Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Book 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Diana Rowland (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 23, 2009

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...

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Mark of the Demon is a nifty combination of police procedural and urban fantasy. Not too many detectives summon demons in their basement for the fun of it, but Kara Gillian is not your average law enforcement officer. In the course of Rowland’s first book, Kara learns a lot about demons, her past, and above all, herself.”—Charlaine Harris, New York Times bestselling author of From Dead to Worse

“Rowland spins a tale that is riveting, suspenseful, and deliciously sexy. With a unique take on demons, and with one of the most terrifying serial killers ever, Mark of the Demon will keep you up late at night turning pages.”—Jenna Black, author of Speak of the Devil

“Mark of the Demon is a fascinating mixture of a hard-boiled police procedural and gritty yet other-worldly urban fantasy. Diana Rowland’s professional background as a both street cop and forensic assistant not only shows through but gives the book a realism sadly lacking in all too many urban fantasy “crime” novels.”—L. E. Modesitt, Jr., author of the Saga of Recluce

About the Author

Diana Rowland has lived her entire life below the Mason-Dixon line, uses "y'all" for second-person-plural, and otherwise has no southern accent (in her opinion.) She attended college at Georgia Tech where she earned a BS in Applied Mathematics, and after graduation forgot everything about higher math as quickly as possible.

She has worked as a bartender, a blackjack dealer, a pit boss, a street cop, a detective, a computer forensics specialist, a crime scene investigator, and a morgue assistant, which means that she’s seen more than her share of what humans can do to each other and to themselves. She won the marksmanship award in her Police Academy class, has a black belt in Hapkido, has handled numerous dead bodies in various states of decomposition, and can’t rollerblade to save her life.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (June 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553592351
• ISBN-13: 978-0553592351
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 71 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Debut That Will Blow You Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!! July 8, 2009

By Rachael

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Detective Kara Gillian is a bit of a loner because of her secret life as a demon summoner. It's hard to get close to someone when you have a summoning circle drawn on your basement floor and you leave your candles and tools laying around for anyone to see. When not summoning demons, Kara works as a Detective for the Violent Crimes unit. She is recently promoted out of Property Crimes and is very excited to be working some homicide cases.

During a summoning to complete her Summoner Training, the wrong Demon comes through the portal and into Kara's house. He doesn't seem all that bad, especially when he shows Kara what she's been missing from not having a man lately. But after her encounter, Kara realizes what a huge mistake she has made and that this Demon is not one to play around with. When he starts invading her dreams and the line between reality and dreaming is confused, Kara starts to regret ever doing the summoning in the first place.

A serial killer dubbed The Symbol Man killed thirteen people when Kara first joined the police academy. He was never apprehended and now three years later, he has begun his killing spree once again. Kara has always been interested in the case since first sensing arcane power around one of the deceased bodies. She has studied the case files and is the most educated on The Symbol Man out of everyone in the police force. So when Kara is given the lead on the case for her first job in Violent Crimes, she is thrilled to be given such a big opportunity to prove herself as a Detective.

The FBI has joined forces on this case and with them comes a gorgeous but obnoxious man named Agent Kristoff. Kara works side by side with him while trying to keep her knowledge of the occult under wraps so everyone doesn't peg her as a crazy satanic worshipper.

When the case turns out to definitely involve the world of the occult, Kara is at a crossroads on what to do. Does she keep her occult knowledge and position as a demon summoner a secret and try to solve the case herself or does she put her trust in a member of the FBI in the hopes that he doesn't think she's a lunatic? If Kara doesn't entrust in someone for some help, more people could end up killed. Will Kara's decision turn deadly or will she solve the case and come out alive?

Mark of the Demon is a delightful collaboration of genres including urban fantasy, suspense, romance and police procedural. Debut author Diana Rowland takes everything that I love in a book and puts it all together to write an outstanding novel. Take a dash of Charmed mixed with some Dexter and you have Mark of the Demon.

Mark of the Demon demands to be read in one sitting and is impossible to put down. There are some graphic scenes in this book so it is definitely not for the faint of heart. I enjoy the gritty and grimy aspects and was indeed shocked and scared while reading this book and it's not easy to scare me! Mark of the Demon is a breath taking, heart stopping, white knuckler thriller that grabbed me by the throat and didn't let go! Run and get this book when it releases June 23rd. The next book, Blood of the Demon is due out January 26, 2010.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rowland's Demesne is Urban Fantasy at its Finest! August 20, 2009

By Tracy TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Beaulac Homicide detective Kara Gillian likes her chocolate donuts a little too much for her waistline. She's short, a bit socially inept, tactless and a bit crude, and as persistent as a terrier with a bone. She's not terribly beautiful, isn't terribly strong physically, and she hasn't ever had a boyfriend stick around longer than three months. Her childhood wasn't a walk in the park, and she dealt with personal trauma in not always the best ways. She's smart, and dedicated to her job as a cop, oh - and she's got a nifty ability to summon demons from the demon plane.

She's also the shining star of Diana Rowland's exciting debut novel, Mark of the Demon.

Sarcastic and witty, Kara is just flat-out-fun to read, and she's so refreshingly real and layered, such a nice change from the leather-clad, kick-ass, superhuman, biker-type heroines of most urban fantasy series that I found myself pitching headfirst into this book, unable to put it down until the wee wee hours of the morning, after finishing every delicious page.

An awesome blend of cop thriller and paranormal mystery, Mark of the Demon is exquisitely detailed, richly plotted, and well-paced. Her characters are human, with histories that aren't always pleasant, and personalities that sometimes match. FBI Agent Ryan Kristoff in particular was a yummy treat. Sometimes he was a total fed, sometimes he was like a goofy kid, and never did that dichotomy seem out of place or undefined.

Rowland's life experience truly gave an absolute air of legitimacy to the police stuff and her imagination blew me away on the paranormal stuff. Her demons and the world in which they inhabit, glimpsed only briefly but so beautifully, are a breath of fresh air in a literary world gasping for it. Rowland does a totally kick ass job introducing you to them and to the world in which Mark of the Demon exists. It rocked MY world and made me rock with laughter. It made me ache for the girl who suffered a childhood trauma and fell down a path of self-destruction and cheer for the woman who pulled herself off that path and doesn't let her past define or cripple her, or use it as an excuse to be horrible to everyone around her (or to herself). There was strength of character in Kara Gillian, and I appreciated it. And there were such DELIGHTFUL teasers in the book, hints of what'll be further fleshed out (I hope) and explored in the next book, Blood of the Demon, to be released in February of 2010. I. Can. Not. Wait!!

The only small criticism I have for the book was an early scene following the accidental summoning of Rhyzkahl, a demon lord. The subsequent scene seemed out of place and out of character, and the deeper I went into the book the more out of character it seemed upon reflection. I just don't see how Kara could go from being terrified beyond human comprehension and certain of her death to getting it on with the singly most destructive creature she'll ever meet, no matter how beautiful. I understood the compulsion bit, but when Rhyzkahl ceased that, the rest seemed jarringly out of place. As a result, that scene seemed sort of gratuitous and unnecessary.

That being said, I would like to caution those readers who like their violence or description of crime scenes to be glossed over. Rowland pulls no punches and hides no horror. It would be a shame to miss this book, but it may be necessary for you. That's not a criticism, as I happen to like the gritty reality of it and understand the necessity, but not everyone will or does.

Mark of the Demon gets a 4.5 stars (and a big HELL YEAH) from me. Highly recommended and MUCH appreciated! Enjoy!

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars CSI: Demonology turns out so-so September 18, 2009

By Madame X TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

MARK OF THE DEMON gets a mixed review from me. On the one hand, the author did a lot of things right - she has personal experience as a detective and crime scene investigator, and it shows in her descriptions of police procedure and professonal camaraderie. Her worldbuilding is well thought out, thus far limited to the existence of demons inhabiting a parallel sphere that can be temporarily summoned to earth by those possessing the gift of arcane power. The different types of demons, and what they can offer and demand from a potential summoner, are well-detailed.

While the author's research is impeccable, the protagonist, Kara Gillian, never quite gelled for me. We find out a lot about her - her parents died when she was young, sending her into a tailspin and a brush with excessive drug use before she cleaned up her act and became a cop. She's a demon summoner, a loner, and easily scarred; she's had two brief relationships that ended poorly, leaving her with the impression that she should give up on men entirely. She's alternately confident and deeply insecure, professional and irresponsible, eager to be one of the guys and determined not to play their stupid games. I realize that real people are inconsistent, and I give the author credit for creating a complex character here, I still wanted something to grab onto. I never felt like I had anything to connect with because the narrative voice is the glue that ought to bind it all together, and it just wasn't distinct enough here.

I was also a little annoyed by the plotting. For example, the serial killer she's tracking, Symbol Man, selects victims who won't be missed too badly - drug addicts and homeless people. Kara is convinced that these victims are selected for a reason, not at random, after careful observation. She interviews a guy who spends a lot of time drawing and photographing homeless people, going so far as to set up his office in a shelter. No alarm bells go off in her head. That guy is just one of the potential suspects, but I knew he was a potential suspect several chapters before the homicide detective narrating the story did, and that was really really frustrating.

I also didn't feel the chemistry between Kara and the FBI agent she partners with for the case, Ryan Kristoff. I like paranormals where romance takes a backseat, but it still needs to pack a punch. I still want to find it exciting and thrilling, which is harder to achieve in smaller doses. Here, Kara and Ryan's relationship just felt awkward to me; I wouldn't really notice or care if he were replaced by someone new. I'm not sure if the Demon Lord is really meant to be a legitimate possibility for romance, either; he's sexy, sure, but he's also terrifying.

MARK OF THE DEMON isn't bad. It's pretty good on the whole. It just didn't grab me, and I'm unlikely to pick up the sequel.