Kate Connor is a typical suburban California mom. Widowed and remarried with a teenage daughter and toddler son, she has a fairly idyllic life -- and a secret past.

An orphan raised by the Vatican, Kate was trained as a demon hunter. After years of successful supernatural slaying, she retired into domestic bliss. But when demons begin popping up at her local Wal-Mart and, worse yet, her kitchen just prior to an important cocktail party, Kate realizes that retirement is no longer a viable option.

Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner is an obvious riff on the Buffy genre. Not only does Kate have her own version of a Watcher and Watchers' Council, she also has a lively, comic-relief sidekick.

What sets Carpe Demon apart is Kate's family circumstance, as well as a busy lifestyle that doesn't leave much time for slaying. But with the help of a geriatric former hunter, a martial arts dojo, a spritzer of holy water and a fully gassed minivan, she just might get the job done and have time to make dinner, change diapers and tidy up the den.

by Tom Knapp
Rambles.NET
2 September 2006