Mark of the Demon

Kara Gillian, Book 1

By: Diana Rowland

Narrated by: Liv Anderson

Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's 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 13 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.

©2009 Diana Rowland (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Great Story but I won't read the series

Where does Mark of the Demon rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I thought it was a great stand alone. I won't read the series though.

Any additional comments?

Don't read any spoilers. The spoilers make me not want to read the series.

A Great New Series!!!

Would you listen to Mark of the Demon again? Why?

yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mark of the Demon?

Yes when Kiara and Lord Rhyzkahl got busy together on the basement floor. Hot!

Good job by both author and narrator

More like a 3.5. I am conflicted about how I felt about this book. I enjoyed it for the most part. I really did. But it wasn't what I was expecting, wanting, desiring to read at the moment.

I have read/listened to Diana Rowland's White Trash Zombie books. I was hoping for something like those but with a different heroine, if you. Think about that for a moment. We all hate when an author writes the same book but with a different heroine. So my premise was all wrong to begin with.

Anyhoo, don't be looking for Angel in Kara. Are there similarities? Yes. But the Kara Gillian book was darker. There was not as much humor. Kara is not as disingenuous as our zombie gal Angel, nor is she all that worldly wise. But she knows what she is from day 1. There is no fumbling around, in humorous ways, to figure out how to deal with her situation.

I have told you what it is not. Now I will share what it is.

Kara Gillian is a cop. But she is a cop with an outside life that includes her being a summoner. She summons demons. Now, these demons will do stuff for summoners, but there are different levels of demons one can summon. If you summon a demon that is not of a mind to be summoned, you could be opening up a can of demonic worms you really don't want to open.

And Kara does just that. But Kara can't figure out why or how she did it. She didn't want to. But she did. And of course, the demon doesn't shed any light on the situation for her.

So what we have is a cop with an unwanted demon. And then next thing you know, we have a cop with serial killer on her hands. Coincidence? I think not.

So the story takes us through the machinations of the serial killer, and the machinations of a demon lord with an agenda. Kara is the focal point of both.

There are a lot of red herrings in this book. Red herrings that you can smell. That is not my favorite plot device. They did seem a bit heavy handed.

I also had some issues with Kara's initial meeting with the demon. I didn't "approve" of what happened, nor did I approve when it happened again. But it is all explained away in a PC kind of way so I decided not to get my panties in a twist.

I listened to the Audible version. The narrator is Liv Anderson. I can't remember listening to her before, but I will now seek out books she has narrated. I thought she did a wonderful job.

Romance Tipped the Scales Down

I love the White Trash Zombie series and Rowland's writing, but I'm probably not getting into this series. I know this is one if not her first publications as an author, but there was a romance undercurrent flowing through it and it just wasn't lining up with my expectations. I think the story will be great for those who want a little romance triangle in their coffee. Writing was good, but after getting through WTZ 6, I know she's improved as an author.

I may have just found a new UF Favorite series

Did I just stumble upon a new urban fantasy series to add to my favorites? The jury is still out, given that this is only the first book, but what a start! The story is well paced and the magic system is interesting and seemed well thought out.

Mark of the Demon focuses on Kara Gillian, a newly promoted homicide detective who also happens to be a demon summoner. The result is a nice combination of mystery and urban fantasy. I liked the direction Ms. Rowland took with the demon mythology. It is not really clear why people summon, but then, everyone needs a hobby, right?

An interesting twist with this book is that it has some pretty hot scenes, but it is not particularly romancey. SWEET! It is like getting a gift even though there is no occasion. In this case, the gift is well written sexy times without the relationship angst that typically comes with them.

Without a doubt, the focus of the book is the murder mystery. People are dying, Kara is a detective...you do the math. The resolution was very well paced, with Rowland feeding you bits and hints, but not really handing it to you from the beginning. The investigation was very procedural, yet it incorporated the UF elements nicely.

I don't what took me so long to finally read this one, but I am ever so glad that I did. I just hope the rest of the series holds up to the promise of this one.

just OK

I bought this as a daily deal and I think it was a mistake to listen to this book right after I finished listening to 'Pillars of the Earth' - the high quality of 'Pillars' made the 'Mark of the Demon' feel like a cheap guilty pleasure. Not close to the same quality of story, character development & performance. I realize we are talking apples & oranges here but it was such a contrast I think it affected by ability to fairly review this book. It wasn't bad, but it was like junk food.......it was a gory romance novel. Probably better for younger reader, maybe 15-25yrs. I would have adored this book when i was 15 ;)

Wonderful Mystery!! Best I have read this year :)

Would you consider the audio edition of Mark of the Demon to be better than the print version?

Unknown

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kara because she was smart and powerful.

Which character – as performed by Liv Anderson – was your favorite?

Kara

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I really had a hard time stopping this book.

Mark of a Murderer

Interesting story between people with the Arcane abilities and Demons who serve them.A serial murderer is out there trying to summon a Demon Lord to exact revenge on those who have wronged him.Cara(a demon summoner and a private detective)finds herself personally embroiled with this case.Between doing her job and trying to keep the Arcane and Demon society a secret,she's over worked,over stressed and has been misguided and misled.Fortunately,she makes the ultimate sacrifice which turns out to be her salvation.But her story isn't done...no,she'll continue with more mysteries with interesting cases in other books in the series.Good listen.

just, WOW, you gotta listen to this book

What did you love best about Mark of the Demon?

Twists and turns, you don't know who the bad guy is until the end!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mark of the Demon?

When the main character meets a very high demon

What does Liv Anderson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

she is a great narrator

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

don't want to spoil it for anyone

Any additional comments?

worth the credit!

An Amazing Treat

Would you listen to Mark of the Demon again? Why?

If you are looking at this review and thinking about buying this book, I need you to know this is one of the best series I have ever encountered. I am almost envy you for the adventure you are about to encounter. I have had the pleasure of listening to this series twice and know I will enjoy it again.

What did you like best about this story?

The heroine is a mature and very real woman. As this series progresses she becomes more real, more likeable and someone to respect. The rest of the characters are just as well defined and continue to develop throughout the series. Be prepared to get almost nothing done for the week or so it will take you to listen to these books. Who needs sleep.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I care about these characters and can't wait to find out what happens next!