killer military squads. Stupidly, since those same squads knew that there were infiltrators in the local area who may be trying to get into the complex. But they love each other...good for them.

The earbacks are a bit overdone here.

Hmm Moments:
Some of the mechanized assault robots put you in fear of where drone technology could be going.

The pleasure mod mass grave in the tunnels of the aqueduct should have had much more impact, but it doesn’t. Horrifying, yes. This might be due to getting lost in the David-Angie/Julia B-plot immediately after the discovery.

Wow. When you find out what the Taste Imperative is and how ingenious and evil it is, it makes up for the shortcomings. Wow.
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Last Page Sound:
The bad guys didn’t lose. They didn’t win. But they didn’t lose. And this was a trilogy, so...Iiked the book, but I don’t know if I’d be back for a Book 4, maybe, but I don't know.

Author Assessment:
I would give other stuff by Rowley a look.

Editorial Assessment:
Wonder if the same editorial and readthrough team looked this one over? Wonder if they noticed what I did about the feel.

Knee Jerk Reaction:
it’s alright

Disposition of Book:
Salt Lake County Library Services
8030 South 1825 West
West Jordan, UT 84088

Dewey Decimal System:
F
Rowley

Would recommend to:
People who read Book 1 and Book 2.
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