The Demon Hunter's Wife

by C.J. Powell

A husband with secrets. A world of monsters hiding in the dark. This stay-at-home mum is ready to take evil and blast it straight back to hell…Sadie Kilmore feels she's somehow missed her calling. With a man that works all week, an out of control toddler, and a bad case of demon possessed mother, who can she turn to when she needs a break? When her husband doesn't come home from work one weekend, and terrifying beasts come for their kid, she trades washing for wands and goes on the offensive. Uncovering a conspiracy that goes all the way down, can Sadie go from SAHM to sorceress before it's lights out for everyone?The Demon Hunter's Wife is a fun urban fantasy story. If you like a cozy blood bath, terrifying villains, and witty takes on modern motherhood, then you'll love C J Powell's chaotic adventure.

Genres: Fantasy

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 6, 2024

About the author

Hi, I'm Chris. I write fun science fiction mysteries and thrillers set in the real world with lots of humour.

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Find more at my website - https://www.cjpowellauthor.com

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Tik Tok / Instagram / facebook -@cjpowellauthor

A little about me...

I enjoy authors such as Jeff Vandermeer, Blake Crouch, and P G Wodehouse.

My favourite films are Alien and The Fifth Element.

I live with my wife and daughter and enjoy retro computer games, pretty much all science fiction movies, and if I ever get the opportunity I love to rock climb. I also play bass most weeks in a rocking wedding band.

Reviews

[Mark Lucas-Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Demon Hunter’s Wife

At first this seems like a tongue in cheek tribute to genre horrors but soon turns into something much darker. Who do you trust when your Demon Hunter husband fails to return home, your Mum is possessed by a senior denizen of Hell and the Bureau that your husband says he works for totally disavows knowledge of him?
Those are the challenges facing Sadie when her husband Dirk disappears on a seemingly routine mission. You put your big girl pants on and get out there, find some answers a lot more questions and kick some demon butt.
The book is self contained but you know it’s been a good read when you finish it and you’re still so invested in the characters that you want further adventures for them.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. After I read there's something wrong with the cats I couldn't resist reading another book by this author. Brilliant humour mixed with thrilling adventure that just erupts from the get go. I was absolutely hooked from page 1! I will definitely be reading more by C. J Powell. Utterly fantastic 👌

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and demons

Silly, odd, frequent surprising, and painfully insightful it times. Certainly not like anything else I've read. I also recommend Something's Wrong With the Cats, by the same author.

[Lisi Bee (Beth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and scary-ish and weird in the very best ways!

In the beginning Sadie meets Dirk, a demon hunter who purportedly works for the mysterious "Bureau," after her mother is possessed by a demon. Cut to ten years later and Sadie has a toddler daughter, a still-possessed mom, a husband who's frequently away on supernatural business trips, and a massive amount of ennui about her life choices. When her husband and his friend don't return from their latest trip, Sadie tries to find out what happened while protecting herself and her family, stretching the limits of what she thought to be true about her husband, herself, and the world around her.

This is the second book I've read by this author and he does not disappoint.  I think I actually liked this one a little better, partly because I knew what to expect from the author's writing style.  But also because this book had a female protagonist, and there were some elements of her life to which I could relate (although obviously not all of them). The touches of absurdist humor were perfect and welcome, just as in the other novel I read of his. But there was an air of melancholy to this story that I wasn't expecting. There's a poignancy about Sadie's mother's demonic possession, with its subsequent confusion and personality changes that are similar to dementia. (Which, wouldn't it be nice if dementia could be kept at bay by a magic candle or an exorcism?) I thought overall that the story was an interesting take on the demon-hunter theme, with a reluctant heroine who's much more badass than she thought.  Great supporting characters and wonderfully descriptive and imaginative writing.  Highly recommend!

[Audrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if your husband went to work and didn't come home?

What would you do if your husband bid you goodbye and went to work and didn't come home? Would you wait and hope for the best ? Would you search? Would your decision change knowing your husband delt with things that go bump in the night? A world you know nothing about...

This is Sadie's story. Where in making that choice she learns the secrets her husband has kept, the mystery surrounding his disappearance, and finds herself, in ways she never thought possible. I throughly enjoyed the humor and this character. I wish that there might be more of Sadie's and Dirk's adventures to read.

[Katy Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy books are not a genre I would normally choose, BUT I’m so glad I did this time!
C J Powell’s urban fantasy ‘The Demon Hunter’s Wife’ has something for everyone.
It’s funny, and I mean laugh out loud funny. Many a time did I have to explain to my husband what I was laughing at.
But what I loved most about this book was how much of it was relatable, perhaps not having a demon possessed mother in law or a world full of monsters. What I mean is that it’s a book about motherhood, relationships, trust, fear, loss, taking risks, the list goes on.
This book was so much more than I thought it would be and I only wish I had read it sooner.

[Molly Ziya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book! I love it and I'm keeping it forever because it's hilarious, the characters are brilliant and the whole story line is completely plausible! I love the idea of running a demon hunter shop out of a storage facility. I would! The rent is really cheap at some of those places and I could do whatever was necessary for decor! We gotta keep the demon population under control and this is a wonderful way to set up shop!🤣🤣🤣
Five stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Ilse Normington · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book this year and an easy 5 stars. I loved TSWWTC and was delighted to find this book is more of the same, but even better. This mix of cosy sci-fi/fantasy mystery thriller comedy is right up my street and I can't wait for more!

Tore through this in two days, unable to put it down. It's fast-paced, dark, emotional and laugh-out-loud funny in all the right places. The characters were great and I got invested in them so much I'd love to see a sequel. Brilliantly written!

[Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful read

Truly a wonderful read. I read a lot, lots of everything but my love is for fantasy/scifi/urban fantasy and I have to say this book was a surprise for me. It’s funny and fun with lots of action, a well thought out and explained magic system with rules which was a surprise for a short read. Love all the characters, they feel very real (but with magic and demon possession). Worth your time! Read it!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amusing urban fantasy with plenty in it to enjoy. I enjoyed the exploration of motherhood alongside fantasy characters and very British humour.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reading

This is a truly entertaining book, really engaging, I read it in a sitting! Highly recommended, this is an author to follow.

[Doc Honour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another most excellent adventure

Every bit as good as “Something is wrong with the Cats.” Memorable characters, weird occurrences, an ordinary person thrust into the extraordinary. I’m running off to buy Chris Powell’s third book!

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Urban Fantasy in London

Es hat etwas gedauert bis ich mit Sadie connected. Die Story ist spannend und entfaltet sich nach und nach, als Sadie auf der Suche nach ihrem Mann recherchiert was passiert ist.
Ich mochte es sehr, obwohl ich nicht sofort eine Verbindung zu Sadie herstellen konnte.
Dieses. Ich hat es aber geschafft das ich weiter lesen wollte, wissen wollte wie das ausgeht.

[Mrs. M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book from C.J. Powell I have read, and I have not been disappointed. The characters are always relatable and humorous.

[Collette · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun and ridiculous and just the sort of easy read i wanted

[Elena R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!!!!

This book is SO good, I couldn't put it down!!! I loved the characters and the storyline and that it's set in my neck of the woods, Winchester and the new forest!! Plus she's a mum fighting for her daughter. I definitely recommend it!!!

[Janis Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book

Started off a bit slow. In fact I was ready to move on to something else. But when it took off, I couldn't put it down! Do yourself a favor and read this. Love the humor and unexpected twists!

[Timothy Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun!

A fine tribute to motherhood and the importance of trusting small magical creatures. It is a little slow after the opening scene, but worth sticking with. This is my second book by the author and both have been enjoyable.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully bonkers, entertaining and you will not look at ducks the same after this.
Can’t wait to read more by this author.

[Joe McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Read

Starts off a bit slow and slightly confusing. Yet, the structure grows quickly, and the characters bloom. Hell had no fury, like a ticked off mom!

[Shawn Mcvay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange fun read

A well constructed and often quirky story that knows when to break its own rule sets. Perspective of the housewife evolved in an engaging way.

[Jennifer Heinz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud and fun!

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life isn’t all roses. It’s brambles and blackberries. And the blackberries are only good late summer.

I generally try to avoid any spoilers about the books I review, but in this case, I'm going to go ahead and give one away: C.J. Powell's latest release, "The Demon Hunter's Wife" is absolutely bloody brilliant! This was easily one of my top, best reads of 2024 and I've already torn through a tonne of great books this year (thanks to that extra day in February)! Now I know I've probably ruined the whole book for many of you and, for that, I apologize, sorry, apologise (note zpelling!). But if I had a checklist for use in reviewing books - and the nethergods know just how tempted I've been to create one - this perfectly delightful urban fantasy would have damn well scored just about top notes across the board. And yes, I used the word delightful here despite the occasional emissions of foul odours, foul spirits and even great splatterings of all sorts of offal and viscera. Nothing too gruesome though and, yes, your teenagers should also be reading this to insure they turn out nice and slightly uncomfortably weird like myself.

Hell isn’t intrinsically evil. Heaven isn’t necessarily good.

But where was I? Oh yes, the review. I don't know if I'm using the right wording here - and the Great Google is just irritating me today, so forgive my lack of citing my sources for proper usage rules - but I have seldom come across an urban fantasy book that felt so perfectly, well, human. Now I'm fairly certainly humane is NOT the word I wish to use so let's stick with what I've written. It's just that Powell so perfectly captures what would very much be the kind of reactions you'd expect from a young couple with a young child and all kinds of real life challenges to deal with! And Sadie - the young wife and mother and somewhat remiss daughter of her own mother who has "special needs" - is a splendid person to star in what can be only described as an escalating clusterf*ck as the book progresses. It is her growth and her rising up to her potential that will have you standing up to cheer by the time everything is said and done!

No one ever warns of the loneliness that comes with the constant presence of a tiny human.

In terms of my hypothetical checklist, I will say that the first point I'd check off with full marks was just that incredible beginning. The real one, not the one that has to be embellished in order to share it with the other moms at the playground. It resonated with me like a great tintinnabulation (yes, Google unlocked finally) of church bells ringing all the way back to my travails in High School, where I was of course the weird kid (we covered this before, keep up!) that did his Senior essay on the works of Franz Kafka, having torn through every one of his works from A to M and then on to Z. It is an incredible scene and perfectly encapsulates the relationship that is the center of this story! I mean, how could Sadie have NOT fallen in love with Dirk what with his charm, daring-do and skill at destroying lounge windows, all the while uttering silly macho fight slogans as if he had spent far too much of his time playing DnD. Most of you are obviously bobbing your heads in agreement right about now, eh?

He sighs, cutting her off. Reaches up, removes his head, and places it on the table.

And from there - as mentioned - things REALLY start to get weird. And yes, I mean, even weirder than having a baby projectile vomit a mix of warm prune and curry into your mouth (ah, even more memories)! I mean, I've read many a book where your above-average everyman fights the forces of evil while hidden carefully away from the prying eye of the general public at the behest of some super duper Secret Bureau. Where naturally many of these do-gooders have wives or girlfriends that are themselves magical beings or otherwise trained in the arts of Kung'Fu'Kick'You type martial thingies and armed with a plethora of locally banned military-grade weaponry. But rarely have we seen folks like you and me (mostly you) try to succeed when the world is going crazy around them and the carpet ("it's not fekkin' carpet!" the author screams!) is swallowing you whole.

Zombies do not in fact eat human flesh raw. They are all vegan.

I was thinking about any similar stories that I could nod to in a most nodding way (up on Nodding Hill… ok, I'll stop… and yes, I know it's Notting but just play along, m'kay?). In terms of the mood of the story, it reminded me of a couple of my favorite authors in this genre, namely Douglas Lumsden and Alexander Nader, where the dudes certainly line up well. However, again, in terms of love interests or female Red Sonja types, their partnering partners tend to already know how to hold their own. In many ways, I think I could draw some parallels to T.J.Brown's "Unhappy Medium" stories but the tone isn't really that close. All good books, don't misunderstand, but I think in this case I'd also maybe sprinkle in some "Feel Good Pixie Dust" from someone like T.J.Klune to tone things down just a tad.

I sometimes come and check in on you. Think of me as your guardian demon.

But however you take your tomes-to-go, I will just reiterate and underline again and whatever other repeated similes, metaphors or idioms you need for me to convince you to read this book. The characters are just amazing and so well depicted, from the really good good guys to the somewhere in between pretty much bad but not totally bad guys and so on until you reach really nasty how could you ever live with that person evil ones! The pacing and the editing of the book are both splendid and the action builds to a crescendo that will have anyone on the edge of their seat by the time the bell is rung (which I can't remember now if that happened or I'm just being maliciously metaphorical again). Whichever is the case, you won't want to put this down as we race from the reality of raising and caring for and protecting a tiny human to the frozen tundra of Hell (true story!). As I've said before, Powell is a young author to watch, stare at and probably even stalk if you get the chance (wedding crashers* take note!)! Colour me addicted and ready for a good helping of mushrooms soon! Be well!

*She’d been careful to pick bass as his instrument of choice so that no one ever asked him to play them a song.

[Emziethebookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading from this author and definitely gonna be reading more in the future.
The plot of this one was absolutely amazing it was certainly hard to put down.
The characters were all amazing also, deffo liked most of them and some still need to get used to.
I really hope there is more from this book as I wouldn't mind it being a series at all.

[Ramona Lazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and quirky. A refreshing read.

[Anwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grabbed this off Kindle Unlimited on a whim and had a blast reading it. The humour drew me in and the story and characters kept me invested, good world building, too, would be interested to read more in this "setting" (I guess that's still the right word even for this kind of low/suburban fantasy?) whether with the same characters or panning over to someone else

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and interesting book about the wife of a demon hunter who finds her power.