This series is just fun. Kate was an orphan, raised in Rome by a Vatican priest and trained to serve in the Forza, a super-secret group formed to kill demons that try to gain a foothold in our world. There, she met her husband, Eric, and they served the Forza faithfully until they decided to start a family. Then they retired to San Diablo, California. Eric was killed in a mugging in LA, and Kate later remarried and had a son, while raising the daughter she had with Eric.
When the series began, Kate is forced out of retirement when demon activity begins in San Diablo. The "demon-killing" plot lines are good, gritty, and Kate's kick-butt training and skills are fantastic. The funny part comes as she tries to hide her late-night excursions from her husband and family, while keeping the town (and their home) demon-free.
In this, book #4, a demon she had a run-in with years ago is back and gunning for her, believing she has a mythical sword capable of sending him back to hell permanently. By now, her 14-year-old daughter has found her out, and now that she knows the truth of her mother's past is training with her to learn the art of demon-killing. The only ones who know (outside the organization) are the daughter, and mom's best friend Laura, who now helps her with research.
The other thing Kate is juggling is the fact that Eric's soul is back, living in a high school teacher named David. Her daughter found this out in the last book, and trying to allow her time with her dad without getting Stuart (the current husband) figuring it out or thinking David/Eric is a pedophile or after his wife, is also part of the humor. Stuart is embroiled in an election for county attorney, so he's gone a lot and pretty distracted.
On top of all this, Kate is trying to put together a huge Easter party for their entire neighborhood, while dodging demons bent on her destruction in her back yard. Oh, and some zombies. Don't forget the zombies!
The paranormal aspect is complex and well-done, and the humor balances it all out nicely.