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Book Review of Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Bk 1)

Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Bk 1)
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Helpful Score: 2


Detective Kara Gillian of the Beulac, LA police force is also secretly a summoner of demons. Newly promoted to Homicide, she finds herself assigned as primary to a murder that looks suspiciously like a series of killings from years ago, a cold case that she had researched out of personal curiosity, thus making her the resident "expert" on the killer nicknamed the Symbol Man. But she has other problems to contend with - one of her summonings has gone wrong, and a Demon Lord seems to have become inexplicably sexually attracted to her. While she realizes the danger this places her in, she is also tempted to seek his help in solving the murders as the perpetrator appears to be killing for some arcane ritual.

This was an ok read but really falls short when compared to much better mystery fare out there. While the demon sex actually had a reasonable place in the story, it still felt too gratuitous, and the police procedure a little shaky. I did enjoy several lines of biting wit delivered by the heroine, but there were also instances when a scene felt contrived just to give the heroine a chance to be a bad-ass bitch. The convolutions of the mystery leading to the final resolution were also a tad contrived to keep the reader guessing, but enjoyable enough. Overall a good light read, but while I might read more of the series if I came across the books, I have no inclination to actively seek them out.