Book review time!

(N.B.: I received this book gratis, from the author, in exchange for a review. Of course, being a good little denizen of the Scripps academy (All hail everybody's favorite college-endowing publishing magnate!) the "free" element hath not tainted my objectivity with regard to the book's deliciousness or lack thereof.)

The novel in question is called Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom, by USA Today bestselling author Julie Kenner. That's right - "Carpe Demon." I know what you're thinking. I thought it myself. Oh no. A bad Latin pun. In the title. But rest easy, my friends. "Seize the Demon!" is, in fact, a very appropriate introduction for the pages which follow.

Kate Connor is an ex-Vatican-demon-hunter of the Forza Scura who has happily retired to San Diablo, California, a town which, in spite of its suspicious name, is demon-free thanks to the evil-repelling sanctity emanating from the local cathedral. 15 years after quitting her former profession, Kate's life now revolves around her public-office-seeking husband, Stuart, her teenage daughter, Allie, and her two year old, Timmy.

Alas, her blissful stay-at-home-mom-dom is shattered when a demon comes smashing through her kitchen window. Kate dispatches her visitor with relative ease, but his appearance signals the arrival of Goramesh, a particularly nasty demon with Bad Attitude in abundance. With the help of Judge Larson, an alimentatore - who sort of handles the academic side of demon-hunting - Kate's job is to figure out what Goramesh wants, find him, and dispose of him. And all without letting her family or friends catch a clue about her activities.

Needless to say, this makes for a pretty good plot. Kenner's style made me laugh out loud in several places - then again, dry, sarcastic wit is right up my alley! Kate's interactions with her husband and children ring true, and some domestic situations have as much comedic value as they do demon-induced dramatic tension. I'm also happy to say that the "Catholic" element of the story is handled with aplomb and is not of the beat-them-upside-the-head variety. And the story wraps with an excellent twist ending.

Mild obscenities are sprinkled throughout. There are a couple of (married) sex scenes. Corpses pop up and violent slayings occur. An R-rated book, I would say; just use your common sense. The subject matter makes it seem like a better Halloween-read. However, if you're looking for a good gift for a fiction reader, I recommend it for Christmas!

You can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Also see the author's website, www.juliekenner.com.