Book Review

California Demon: Confessions of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom (Book 2)
by Julie Kenner
Jove
2007

Kate Connor spent the first two decades of her life fighting demons and saving the world from the darkness. All she ever wanted after that was to retire with her husband, Eric, and raise their daughter in peace. So they relocated to San Diablo, California - demon-free thanks to the large Catholic cathedral that is the focal point for the town. Fifteen years later, Eric is gone - murdered in a mugging gone wrong - and Kate is remarried to Stuart. They have a son together and life is slowly coming back together. Or so Kate thinks. Demons come to San Diablo and Kate is once again thrust into the role of Level 4 Demon Hunter. However, she still has to keep up with her role as stay-at-home mom and super-wife to a political candidate. And she's got a new houseguest to keep up with in Eddie, a retired Demon Hunter who knows more than he wants to say.

Kate's daughter, Allie, has started high school and is quickly enveloped in all the extracurricular activities: cheerleading, working with the surf club to put on a fundraiser, and potentially dating. Fantastic! There's a new teacher at the school that seems entirely too familiar to Kate - David Long's mannerisms cut too close to Kate's late husband's for comfort. And Kate's best friend Laura thinks her husband is having an affair. Is David actually Eric? Is Allie dating a demon? Did Timmy just flush the goldfish down the toilet?

Nothing is ever simple in the life of a demon-hunting soccer mom!

Kenner's second installment in the series picks up just a few months after the second book left off. A lot of the characters are back for this second installment and Kenner does a good job reminding us that they've changed due to the events in the first book. One thing that I didn't mention before is that I absolutely love the titles of these books. Carpe Demon, California Demon - clever and catchy. California Demon is a great read that I recommend to any fan of the supernatural!