The Haunting of Villa Gabriel

by Clarissa Ross, W.E.D. Ross (AKA)

PHANTOM RENDEZVOUS
Connie Brewer could not resist Stephen Hemmings' job offer - he was handsome, charming, and if he seemed slightly sinister, that could be explained by his fascination with the occult. To leave cold New York and join Stephen in an "experiment" on the Italian Riviera? How could she refuse? But then, at the Villa Gabriel, Connie learned the true nature of that experiment - to raise the specter of the murdered Maria, Stephen's first love. And by then, it was too late to turn back from the terror that filled her soul...

COULD CONNIE BREWER HELP THE MAN WITH WHOM SHE HAD FALLEN IN LOVE? OR WAS HE HIMSELF A THREAT TO HER SANITY AND LIFE?

Genres: Gothic

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

William Edward Daniel Ross, W. E. Daniel "Dan" Ross (born 1912) is a bestselling Canadian novelist from Saint John, New Brunswick who wrote over 300 books in a variety of genres and under a variety of mostly female pseudonyms such as Laura Frances Brooks, Lydia Colby, Rose Dana, Jan Daniels, Ross Olin, Diane Randall, Clarissa Ross, Leslie Ames, Ruth Dorset, Ann Gilmer, Jane Rossiter, Dan Ross, Dana Ross, Marilyn Ross, Dan Roberts, and W.E.D. Ross. As Marilyn Ross he wrote popular Gothic fiction including a series of novels about the vampire Barnabas Collins based on the American TV series Dark Shadows (1966-71).

Reviews

[Sarah Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, maybe 2.5...rounded up because it's better than other Ross contemps. Modern settings just don't work for ol' Dan's hacky writing; his stilted language & (frequently) wooden dialogue are better suited to historical frames, as they can hide behind antiquity & uber-proper conversations. But as with most Ross efforts, the story shows potential & could have been much improved with a superior pen -- er, typewriter -- at the helm. This one is a better version of his 'Shorecliff' plot; i.e., a Rebecca-esque bitchy dead woman casts a shadow over those that remain behind at her sprawling villa.

Not Ross' best work, but not his worst either. (No dwarfs, satanists, or Old Hollywood in this one! But he does manage to work in some hippie bashing, so take comfort in that. :D)

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book long before the days of goodreads. It was an old copy I bought second hand, I wonder if I still have it.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Supernatural visitations add a gothic touch to a murder mystery by the prolific Ross. After meeting occultist author Stephen Hemings in New York, Constance Brewer impulsively agrees to accompany him to a villa in Italy as his secretary. But Stephen has more than a new book in the works: the one year anniversary of the murder of his former lover is approaching. Someone in the villa’s circle of jaded, unpleasant intimates killed the vicious Maria. And wouldn’t a seance held on the anniversary of the death be just the thing to reveal the truth, especially since Constance resembles the dead Maria? A gallery of nasty types provides the list of suspects, with the thinly sketched Constance acting as the reader’s surrogate. Many sentence fragments, usually ended with an exclamation point and much repetition of dialogue and actions follow—all trademarks of the prolific Ross. Still, that clunkiness can be part of the fun.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off poorly. If someone told me I resembled a showgirl and was going to be a secretary where my lookalike was murdered, I would’ve left immediately. The fact that the character continued despite being a showgirl's doppelganger defies logic. The book is riddled with red flags right from the first chapter.

[Heather Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t fine literature, but as someone who enjoys all things 1960’s and 70’s it was fun. The author’s constant reference to “the pretty brown haired girl” though made me nuts after awhile.