Review: Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland

Title: Mark of the Demon
Author: Diana Rowland
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: 06/23/09
Summary:

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...

Plot: 5 Stars
This novel kept me guessing from beginning to end. Just when I thought I may have possibly figured something out, I was completely wrong, but in a good way. I like when the plot twists are surprising. I also enjoyed how well the author's experience as a law enforcement officer came through. She balanced it perfectly: the police procedural was detailed and specific, without being cumbersome.

Pace: 4 Stars
Although the novel flowed really well for the most part, there were a few scenes that felt a little slower paced than the rest of the novel. The ending, which could have easily been very confusing if faster paced, played out perfectly.

Characters: 5 Stars
I loved the main character, Kara. She had all of the qualities you want in a tough UF heroine without the whining many heroines tend towards. And besides the characters, I loved how much detail we were given about each type of demon.

Cover: 4 Stars
I like the color and font choices for the cover. I also like the abstract design overlayed over the cover image. I'm just not the biggest fan of cover models without faces. But since the charm around the model's neck is takes some of the focus off of the model's lack of face, I can forgive the cover artist a little.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.