Marked Daemon

Maddy Deeds #3

by Brad Magnarella

Powerful forces want to register every supernatural in L.A. If they succeed, I’ll be marked for death.

Emma’s angelic cult is driving the program, officials are fast-tracking the vote, and my partner Kyle has joined their crusade. He may not know about my half-demon nature, but he’s damned sure putting me in the crosshairs.

It doesn’t help that we’re working a case together. An auto magnate’s son has disappeared, and the city suspects cryptids. Thing is, we still make a hell of a team. And my feelings for him? Stronger than ever.

As the registry vote gains terrifying momentum, I’m struggling to build alliances with the city’s most powerful enclaves. But to navigate that world, I need a guide: a charismatic vampire whose motives are suspect at best.

Meanwhile, the hunt for the missing son is dragging Kyle and me into increasingly dangerous quarters—face-to-face with the very supernaturals I need on my side. And who know I’m not human.

Can I keep my explosive secret from Kyle long enough to crack a case that’s spiraled into a full-blown conspiracy?

Or do I unleash my demon to stop the city-wide purge?

Maddy Deeds is a feature series in the hot-selling Croftverse. If you like your urban fantasy with deep secrets, found families, a gutsy heroine for a guide, and a slow burn on the side, you’ll love Maddy Deeds!

351 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 12, 2026

About the author

Brad Magnarella writes urban fantasy for the same reason most read it – to explore worlds where magic crackles from fingertips, vampires and shifters walk city streets, cats talk (some excessively), and good prevails against all odds. It’s shamelessly fun.

His three main series, Prof Croft, Blue Wolf, and Maddy Deeds, make up the growing Croftverse, with nearly a half-million books sold to date and an Independent Audiobook Award nomination.

Hopelessly nomadic, Brad can be found in a rented room overseas or hiking America's backcountry.

To learn more about the Croftverse, and download two free prequel novellas, visit his website at bradmagnarella.com

Reviews

[Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

From the opening paragraph, I was instantly engaged. As the story progressed, i just couldnt put it down. I need to know whats going to happen next. There are so many intriguing storylines running through this series, all pieces of a whole that I am sooo excited to see come together.
I love the way Maddy interacts with the Sentinel team, especially Rusty, but also Lacy! Then there's Kyle, of course - Will he find out? How will he react? What about his daughter? What about the Solar Temple?
Emma... there's a single line in this story from Maddy's thoughts, and it has me more intrigued about the future than I expected. There's a cameo from Croft may confirm that thought and now... I neeeeed to see which way things go!
I love that Brad tries to incorporate real locations, real situations, into the stories. The entire Croftverse has been that way, and it makes it easy to picture the scenes -much like a movie for me. Whether that was New York City, Coney Island, Santa Monica, or Manzanar NHS, the locations are always so vivid!
I cant wait to see where this series goes. There are going to be some epic confrontations to make everything come together and I cant wait to see how they unfold!

[FionaH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still recovering from her confrontation with Mother Bellinger, and trying to keep her secret from her colleagues at Sentinel, Maddy finds herself involved in a missing persons case that isn’t as simple as it first appears. Meanwhile, determined to halt the registry programme, she finds herself ever-more entangled in ARC-kind politics.

Maddy is a fantastic character who is flawed but likeable, who makes genuine connections with the people around her and who draws the reader into her world. She is conflicted, scared, and uncertain, but also brave, and determined to try and be a good person, in spite of her demonic heritage. The supporting characters are well-written and relatable as well, and the relationships and interactions feel authentic.

This book is well-paced and thoughtfully plotted. In addition to the immediate story, threads related to Maddy’s origins are being slowly unravelled a little at a time, giving the series an over-arching mystery to keep readers intrigued.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brett Wickersham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddy Deeds, our favorite daemon and arc-kind hunter is back for our newest adventure. This time around, she is fighting a battle on 2 fronts. First, she and her fellow hunters at Sentinel have been hired by a wealthy local business owner to help find his son who has gone missing under suspicious circumstances. While she is dealing with this, she must also handle the impending threat of a possible arc-kind registry, something that would make her, and others like her with..."special" abilities public knowledge. Maddy must juggle job responsibilities as well as dedication to the other arc-kind who have taken her in, and if she can find out something about her mother's past along the way, all the better!
Once again this was a fun read from Brad Magnarella. The world he has created is engaging, and the characters are fun to be around. There are also enough cameos from characters from his other series that even the casual reader may turn a page to find a familiar face. This is definitely a recommended series.

[Susie Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddy Deeds Book 3 is SOOOO SOOOO GOOD!! I LOVE the series and the books get better and better with each AH MAZINGLY AWESOME book. It ended WAY too soon for me so I'm already on my FIRST re-read. In book 3 Maddy is faced with several challenges that she deals with with her usual skill and and evolving skills. I'm not ruining the big "surprises" for you if you haven't read it yet. They're SO GOOD , I'd unhappy if anyone spoiled it for me.
I'll just say it starts out with what would be a nightmare for me but Maddy and her "trusty" AI assistant solve that problem with a bit of ease and a LOT of heart pounding stress from me. Maddy sails through more fun and even a zealot/"Karen to keep things even MORE interesting for her. OOOOH the END is quite rewarding ,, for ME for sure. It's something I found challenging in the book and wanted to know so much more about. The author read my mind !!
Overall rating 500 stars!!

[A.M. Obst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this third instalment of the Maddy Deeds series immensely. Like the author's other books, there's both a main plot that's neatly resolved in the story, as well as the broader series arc that keeps building with each instalment.

The main plot here concerns the search for a missing son, but not is all as it seems - there's plenty of drama and fun twists, as well as moments of pathos and high emotions. More is also revealed about Maddy's background and powers, which both enlightens and deepens that mystery while paving the way towards an explosive series finale indeed.

Maddy herself is an engaging character, likeable and with clear motivations while also flawed as she struggles (and sometimes gives in to) her darker nature.

I can't wait to find out what happens next!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddy is fast becoming one of my favorite characters. She starts this book with allies and a clear set of objectives, but with so many questions in her own past and so many complicated relationships both at work and in L.A.'s supernatural world, she can't help but get involved in more high-stakes drama. This entry in the Croftverse is both a fast paced monster of the week book and a deeper dive into the world building of the West Coast and Maddy's cryptic past. We are, of course, left with more questions I can't wait to get answered going forward.

[Anthony Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waiting for the next Maddy Deeds book has been a challenge since she made her way into the Croftverse, but Maddy #3–Marked Daemon—was well worth the wait! Her secret abilities threaten her job as a bounty hunter of the predatory paranormals and her relationship with Emma and her cult seems to push into both her personal life and even the politics of LA. Questions over her mother’s death and the Ryujin scales that hid her powers demand answers. Maddy Deeds Marked Daemon does not disappoint. Everyone needs a Rusty in their life!

[Christine Richmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in this series from Brad Magnarella and loved every minute as usual. Maddy is still getting to grips with her true nature and learning about her mother. I love the way we find out a little more about Maddy, Kyle, Rusty and the various teams with each book, just as you would IRL. The main story is about a missing son but it's much more than that and the twists and turns make for an exciting story, especially with the inclusion of the Croftverse - and I missed a big fat clue! The resolution was awesome and I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next.

[Cheryl Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, Maddy still has the hots for Kyle, but he doesn't know about what she is, so that's not really going to pan out, she has a case and works on it, while trying to sort her life out and deal with her demon nature. Things don't go smoothly and while she works on answers about her mother, while trying to deal with a registry program she knows isn't good, looking for a missing body, she finally has to confront things with Kyle. What happens? Well read it and find out!

[pauline hemmings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed the latest Maddie Deeds book. Maddie is trying to balance her daemon/human nature while learning about her mother. The latest mission brings the whole team together. Bonds are strengthened and relationships challenged. This book is a roller coaster ride of twists and revelations. Strap in and enjoy the ride!

[Beverly Button]

An action-packed ride!

Hold on to your seat as you read this one! Maddy's world and her powers are expanding rapidly. I started reading and couldn't stop until I reached the end.