Book Review

Carpe Demon: Confessions of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom (book 1)
by Julie Kenner
Jove
2006

Life may not be completely roses and sunshine for Kate Connor - after all, raising a teenager and a toddler isn't a walk in the park - but at least she hasn't had to slay a demon in years. San Diablo has never been a hotbed of demonic activity. That's what drew Kate and her late husband to the area in the first place - a nice safe place to settle in and raise a family. Until today. On a shopping trip with her children, Kate catches a whiff of demonic bad breath and the next thing she knows, she's got a dead demon in her kitchen, a broken picture window, two kids that can't know anything about what just happened, and a husband who's bringing people over for a "small dinner party" in hopes of garnering support for his bid to be County Attorney.

Peachy.

Now Kate finds herself in a situation she's never been in before - balancing being thrown back into the wonderful world of Hunting with being a stay-at-home mom and superwife to a political candidate. The demon Goramesh has come to town and he wants something. But what? To make matters worse, she's not sure who she can trust - is her husband working with the forces of darkness? What about Cutter, the handsome but nosy martial arts expert who's trying to help her get back into shape? Just like the Transformers, there is more to this little town than meets the eye.

And how on Earth is she supposed to hunt demons with a toddler on her hip?

Kenner's opening book in the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series is like what would happen if Buffy grew up, had a family, and had to start slaying again. Being a fan of Buffy, that's what drew me to the series in the first place. Kenner does a wonderful job explaining who her characters are and how they all tie together. As I was reading the story, I was able to get a mental picture of the characters and the setting. In parts, the flow of the story lagged just a bit but Kenner was able to bring it back on track and recapture my interest.