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Control Freak
In this erotic horror novel, a grisly murder in New York City's downtown meat-packing district leads hardboiled crime writer Caitlin McCullough into the depths of a secret sadomasochistic underground: a perverse playground for the rich and twisted, where anything goes and nothing is taboo. There, Caitlin must risk everything to find not only the truth surrounding the murder, but the dark truth hidden inside herself.
Listening time: 10hrs 45 mins
Listening time: 10hrs 45 mins
Audiobook
First published January 1, 1998
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271 people want to read
About the author
Christa Faust
79 books402 followersChrista Faust is an American author who writes original novels, as well as novelizations and media tie-ins.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 26, 2018
Κατάδυση στον κόσμο του S&M...
Μια νεαρή χάκερ και συγγραφέας θέλοντας να εξερευνήσει ένα φριχτό έγκλημα, μπαίνει στην σκοτεινή πλευρά των BDSM κλαμπ και σταδιακά ανακαλύπτει πτυχές του εαυτού της που ούτε εκείνη δεν ήξερε πως υπήρχαν...
Συνδυασμός μυστηρίου, τρόμου και ακραίων σεξουαλικών "παιχνιδιών" το βιβλίο της Κρίστα Φάουστ. Η συγγραφέας έχοντας περάσει μέσα από αυτόν το κόσμο φτιάχνει ένα αρκετά πρωτότυπο και ιδιόμορφο μυθιστόρημα με βασικά της εργαλεία τις προσωπικές της εμπειρίες και τον ποιητικό της λόγο...
Όχι για όλους τους αναγνώστες.
4/5
Μια νεαρή χάκερ και συγγραφέας θέλοντας να εξερευνήσει ένα φριχτό έγκλημα, μπαίνει στην σκοτεινή πλευρά των BDSM κλαμπ και σταδιακά ανακαλύπτει πτυχές του εαυτού της που ούτε εκείνη δεν ήξερε πως υπήρχαν...
Συνδυασμός μυστηρίου, τρόμου και ακραίων σεξουαλικών "παιχνιδιών" το βιβλίο της Κρίστα Φάουστ. Η συγγραφέας έχοντας περάσει μέσα από αυτόν το κόσμο φτιάχνει ένα αρκετά πρωτότυπο και ιδιόμορφο μυθιστόρημα με βασικά της εργαλεία τις προσωπικές της εμπειρίες και τον ποιητικό της λόγο...
Όχι για όλους τους αναγνώστες.
4/5
December 22, 2025
I bought this book when it was first published, back when I was reading a lot of Poppy Z. Brite and Caitlin Kiernan, when I was young and free, with money to burn and too damn busy with other stuff to read what I was buying apparently. At the time, the three authors had a website together (possibly called Pandora-something? It’s gone now) which is how I learned of this book whose premise begged me to read it. For some reason, it got pushed to the back of my now triple stacked bookshelf (yeah, I’ve got issues, I know) and there it stayed until my dog wiped out most of my bottom shelf. Unearthed after all these years, I saw it glaring at me all shiny and new, still in its protective cover. Shameful, really, but I’m sure someone here will understand. So what did I do? Stuck it back on the shelf where it still sits. I’m listening to it now because I stumbled across the unabridged audiobook release.
A young woman named Eva is found murdered and sexually mutilated. Caitlin McCullough is a beautiful young mystery writer who is intrigued by the case when she learns the details from her police officer boyfriend Mike Kiernan. Caitlin plans to write a book about the case. After doing a bit of sleuthing she discovers Eva was well known to the (then) underground world of hacker’s and SM clubs (remember this was written in the 90’s). After interviewing a few of the dead girls’ friends she’s led to the SM club Eva frequented and delves head first into a world of pain, control and sex that awakens her to a whole new world of sensation.
Caitlin is immediately drawn to the darkness of the SM scenes in the dungeon and her snooping leads to her becoming part of the lifestyle (more like a superstar). She’s clearly cut out to be a dominatrix and takes to it with a natural confidence that surprises her. The feelings of power, admiration and lust are intoxicating. She is surrounded by beautiful, young submissive waifs begging to get their asses reddened while horny men are more than willing to pay her good money for the pleasure of simply watching her get her boots licked cleaned. But the bigger draw comes in the form of a beautiful man who may or may not be mad and who remains the biggest suspect in the murder investigation.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not good at the “guessing the murderer” game and I was left guessing for quite a while though the reveal isn’t any huge surprise. This book is more of a look into the life of a “normal” young woman who finds and willingly embraces the darker edges of her nature and once awakened she just can’t turn back. As Caitlin is drawn deeper and deeper into the SM world, her old life and relationship inevitably fall to the wayside.
The characters were interesting and well-drawn but be warned this book doesn’t flinch from the darkness within its characters and they often act in ways that don’t exactly make them likable. This is a book mostly about obsession, power and giving in to desire at a rather huge cost. The narrator does a fine job with most of the characters, and I could clearly distinguish one from the other. The only notable exception was the portrayal of one of Caitlin’s hacker friends whose voice was like bloodied nails on a chalkboard and completely cringe inducing (and damn if I can remember his name), fortunately (for me) he wasn’t a large part of the novel so that’s a minor nit in an overall decent performance.
Control Freak is dark, dreary, and seedy and I couldn’t put it down. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it ;)
A young woman named Eva is found murdered and sexually mutilated. Caitlin McCullough is a beautiful young mystery writer who is intrigued by the case when she learns the details from her police officer boyfriend Mike Kiernan. Caitlin plans to write a book about the case. After doing a bit of sleuthing she discovers Eva was well known to the (then) underground world of hacker’s and SM clubs (remember this was written in the 90’s). After interviewing a few of the dead girls’ friends she’s led to the SM club Eva frequented and delves head first into a world of pain, control and sex that awakens her to a whole new world of sensation.
Caitlin is immediately drawn to the darkness of the SM scenes in the dungeon and her snooping leads to her becoming part of the lifestyle (more like a superstar). She’s clearly cut out to be a dominatrix and takes to it with a natural confidence that surprises her. The feelings of power, admiration and lust are intoxicating. She is surrounded by beautiful, young submissive waifs begging to get their asses reddened while horny men are more than willing to pay her good money for the pleasure of simply watching her get her boots licked cleaned. But the bigger draw comes in the form of a beautiful man who may or may not be mad and who remains the biggest suspect in the murder investigation.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not good at the “guessing the murderer” game and I was left guessing for quite a while though the reveal isn’t any huge surprise. This book is more of a look into the life of a “normal” young woman who finds and willingly embraces the darker edges of her nature and once awakened she just can’t turn back. As Caitlin is drawn deeper and deeper into the SM world, her old life and relationship inevitably fall to the wayside.
The characters were interesting and well-drawn but be warned this book doesn’t flinch from the darkness within its characters and they often act in ways that don’t exactly make them likable. This is a book mostly about obsession, power and giving in to desire at a rather huge cost. The narrator does a fine job with most of the characters, and I could clearly distinguish one from the other. The only notable exception was the portrayal of one of Caitlin’s hacker friends whose voice was like bloodied nails on a chalkboard and completely cringe inducing (and damn if I can remember his name), fortunately (for me) he wasn’t a large part of the novel so that’s a minor nit in an overall decent performance.
Control Freak is dark, dreary, and seedy and I couldn’t put it down. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it ;)
December 10, 2014
CONTROL FREAK was my second audiobook (the first being THE COLD COLD GROUND by Adrian McKinty) and I'm pleased to report that I'm two-for-two; great stories with complimentary narrators.
Narrators can greatly enhance a book or completely derail it. Luckily narrator Ann Carver's performance is a good fit for the semi erotic crime novel by Christa Faust - her debut written in the 1990's.
Christa Faust's smooth poetic prose is akin to Megan Abbott and Daniel Woodrell at the top of their game.
Fans of Christa Faust's well known and acclaimed Hard Case Crime novels (MONEY SHOT, and CHOKE HOLD) will recognize some that of trademark toughness in her female protagonists, yet CONTROL FREAK goes beyond the hard woman facade delivering an in-depth tale of self discovery.
Caitlin, the journalist turn Dominant grows into a largely independent woman more in control of her life than she was in her pre-dominant days. Her journey into the violent erotic underworld unearths a self preservation that rivals veteran cops.
I found CONTROL FREAK to be a gripping read (listen) that showcases a slice of life many would not be accustom to, doing so in a tasteful and compelling manner that simply demands the reader's attention.
Review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
Narrators can greatly enhance a book or completely derail it. Luckily narrator Ann Carver's performance is a good fit for the semi erotic crime novel by Christa Faust - her debut written in the 1990's.
Christa Faust's smooth poetic prose is akin to Megan Abbott and Daniel Woodrell at the top of their game.
Fans of Christa Faust's well known and acclaimed Hard Case Crime novels (MONEY SHOT, and CHOKE HOLD) will recognize some that of trademark toughness in her female protagonists, yet CONTROL FREAK goes beyond the hard woman facade delivering an in-depth tale of self discovery.
Caitlin, the journalist turn Dominant grows into a largely independent woman more in control of her life than she was in her pre-dominant days. Her journey into the violent erotic underworld unearths a self preservation that rivals veteran cops.
I found CONTROL FREAK to be a gripping read (listen) that showcases a slice of life many would not be accustom to, doing so in a tasteful and compelling manner that simply demands the reader's attention.
Review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
June 10, 2015
The progression here of novelist/journalist investigating a murder and then getting drawn into the SM scene reminded me a bit of Topping from Below, by Laura Reese, which was also written in the mid-nineties. Neither book shirks from the erotic violence of the scene and both deftly explore the psychological underpinnings of dominance and submission. There is a strong narrative pull-through as Caitlin persists in pursuing the murderer even as it is clear that she is at risk. She is constantly warned, yet continually makes foolish inquiries, and this is the tried and true noir/horror movie ploy of putting the focal character at risk because of their own dumb moves while we the reader/audience know how stupid they are to pursue this course of action. The novel is overwritten with gushing descriptions, but it is overwritten in a Stephen King kind of way that I think most horror/crime readers would forgive even if more literary fiction oriented readers would roll their eyes. The first three-quarters of the novel are compelling as we follow Caitlin/Morrigan on her investigative journey until she forgets what she is investigating and totally abandons her former life to become a dominatrix.The last quarter of the novel is a mixed soup, almost as if Faust wasn't quite sure how to wrap things up, but ultimately the chaos kind of works even if the sequence is not completely convincing.
July 13, 2012
This one was recommended to me by a friend and I absolutely loved it! The plot, the characters and, mostly, Christa Faust's writing, were all great and highly enjoyable. This is a seriously weird crime novel, but it's worth all the way.
January 21, 2025
I've read a few Christa Faust books. This was her debut novel. This one was my favorite of her books. An S&M Noir story that was very good. Character development, mystery, and the bondage elements were all on point.
February 13, 2013
Not my cup of tea. More of an exploration of the world of S&M than a murder mystery. By the time the who dun it thread is picked up near the end I almost lost interest in the book. The innocent girl discovering and exploring her budding sexuality and fascination with kink is an old tired genre.
March 5, 2023
Average Read. Despite the subject matter, the sexual content wasn’t very sexy and the murder plot wasn’t engrossing. The writing isn’t bad and the narrator isn’t bad…. But it just didn’t win me over. 🤷🏼♀️.
December 5, 2023
Found thsi book recced on a forum where someone asked for a book to read after The Hellbound Heart, and was intrigued by the description of a femdom-centric novel. But it wasn't up to scratch for me.
Things I liked: The sadomasochism was very well written and lovely, it was really neat reading about the interactions in the club. I also liked reading about Caitlin falling more and more into the world.
Things I didn't like: I wish the book focused more on developing the character relationships and the erotica elements, rather than the crime angle which felt rather weak to me. The characterisations of Absinthe/Hellebore/etc felt very thin and underdeveloped, I would've liked to see more scenes of them interacting with Caitlin so I got to know them rather than the narrative just telling me what their deal was.
Things I liked: The sadomasochism was very well written and lovely, it was really neat reading about the interactions in the club. I also liked reading about Caitlin falling more and more into the world.
Things I didn't like: I wish the book focused more on developing the character relationships and the erotica elements, rather than the crime angle which felt rather weak to me. The characterisations of Absinthe/Hellebore/etc felt very thin and underdeveloped, I would've liked to see more scenes of them interacting with Caitlin so I got to know them rather than the narrative just telling me what their deal was.
November 12, 2018
Very interesting book. She states in the Introduction that she wanted to write about someone "...'ordinary,' someone 'just like you' who finds these curious unconventional desires inside herself and makes peace with them." Although the scenes she describes were unsettling and disturbing, I thought by and large she succeeded. The story line was reasonably tight, had good internal consistency, and some enjoyable lines, e.g., " ...their marriage was as cold and empty as a church.”
April 4, 2018
I preferred the Angel Dare books, and I think that some of it might not hold up since it was written, though i'm not sure if some of the scenarios were to illustrate lack of consent and control in situations where people think that they have consent or control? I dunno. overall...enjoyable?
October 3, 2007
This is Faust's first book, but wasn't published until 10 years later, after other of her books. It definitely has the feel of a Christa Faust story, but it reads like a first book. The writing is often a little gimmicky and there are several plotlines that just vanish rather than resolve. But it's a good read and the main character's growth is quite well handled.
Control Freak is set in early 90's NYC. Our protagonist is Caitlin. She is a writer and when her cop boyfriend is assigned to a particularly gruesome murder she decides she might want to write a true-crime book on the case. With the unsuspecting aid of her boyfriend's information and the help of a hacker friend she stays ahead of the police in her investigation and traces the victim to a the BDSM scene in lower Manhatten. She goes to the clubs and discovers she has natural skill for, and unsuspected interest in, being dominant.
Since the early nineties, the US BDSM scene has mainstreamed quite a bit. Clubs and parties invite fetishwear and light bondage in even small cities across the US. It is important to remember that this was not the case in the book's timeframe. The clubs in the book are also more tolerant of certain unsafe behaviors that would raise eyebrows in much of even the fetish scene today. Fewer people then had been exposed to fetish play beyond the Betty Page movies and what Caitlin discovers is new and scary to her; presumably it was supposed to be new and scary to the reader as well.
Caitlin's love of the scene and talent for it draws her further in to the more underground--and dangerous--clubs where the victim was well-known, and she makes friends in the community who are all suspects in the case. Her involvement begins to scare her hacker friend and becomes trouble for her boyfriend, eventually leader to her complete separation from her old life.
The mystery story is good and doubles into itself as we discover multiple interrelated mysteries. Caitlin's descent into an artificial world is well-handled and will be familiar to many people who have lost months or years of their lives in any inbred subculture of druggies, sex addicts, activists, or other groups. It is also kept separate enough from her introspection about power play and sex that she and the reader are able to keep from tainting one with the other.
The resolution of the mysteries is interesting, although not completely unexpected, and leads to some oddly (but not badly) paced action scenes and nice layers of betrayal.
All in all, it's a good read.
Be warned: this is the first book to squick me in years. The event that affected me came very late in the book and didn't diminish my enjoyment of the scene, the chapter, or the story, but there are some harsh descriptions. I didn't find any of the BDSM scenes or the sex to be extreme or explicit; it's the detective story that has the potentially-disturbing parts.
Control Freak is set in early 90's NYC. Our protagonist is Caitlin. She is a writer and when her cop boyfriend is assigned to a particularly gruesome murder she decides she might want to write a true-crime book on the case. With the unsuspecting aid of her boyfriend's information and the help of a hacker friend she stays ahead of the police in her investigation and traces the victim to a the BDSM scene in lower Manhatten. She goes to the clubs and discovers she has natural skill for, and unsuspected interest in, being dominant.
Since the early nineties, the US BDSM scene has mainstreamed quite a bit. Clubs and parties invite fetishwear and light bondage in even small cities across the US. It is important to remember that this was not the case in the book's timeframe. The clubs in the book are also more tolerant of certain unsafe behaviors that would raise eyebrows in much of even the fetish scene today. Fewer people then had been exposed to fetish play beyond the Betty Page movies and what Caitlin discovers is new and scary to her; presumably it was supposed to be new and scary to the reader as well.
Caitlin's love of the scene and talent for it draws her further in to the more underground--and dangerous--clubs where the victim was well-known, and she makes friends in the community who are all suspects in the case. Her involvement begins to scare her hacker friend and becomes trouble for her boyfriend, eventually leader to her complete separation from her old life.
The mystery story is good and doubles into itself as we discover multiple interrelated mysteries. Caitlin's descent into an artificial world is well-handled and will be familiar to many people who have lost months or years of their lives in any inbred subculture of druggies, sex addicts, activists, or other groups. It is also kept separate enough from her introspection about power play and sex that she and the reader are able to keep from tainting one with the other.
The resolution of the mysteries is interesting, although not completely unexpected, and leads to some oddly (but not badly) paced action scenes and nice layers of betrayal.
All in all, it's a good read.
Be warned: this is the first book to squick me in years. The event that affected me came very late in the book and didn't diminish my enjoyment of the scene, the chapter, or the story, but there are some harsh descriptions. I didn't find any of the BDSM scenes or the sex to be extreme or explicit; it's the detective story that has the potentially-disturbing parts.
July 17, 2016
3,5 αστέρια, βασικά.
Πολύ ευχάριστο, καθηλωτικό βιβλίο και πρωτότυπο για την εποχή που γράφτηκε (16+ χρόνια μετά, όχι κ τόσο, εξού και τα 3,5 αστέρια εκ μέρους μου).
Ξεκινά με έναν φόνο, ο οποίος θέτει σε κίνηση όλους τους εμπλεκόμενους χαρακτήρες σε ένα ταξίδι αυτογνωσίας, πειραματισμού, αποδοχής, κατάρρευσης και καταστροφής. 'Η κάθαρσης. Ανάλογα πως θα το δει κανείς. Η ιστορία έχει το πλαίσιο νεοϋορκέζικου νουάρ ντεντεκτεβίστικης νουβέλας στα τέλη των 90ς, αλλά τελικά, με αυτό ασχολείται μάλλον περιφερειακά.
Το κυρίως ζήτημα είναι το ταξίδι της πρωταγωνίστριας προς έναν δρόμο που πραγματικά την εκφράζει στο έπακρο, αλλα που συνάμα την τρομοκρατεί και φαντάζει τόσο αλλόκοτο αν το πάρει λογικά και με βάση το κατεστημένο που δεν μπορεί παρά να το αρνείται -αρχικά, τουλάχιστον. Οπως κάθε τέτοιο ταξίδι αυτογνωσίας, δεν παραμένει αναίμακτο και φυσικά πρέπει να πάρεις τη σκληρή απόφαση να θυσιάσεις ένα κομμάτι του εαυτού σου για να συνεχίσεις. Και αυτό, υποθέτω, είναι το πιο τρομακτικό απ'ολα. (Γι' αυτό και η νουβέλα θα μπορούσε να θεωρηθεί διαχρονική, ασχέτως του σκηνικού στο οποίο διαδραματίζεται.)
Κάτι αντίστοιχο συμβαίνει με όλους σχεδόν τους χαρακτήρες που εμπλέκονται στην υπόθεση, λιγότερο ή περισσότερο, αλλά χωρίς τελικά η ιστορία να αφήνει κενά ή πράγματα άλυτα.
Αυτό που μου άρεσε πολύ ήταν οι ίδιοι χαρακτήρες και το βάθος στο οποίο φτάνει τον ψυχισμό τους η συγγραφέας, παρόλο που αυτό είναι το πρώτο της βιβλίο. Μπορούσες να καταλάβεις την οπτική γωνία όλων, να συμπάσχεις μαζί τους και τελικά, να μην μπορείς να πεις με σιγουριά ποιος ήταν ο "κακός" κ ποιος όχι. Φυσικά και είναι ένα βιβλίο γκρίζας ηθικής.
Αυτό που με χάλασε κάπως (αλλά όχι αρκετά ούτως ώστε να το αφήσω κάτω) είναι τεχνικής φύσεως κυρίως, και έχει να κάνει με το κομμάτι της επιμέλειας του κειμένου, τόσο του πρωτότυπου, όσο και του μεταφρασμένου.
Ασχέτως, θα το πρότεινα ως τουλάχιστον μια πολύ καλή μελέτη χαρακτήρων και εξαιτίας του θέματος με το οποίο καταπιάνεται, που ακόμα και στις μέρες μας θεωρείται ταμπού.
Πολύ ευχάριστο, καθηλωτικό βιβλίο και πρωτότυπο για την εποχή που γράφτηκε (16+ χρόνια μετά, όχι κ τόσο, εξού και τα 3,5 αστέρια εκ μέρους μου).
Ξεκινά με έναν φόνο, ο οποίος θέτει σε κίνηση όλους τους εμπλεκόμενους χαρακτήρες σε ένα ταξίδι αυτογνωσίας, πειραματισμού, αποδοχής, κατάρρευσης και καταστροφής. 'Η κάθαρσης. Ανάλογα πως θα το δει κανείς. Η ιστορία έχει το πλαίσιο νεοϋορκέζικου νουάρ ντεντεκτεβίστικης νουβέλας στα τέλη των 90ς, αλλά τελικά, με αυτό ασχολείται μάλλον περιφερειακά.
Το κυρίως ζήτημα είναι το ταξίδι της πρωταγωνίστριας προς έναν δρόμο που πραγματικά την εκφράζει στο έπακρο, αλλα που συνάμα την τρομοκρατεί και φαντάζει τόσο αλλόκοτο αν το πάρει λογικά και με βάση το κατεστημένο που δεν μπορεί παρά να το αρνείται -αρχικά, τουλάχιστον. Οπως κάθε τέτοιο ταξίδι αυτογνωσίας, δεν παραμένει αναίμακτο και φυσικά πρέπει να πάρεις τη σκληρή απόφαση να θυσιάσεις ένα κομμάτι του εαυτού σου για να συνεχίσεις. Και αυτό, υποθέτω, είναι το πιο τρομακτικό απ'ολα. (Γι' αυτό και η νουβέλα θα μπορούσε να θεωρηθεί διαχρονική, ασχέτως του σκηνικού στο οποίο διαδραματίζεται.)
Κάτι αντίστοιχο συμβαίνει με όλους σχεδόν τους χαρακτήρες που εμπλέκονται στην υπόθεση, λιγότερο ή περισσότερο, αλλά χωρίς τελικά η ιστορία να αφήνει κενά ή πράγματα άλυτα.
Αυτό που μου άρεσε πολύ ήταν οι ίδιοι χαρακτήρες και το βάθος στο οποίο φτάνει τον ψυχισμό τους η συγγραφέας, παρόλο που αυτό είναι το πρώτο της βιβλίο. Μπορούσες να καταλάβεις την οπτική γωνία όλων, να συμπάσχεις μαζί τους και τελικά, να μην μπορείς να πεις με σιγουριά ποιος ήταν ο "κακός" κ ποιος όχι. Φυσικά και είναι ένα βιβλίο γκρίζας ηθικής.
Αυτό που με χάλασε κάπως (αλλά όχι αρκετά ούτως ώστε να το αφήσω κάτω) είναι τεχνικής φύσεως κυρίως, και έχει να κάνει με το κομμάτι της επιμέλειας του κειμένου, τόσο του πρωτότυπου, όσο και του μεταφρασμένου.
Ασχέτως, θα το πρότεινα ως τουλάχιστον μια πολύ καλή μελέτη χαρακτήρων και εξαιτίας του θέματος με το οποίο καταπιάνεται, που ακόμα και στις μέρες μας θεωρείται ταμπού.
August 13, 2016
Το συγκεκριμένο είναι σίγουρα από τα πιο σκληρά ερωτικά βιβλία που έχω διαβάσει. Ίσως και το σκληρότερο. Το BDSM βασιλεύει σε κάθε του σελίδα, η σεξουαλική διαστροφή δίνει και παίρνει. Και είναι επίτηδες το πρώτο στοιχείο του που αναφέρω, θέτοντάς το ως προειδοποίηση σε όποιον αναγνώστη δεν επιθυμεί να διαβάσει ένα ανάγνωσμα τέτοιου είδους, αλλά και σαν πρόκληση για τους απαιτητικούς!
Το βιβλίο πάντως δεν είναι μόνο BDSM. Υπάρχει και ένας φόνος στις πρώτες του σελίδες και ο εντοπισμός του δολοφόνου είναι το γεγονός που κινεί την πλοκή. Ο αναγνώστης αυτό το βλέπει από τα μάτια δύο πολύ διαφορετικών ανθρώπων: Της πρωταγωνίστριας Κέιτλιν, που είναι μια “δυνατή” χάκερ, αλλά συνάμα και μια γοητευτική γυναίκα, έτοιμη να δοκιμάσει τα πάντα για να καταφέρει να μάθει την αλήθεια, καθώς και του συντρόφου της, που είναι αστυνομικός στο επάγγελμα και σαφώς πιο προσγειωμένος σε όλα του.
Η βουτιά της πρωταγωνίστριας στον άγνωστο κόσμο των SM Clubs και το κατά πόσο αυτό επηρεάζει τη ζωή της είναι και το βασικό στοιχείο του βιβλίου, αυτό που μελετάται. Είναι σαφέστατα ενδιαφέρον, αλλά κατά τη δική μου γνώμη υπερκαλύπτει άσκοπα οτιδήποτε άλλο. Λόγου χάρη, ακόμα και η διερεύνηση της δολοφονίας που συμβαίνει στην αρχή του βιβλίου, από ένα σημείο και μετά γίνεται δευτερεύον στοιχείο του, όπως δευτερεύουσα γίνεται και η υπό-ιστορία του συντρόφου της πρωταγωνίστριας. Η συγγραφέας σαφέστατα το κάνει συνειδητά, απλά στα δικά μου μάτια μπορούσε να δώσει επιπλέον χώρο και σε αυτά, δίνοντας επιπλέον δύναμη στο βιβλίο. (Οι υπό πλοκές αυτές αναζωπυρώνονται στο τέλος).
Να υπογραμμίσω πάντως ότι η πρόζα της συγγραφέως είναι πολύ καλή και σε αρκετά σημεία σκέτο ξυράφι. Οι εικόνες που δημιουργεί είναι πεντακάθαρες και ανατριχιαστικές.
Κλείνοντας λοιπόν, λέω ότι θεωρώ πως όσοι δεν έχουν θέμα με το να σοκαριστούν από τα όσα BDSM λαμβάνουν χώρα στο βιβλίο, θα μείνουν ικανοποιημένοι.
Το βιβλίο πάντως δεν είναι μόνο BDSM. Υπάρχει και ένας φόνος στις πρώτες του σελίδες και ο εντοπισμός του δολοφόνου είναι το γεγονός που κινεί την πλοκή. Ο αναγνώστης αυτό το βλέπει από τα μάτια δύο πολύ διαφορετικών ανθρώπων: Της πρωταγωνίστριας Κέιτλιν, που είναι μια “δυνατή” χάκερ, αλλά συνάμα και μια γοητευτική γυναίκα, έτοιμη να δοκιμάσει τα πάντα για να καταφέρει να μάθει την αλήθεια, καθώς και του συντρόφου της, που είναι αστυνομικός στο επάγγελμα και σαφώς πιο προσγειωμένος σε όλα του.
Η βουτιά της πρωταγωνίστριας στον άγνωστο κόσμο των SM Clubs και το κατά πόσο αυτό επηρεάζει τη ζωή της είναι και το βασικό στοιχείο του βιβλίου, αυτό που μελετάται. Είναι σαφέστατα ενδιαφέρον, αλλά κατά τη δική μου γνώμη υπερκαλύπτει άσκοπα οτιδήποτε άλλο. Λόγου χάρη, ακόμα και η διερεύνηση της δολοφονίας που συμβαίνει στην αρχή του βιβλίου, από ένα σημείο και μετά γίνεται δευτερεύον στοιχείο του, όπως δευτερεύουσα γίνεται και η υπό-ιστορία του συντρόφου της πρωταγωνίστριας. Η συγγραφέας σαφέστατα το κάνει συνειδητά, απλά στα δικά μου μάτια μπορούσε να δώσει επιπλέον χώρο και σε αυτά, δίνοντας επιπλέον δύναμη στο βιβλίο. (Οι υπό πλοκές αυτές αναζωπυρώνονται στο τέλος).
Να υπογραμμίσω πάντως ότι η πρόζα της συγγραφέως είναι πολύ καλή και σε αρκετά σημεία σκέτο ξυράφι. Οι εικόνες που δημιουργεί είναι πεντακάθαρες και ανατριχιαστικές.
Κλείνοντας λοιπόν, λέω ότι θεωρώ πως όσοι δεν έχουν θέμα με το να σοκαριστούν από τα όσα BDSM λαμβάνουν χώρα στο βιβλίο, θα μείνουν ικανοποιημένοι.
December 6, 2016
Have loved Faust's other niors, but the plausibly deniability just hit me too hard on this one. The face behind the hottest club being a complete psychopath? That's not a club people that would have retention. [I completely own that I might be too close to the subject matter for an unbiased opinion]
Still love Faust though, I believe this was her first published work so I don't hold it against her. [she got betta] Highly recommend Laura Antoniou's 'The Killer Wore Leather' instead for a 'murder-mystery within the kink scene' done so much better.
Still love Faust though, I believe this was her first published work so I don't hold it against her. [she got betta] Highly recommend Laura Antoniou's 'The Killer Wore Leather' instead for a 'murder-mystery within the kink scene' done so much better.
July 12, 2012
Three and a half stars. It's a decent first novel that is more about the main character's sexual/psychological self discovery than the murder mystery that bookends the real story. Although the book has thriller aspirations (that pay off in spades in Faust's work for Hard Case Crime), the initial conventional storyline introduced here is quickly abandoned and left only hinted at for the lion's share of the novel. When that story picks back up again at the end, it moves quickly (and a little improbably). However, the murder mystery is not as compelling as the down-the-rabbit-hole examination of professional SM culture. The real tension in the book comes from wondering whether there will come a moment in Caitlin's increasingly dark bildungsroman that is too much for her to endure. I'd recommend this one to anyone looking for a real SM book, not some dilettante Twlight fan fic.
NOTE: There's an incredibly frustrating it's/its problem throughout the book that, having read Faust's other work, had to be the result of an insane editor's interference when first published by Masquerade Books. That's how I'm rationalizing it, anyway.
NOTE: There's an incredibly frustrating it's/its problem throughout the book that, having read Faust's other work, had to be the result of an insane editor's interference when first published by Masquerade Books. That's how I'm rationalizing it, anyway.
May 18, 2012
Faust's forward to this edition discusses some of the difficulty she had in getting this published (and how it was eventually picked up by a fly-by-night outfit that later folded), and I can see why this one didn't go mainstream at that time. Even now, the tone and violence level can be a bit hard to take at times. But I do really appreciate how Faust doesn't go for bow-tidy endings - she definitely subverts your expectations pretty well, even if the solution to the book's opening murder is somewhat obvious. Not for the faint of heart, but interesting to go back and see how Faust has progressed as a writer.
February 16, 2013
CONTROL FREAK is the first novel by Christa Faust, published in '98 by Masquerade Books. I don't know if it's horror or crime? Maybe a combination of both, and throw in a heavy dose of s&m! CONTROL FREAKS see's pulp novelist Caitlin go undercover in New Yorks S&M underworld to track down a killer. She becomes drawn in, and the sexual dominant insider her is unleashed and she finds herself part of the game... Great eye for detail, I think it would take a true dominant to write such a novel. Eye opening!
February 13, 2015
I find Christa Faust's stories to be odd in a quite interesting way. This one, though, went too far down the erotic path for my taste (and I'm not sure what the horror element is). I'm just too old to like that sort of thing any more. That doesn't mean it's not good.
But if you're young and looking for a severely countercultural thrill, this book is an excellent choice for you. It's well told, which makes it a rare example of its type.
But if you're young and looking for a severely countercultural thrill, this book is an excellent choice for you. It's well told, which makes it a rare example of its type.
Read
July 14, 2016DNF. A few minutes less than two hours into the audiobook, reached Chapter 9, short of 20%.
Sorry, I just couldn't keep going. The narration alternated between nondescript/just adequate and irritating. The story was interesting, but not interesting enough for me to disregard the narration that simply didn't work for me, nor interesting enough for me to switch to another format.
Sorry, I just couldn't keep going. The narration alternated between nondescript/just adequate and irritating. The story was interesting, but not interesting enough for me to disregard the narration that simply didn't work for me, nor interesting enough for me to switch to another format.
January 28, 2014
This is a great adventure into the the subculture with heavy integration of geekiness and technology. While I am not into the extremes of SM, I still found it entertaining. It is a bit dated so the Tech isn't current, but being tech savvy in that time it still makes sense to me.
February 15, 2024
I really wish this book wasn't a mystery. Every element of that plot falls into total unbelievability that distracts from Faust's real interest in telling a story of becoming and self discovery in an area that for many is deeply taboo.
Character development and setting 5 stars
Plot 1 star.
Character development and setting 5 stars
Plot 1 star.
Read
November 5, 2008re-read
November 8, 2011
Interesting but dated first novel by Christa Faust of the New York BDSM scene.
December 15, 2012
nice written, nice pictures, weired characters....
i loved it.
i loved it.
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