“This is the third in Kenner’s splendidly creative series featuring Kate, whose wickedly amusing adventures in demon hunting are a pure paranormal delight.” —
Booklist

“This chapter in Kenner’s first-person, kick-butt adventures takes a darker turn, and a more serious tone, as Demon Hunter Kate Connor faces long odds and emotional turmoil. The terrific Kenner grabs you and doesn’t let go!” —
Romantic Times

California Demon

“Kenner continues to put her fun, fresh twist on mommy-lit with another devilishly clever book.” —
Booklist

“Sassy!” —
Richmond.com

“Plenty of action and humor. Kenner is at her irreverent best ... delightfully amusing.” —
TheBestReviews.com

"Another winner!” —
NovelTalk.com

“A fun paranormal adventure that definitely appeals to moms!”

—
ScribesWorld.com

“More witty, funny, and poignant adventures from the marvelous Kenner.” —
Romantic Times

Carpe Demon

“
I LOVED
CARPE DEMON
!
. . . It was great fun; wonderfully clever. Ninety-nine percent of the wives and moms in the country will identify with this heroine. I mean, like who
hasn’t
had to battle demons between car pools and playdates?”

—Jayne Ann Krentz,
New York Times
bestselling author of
White Lies

“I welcome the novels that decide to be utterly over-the-top and imagine paranormal and superhero lives for their chick-lit heroines. Take
Carpe Demon
. . .”
—Detroit Free Press

“This book, as crammed with events as any suburban mom’s calendar, shows you what would happen if Buffy got married and kept her past a secret. It’s a hoot.”

—Charlaine Harris,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Definitely Dead

“What would happen if Buffy the Vampire Slayer got married, moved to the suburbs, and became a stay-at-home mom? She’d be a lot like Kate Connor, once a demon/vampire/zombie killer and now ‘a glorified chauffeur for drill-team practice and Gymboree playdates’ in San Diablo, California, that’s what. But in Kenner’s sprightly, fast-paced ode to kick-ass housewives, Kate finds herself battling evil once again. Readers will find spunky Kate hard not to root for in spheres both domestic and demonic.”

—Publishers Weekly

“A+! This is a serious keeper—I am very ready for the next segment in Kate Connor’s life!” —
TheRomanceReadersConnection.com
“Smart, fast-paced, unique—a blend of sophistication and wit that has you laughing out loud.”

—
Christine Feehan,
#1
New York Times
bestselling author of
Safe Harbor

“Tongue-in-cheek . . . fast-pacing and in-your-face action. Give it a try. Kate’s a fun character and keeps you on the edge of your seat.” —
SFReader.com

“Ms. Kenner has a style and delivery all her own . . . fun and innovative . . . [
Carpe Demon
] shouldn’t be missed.”

—
FallenAngelReviews.com

“You’re gonna love this book! A terrific summer read with lots of humor and crazy situations and action.” —
FreshFiction.com

“Kenner scores a direct hit with this offbeat and humorous adventure, which has an engaging cast of characters. Car pools and holy water make an unforgettable mix.”
—Romantic Times

Titles by Julie Kenner

CARPE DEMON
CALIFORNIA DEMON
DEMONS ARE FOREVER
DEJA DEMON

FIRST LOVE

Anthologies

HELL WITH THE LADIES
(with Kathleen O’Reilly and Dee Davis)
HELL ON HEELS
(with Kathleen O’Reilly and Dee Davis)
FENDI, FERRAGAMO, AND FANGS
(with Johanna Edwards and Serena Robar)

Berkley JAM titles by Julie Kenner

THE GOOD GHOULS’ GUIDE TO GETTING EVEN
GOOD GHOULS DO

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada
(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
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(a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196,
South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without
permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the
author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
BERKLEY® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The “B” design is a trademark belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley trade paperback edition / July 2008
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kenner, Julie.
Deja demon / Julie Kenner.—Berkley trade pbk. ed.
p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-436-22506-9

1. Connor, Kate (Ficititious character)—Fiction. 2. Demonology—Fiction. 3. Mothers—
Fiction. 4. Suburban life—California—Fiction. 5. Easter—Fiction. 6. Political campaigns—
Fiction. I. Title.
PS3611.E665D45 2008
813’.6—dc22
2008004815

http://us.penguingroup.com

One

"Dammit, Kate. I thought you
trusted me.”

“Now really isn’t the time for this discussion,” I said, taking in all of the dark corners of the alley. For the last half hour, I’d had the uneasy feeling that we were being watched. But since we’d neither been attacked nor stumbled across an observer tucked into the shadows, my unease was beginning to feel a bit like paranoia.

I didn’t like being paranoid. It made me crankier than my toddler when he missed a nap.

“Kate,” Eric pressed, tapping the end of his cane impatiently on the asphalt.

I nailed him with my best glare of frustration. The one I’d been honing for close to fifteen years on our daughter, Allie. “Not now,” I said. “Work, remember? Demons, boogeymen, creatures from hell?”

Eric raised his eyebrows, but I just smiled, secure in the knowledge that I was going to win this battle. Yes, I was avoiding the conversation. But I’d meant what I said. Now
really
wasn’t the time.

“The alley’s empty, Kate,” Eric said, reasonably. “We haven’t seen or heard anyone. Intuition’s a great thing, but it’s not going to jump out and attack us in the dark.”

“You used to trust my intuition,” I said.

“I still do. But you told me yourself you’ve encountered only a handful of demons in weeks. Call me crazy, but I think you’re avoiding the subject.”

“Hell yes, I’m avoiding it. Like I said, now isn’t the time.”

“Then when is the time, Kate?” he asked, his voice sharp, his temper peeking out around the edges. “We’re here now. And it’s not as if you’re going to invite me into your kitchen to discuss this over a cup of coffee with you, Stuart, and the kids. So you tell me—when should we talk?”

“Don’t be flip,” I said, because Eric really wasn’t playing fair. No.
David
wasn’t playing fair. I couldn’t let myself fall into the habit of calling him Eric. Not when only a few select people knew the truth.

The truth. Now there’s a funny concept. Once upon a time, I thought truth was an easy thing. The sky is blue—true. The moon is made of green cheese—false. Evil walks among us—true. Dead husbands don’t return to their wives and children in the bodies of other men. That one—surprise, surprise—turned out to be false. In my world, anyway.

At the moment, in fact, I was in a dark alley behind a popular San Diablo nightclub, arguing (or avoiding arguing) with
my
formerly dead husband who’d taken up residence in the body of a high school chemistry teacher named David Long. It probably goes without saying, but lately my life had gotten rather complicated.

My name is Kate Connor, and I’m a Level Five Demon Hunter with
Forza Scura,
having recently been promoted up a notch as the result of a horrific battle a few months prior from which I’d come out mostly unscathed. To be honest, the promotion came with no little bit of guilt, especially considering I’d done some things after that battle that weren’t exactly worthy of the Vatican Seal of Approval. Like, for example, raising my first husband from the dead. And then—for added measure—keeping that teensy little fact out of my postbattle debriefing.

Trust me when I say that resurrection is not a skill normally within a Hunter’s repertoire. But I’d had the ability, and God help me, I used it. How could I not, with my daughter looking down at the father with whom she’d just been reunited? And, yes, with me desperate to save the man I’d once loved with all my heart and soul.

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