Review: Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland

Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian #1) by Diana Rowland
Synopsis (Goodreads):

Cop and conjurer of demons, she's a woman in danger of losing control—to a power that could kill....

Why me? Why now? That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who’s already claimed the lives—and souls—of thirteen people? And should she? The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he’s back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore.

Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac’s small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head...

My Thoughts: I picked this book up on a whim and, Holy Toledo!, am I glad I did. I loved the world building. I was equal parts entranced and grossed out by the murders that Kara is investigating. I loved the twists. I loved the turns. I was right there with her as Kara realized that Rhyzkahl had been acting in his best interests when he began cultivating Kara's (for lack of a better word) friendship. In fact, I'm hoping that things take a turn between Rhyzkahl and Kara down the line. A sexier turn. Rawr!

I'm not going to lie, the murders are gross. They're brutal and bloody and Kara has to work the case like a normal detective while being able to see with her arcane sight that there's more to what's going on here than meets the eye. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. How can she tell her fellow detectives that the things she knows aren't hunches when most of them don't even know that the world of demons and magic exists? Her knowledge of the arcane could destroy her career but with a serial killer systematically butchering victims she doesn't have the luxury of keeping quiet.

I'm going to go out on a limb here (not really) and say that sexy FBI dude Ryan Kristoff is supposed to be a viable love interest. This won't shock anyone, I know, but I am so not on that train. With Rhyzkahl in the picture I just can't see it. On the pro side, Ryan is human. On the con side, he's totally not a hawt demon lord. Quite frankly, I'm shallow enough that HAWT DEMON LORD trumps all. However, I do kinda love the name Kristoff, so he does get a check mark for that.

It's been, like, a whole week since I read an urban fantasy book and this one hit the spot. It was fast paced, bloody, dark, sexy and it was exactly what I wanted to read. The Hawt Demon Lord didn't hurt, either.

For the record, this is my first Diana Rowland book (I know that someone, somewhere, just gasped because I haven't read her White Trash Zombie books, but that damn TBR pile keeps getting in the way) and I can guarantee it won't be my last.

Books in this series
1. Mark of the Demon - Paperback | Kindle
2. Blood of the Demon
3. Secrets of the Demon
4. Sins of the Demon
5. Touch of the Demon

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