Rating Clarification. 4.5

Do you all remember when the first CSI series came out about a decade ago?
How we all couldn't get enough of it?
It wasn't that there was no other mystery/crime investigation series but this was something more, different and enticing.
Switch the forensic science in CSI into a demonic summoner and you have Kara Gillian series in front of you!

The only other book in YA genre I think is similar to this is The Body Finder. I enjoyed this book. The chasing, figuring out the ki More...

I can certainly say that Mark of the Demon is a great novel for those who enjoy a suspenseful crime solving mystery. Diana has written a strong heroine with Louisiana Homicide Detective Kara Gillian who is able to summon demons. Even though Kara does have this ability it doesn’t overtake the story. Diana has a great way of balancing everything from how Kara handles her powers, to the way she investigates her latest case about a serial killer named the Symbol Man who carves up bodies in a sort of More...

I'm sorry, but this book just bores me to tears. My mind wandered constantly while I read it. Those who are impressed with her attention to detail regarding police procedure should read one of the first 8 Anita Blake books, where the police procedure feels genuine but is also ENTERTAINING in an urban fantasy setting. Also, the protagonist Kara Gillian is a loner, so you spend way too much time alone with her thoughts. The only scene that grabbed my attention is right at the beginning, when she m More...

This review is also published at http://thebookaholiccat.com

Detective Kara Gillian had just been promoted from the Property Crimes Division to the Violent Crimes Division at the Beaulac Police Department in Louisiana. Kara is also a Demon Summoner. She has the ability to open portals from our world to a parallel world where the demons reside. But these demons are not the same as described in religious contexts, these are not evil beings just different from us.
She has been training for years und More...

I have to thank my Goodreads friend, Jess R, for encouraging me to read this book. All she said was, Rhyzkahl was like an Anne Stuart hero, and I was there. And I am so glad about it.

Mark of the Demon gave me one heck of a read. Diana Rowland managed to take the concept of demon summoning and write a story that got past my personal hang-ups about that idea. I like that she made it clear that her concept of demons veers from the Christian concept, because I don't know if I could have been down wi More...

I really enjoyed this! I found Kara a really likeable and honest character! I normally get bored with too much focus on police prodecure explainations and criminal investigations, but I loved the pace and I wasnt bored at any stage. I prefer this type of character to say Anita Blake, where I find her ( Anita Blake's) survival instincts lead to her manipulating situations to fit in with her way of thinking, so she can better live with her decisions. Kara has a vulnerable side, and I appreciate th More...

The only thing i can say it AMAZINGGGGG...ok maybe a bit more
-suspenseful i couldn't put it down and finished it in less than a day
-about 300 pgs
- 2 sections of sexy time
- the image she paint of rhyzcal(however u spell it) is hot! i might post my image of him on deviant art so if u wanna see go to my prof
-kara is very down to earth and relatable. She seems like a real person.
-arcane stuff aka MAGIC! and demon summoning!!! which is totally cool. kara's control of the arcane is special cuz shes ' More...

- Dès le départ, on est plongé dans la vie de Kara Gillian : à la fois flic et invocatrice. Les bases de l'histoire se posent assez vite et c'est tout de suite très intéressant. Cependant, j'ai eu un peu peur pour le reste de l'histoire une fois que la 1ère rencontre avec le démon Rhyzahl a eu lieue. Mais non, l'enquête reste bien le coeur du récit et j'ai trouvé cette histoire vraiment géniale.
Le récit souffre de quelques petites longueurs, mais rien de bien méchant, et en plus le tout est ratt More...

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 More...

A Louisiana police detective who also happens to summon demons in her basement as a hobby, an occult serial killer back for a second spree, and, oh yeah, a manipulative, powerful and toe-curlingly beautiful demon lord eager for a taste of freedom-- and for another taste of our heroine. What's not to like about this book?

I just picked up this series for the library after the success of Rowland's _My Life as a White Trash Zombie_, and wow, I hope the rest of it's as good as the first. It's simila More...

Kara Gillian is a police detective in Beaulac, Louisiana and has finally had her big break - she’s moving from property crimes to homicide - and her first case is a doozey - the Symbol Man, a serial killer who has been inactive for years has restarted his killings. And Kara is in charge of solving the case - not bad for her first murder case.

Of course, she has advantages. Not only has she read all the files on the Symbol Man killings, but she also has her own Arcane connections. Kara Gillian is More...

I wish I could remember exactly how I stumbled on this series. I’m delighted that I did, because overall I enjoyed this debut novel. If someone recommended it to me, please send me more! If I found it via Amazon’s “you might like this” feature well, kudos! They were right, I did like it. Now for some details:

First line: “I could hear the intruder breaking into my house. Unfortunately, it was in the same instant that the demon appeared before me.” Two things about this opening. 1. Something about More...

Southern Louisiana cop Kara Gillian isn't just the newest addition to the violent crimes team, but also a summoner-in-training who summons demons in her basement. When a spooky serial killer named The Symbol Man returns to ritual killings after a three year absence, Kara must unwravel the mystery and find the killer before he take more lives. Meanwhile, an unexpected demon comes through during one of Kara's summonings and as she tries to figure out the demon's identity, the murder case becomes i More...

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 th More...

I like the way that demons and summoning are handled in this book. I don't usually go for the witchy/demony books, but this one's witchy/demony/detective and the detective stuff made it work for me. It helps that the author clearly knows a LOT about being a cop, so most of that stuff rings true - including the sighing about unexciting paperwork.

The mystery moves along at a good clip, and the demons are helpfully not evil, just powerfully self-interested. The torrid bodice-ripper stuff comes as p More...

~* 4.5 Stars *~
Rowland's Demesne is Urban Fantasy at its Finest!
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 alway More...

You know, sometimes friends see the same book in a completely different way, that's why I read books that sound interesting, even if they don't have the best reviews. Even if said review is by a friend ;)

My friend Kathy gave this book two stars. I gave it four. What rubbed her the wrong way didn't really bother me. My biggest complaint came at the beginning of the book. I felt there was too much unnecessary history about the area. A little too much thinking during conversations, so I fogot what More...

I've been out of the loop in the urban fantasy department for the past couple months, having gone on a romance spree, but I thought it was as good a time as any to make a quick trip into the Fantasy aisles of my local bookstore. After seeing a pretty flattering cover quote on a never-before published author, and I decided to give Mark of the Demon a spin. Aren't I glad I did!

Mark of the Demon introduces Kara Gillian, a Louisiana detective who has very recently been transferred to the Violent Cri More...

Rowland's first novel is an exciting fantasy procedural. It's not quite an urban fantasy, as it takes place in a relatively rural area of Louisiana, but it's close. Rowland's extensive real-life experience in the law enforcement business lend realism to a fantastic story.

Kara is a newly promoted homicide detective who also summons demons. The reason for demon summoning is never quite explained; it's something she has the genetic gift to do, so she does it. Demon summoning is a way to gain knowle More...

It's a strange feeling for me to read a book that's more UF than PNR.. I've always been a Romance Reader -- that is, I typically want a strong romantic storyline in my novels, with a clear "hero" and "heroine", possibly some steam, definite monogamy, and a clear Happily Ever After (HEA)

And yet, despite the fact that this book had none of those save the bit-o-steam, I adored it.

Kara Gillian is definitely one of my new favorite heroines. She's kick-butt awesome (I mean, she is a cop y'all) without More...

My thoughts...This was a very dark story that kept me guessing until the very end. The plot could be described like an episode of CSI, from the crime scene workers to the medical coroner giving autopsies. The heroine, Kara, is placed as lead on a murder investigation to find a serial killer who has recently restarted his killing spree after a lengthy hiatus. She has the abilitly to summons demons which helps her detect the presence of arcane on the victims. Diana Rowland did a phenomenal job of More...

I have to admit, I am a urban fantasy snob. I have authors I love (Patricia Briggs, Jeniene Frost and Rachel Caine) and those I just like. Lately, I have been restless and unfulfilled. My favorite authors and finalizing their next installments of novels and I have desperately looking for new material. Unfortunately the results have been less than stellar and have left me totally disillusioned. So, I decided to take a chance on Mark of the Demon and boy, was I pleasantly surprised. I loved Ms. Ro More...

Mark of the Demon is dark, sexy, fare where the heroine doesn’t always get her way and the chase is filled with longing as well as plenty of twists and turns. For those fans of Kim Harrison’s Hollows series, Mark of the Demon will instantly be a hit. Guaranteed. And those fans who might hunger for a Rachel Morgan demon “lurve” connection with Algaliarept or Minias, or Morgan Kingsley and Lugh from Jenna Black’s series, then feed your desires with Mark of the Demon.

Kara Gillian leads dual lives: More...

I have had this on my shelf since the author Tweeted at Comicon she wanted to give me a copy, haha. I got a little burnt out on Urban Fantasy novels though, so I put it on the pile of "things I want to get to when I'm again in the mood for supernatural ladies doing it with demon/vampire/were-men".

First, I love the cover art, classy, thank you! (since half the UF stuff out there is utter awfulness. Even though I read most stuff on my Kindle, it's the principal of the thing.)

The book is quite goo More...

I thought that this was a really good book for a start. Kara was an interesting character and I found myself rooting for her. What I really liked about her was her ability to look at her life and accept it, not whine about how she was dealt a bad deal and her choices to deal with them. I also like Tessa, her relationship with Kara. It was funny how they both were hiding what they both really thought about each other, but in the end came clean. Which considering the ending Kara will be grateful f More...

"Mark of the Demon" is more paranormal mystery with hot sex than a paranormal romance with mystery. Make sense? The is Diana Rowland's first book about a brand new detective in soutern Lousiana who also happens to be a demon summoner. Her very first case turns out to be one that has ties to her family's past and also introduces her to one smoking hot demon lord!

Kara is a small-town cop and a demon summoner. When her first case turns out to be the resurgence of the 'Symbol Man' killings after a t More...

A friend and colleague lent it to me, saying she adored it, so I started it yesterday morning and had a hell of a hard time putting it down until it was finished (damn work and damn sleep !).
I really liked the characters. Kara is far from being an idiot, she just has a problem relating to people because she's able to summon demons while she works as a cop, so can't let anybody know about it.
Her aunt was an excentric darling. Rhyzkahl is powerful and seducing, but why is he really wanting to step More...

Kara is a police officer in a small town in Louisiana trying to find a serial killer. She also happens to be a summoner, one of a secret, small number of humans genetically gifted with the ability to open a portal between our world and a world of "demons" (not judeo-christian, really, just a handy term)and summon the inhabitants into our world.

Of course, the serial killer turns out to be a summoner, too. And of course, Kara tries to summon a demon to help her catch the killer and ends up summoni More...

Things I liked:
1. Solid feeling details on the police and morgue work. Totally made sense when I got to the end and read the bio and saw the author had spent time working in both places. Sort of like "I knew she knew her stuff!" Lots of urban fantasy borrows from mystery/noir, but usually it doesn't feel so realistic - more of what people like to imagine solving a case is like rather than what it is like. And yes, that is a way of saying that Kara does paperwork.
2. The main character definitely More...

I really liked this book, liked it enough to want to read the second one in the series.
I had a few issues with the writing at first, some unecessary and annoying repetitions, but it got good along the way.

The mystery, the case Kara's working on, was nicely written and interesting. Also, not blatantly obvious 10 chapters in the novel, which is always a plus in my book ya'know.

I liked most of the characters too. Kara, for the most part, is smart, strong and funny. Her aunt is awesome and so is the More...