She wouldn't be the obvious choice to manage a bar on the Demon side of the barricades, but Emma Quinn was not your typical idealistic 20-year-old. Her life was ruled by the need to kill in order to live. Her parent's use of her as a toddler to call demons had left their twisted mark on her soul and her very cells. She could not survive without feeding on evil. She was careful to read those she stalked, confirming their evil deeds before taking what she needed; still, when they died hours or days later, she felt guilt at being the instrument of their deaths. She had stopped hoping for a chance at love or even lust long before her body matured. Her main focus these days was to protect her sister and brother-in-law, to somehow carve out a life despite the darkness lurking within. Running the bar suited her well, it was a rich feeding ground for her inner demon and, as it was an interest of her brother-in-law's mobster family, it was one way to give back to those who helped save her. Until the night a feeding on a member of the Death Ministry went horribly wrong; leaving him dead, and Emma too ill to take care of the body.

Andre Conti is a slick lawyer for his mobster family, and the only one Emma can reach when she comes to hours after the bar was locked down for the night. Despite his player lifestyle and thousand dollar suits Andre comes through and initiates a clean up to keep the Death Ministry from targeting Emma or the Conti's with revenge. But no matter what steps he takes the Ministry members seem one step ahead of them, and someone unconnected to the murder has also targeted Emma.

DEMON MARKED, book two in the Demon Bound series, is as exciting and mysterious as the first. Evans has created a chilling and realistic alternate reality in which an incursion of Demons has changed the landscape of New York. The new reality includes the inevitable tourist industry that springs up, as well as darker threads. The mystery and thriller elements are as strong as the romance that develops between Andre and Emma, but are woven to reinforce the storyline without obscuring the growth of the characters. Well-written and a damned fine read.