Review – Money Shot by Christa Faust

Money Shot is a gritty and gripping novel and well represents a New Pulp author who continues to excel and innovate in the category, including her novelizations, comic books, and work in other media. Currently, you may have encountered Christa Faust in her recent comic book series, Bad Mother.

Money Shot evokes the origins of pulp overlaid with modern sensibilities — it is lurid, violent, and skids from one point to the next rapidly, piling up the bodies and peeling back the exploitation and crime beneath our society.

It’s the story of former porn star Angel Dare. Dare is lured to make one last porn shoot and her betrayal and abduction is part of a many-faceted mystery that explodes on the pages. The characters are believable, all with their own flaws and quirks, and the ending is a heart-shattering trainwreck. It’s highly visual, visceral, and gritty, suiting its subject matter.

Money Shot was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original and won the 2009 Crimespree Award for Best Original Paperback.

I purchased and read the Kindle version.
This was the first in a series of Angel Dare novels by Faust.