California Demon - Julie Kenner

California Demon
Julie Kenner
Berkley

Paranormal

NOTE: If you haven’t read the first book, CARPE DEMON, this review contains spoilers.

Kate Connor thought she was through with being a Demon Hunter. She’d been retired for fifteen years when evil reared its head in idyllic and previously demon-free San Diablo, California. Then, due to the lack of available Hunters, she was forced back into action in order to protect her family and the world.

Now things seem to be settling down a bit. Allie, Kate’s teenaged daughter, is going to the local high school and weathering her first serious crush. There’s something strangely familiar about the new teacher at the high school. Timmy has hit the ‘terrible twos,’ and husband Stuart is about to announce his intentions to run for county attorney. Now is not a good time to be distracted from her home life. Demons have no consideration.

Together with her best friend Laura, the only non-Hunter aware of her secret identity, Kate pieces together what appears to be some kind of demonic plan that centers around the high school, and Allie. She’s also beginning to have doubts about the circumstances surrounding the death of her first husband, Eric, who was her partner in all things, hunting included.

The second installment of this entertaining series is a bit deeper and more complex than the first. There’s still a good deal of not-too-graphic mayhem, injected with a substantial dose of humor. Bringing Laura in on the secret is not only a help to Kate, but also a help to the series, since less time is now devoted to Kate attempting to find a babysitter at short notice with no explanation. That leaves more time for plot development. Like the first, this is a fun, frothy read, perfect for summertime.

Rating: 7 ½
June 2006
ISBN# 0-425-21043-X (trade paperback)

Rating Scale: 1-10