What do you think?
Rate this book
Dark Passages: A Novel
She was born a vampire...
Meg Harrison was raised by her mother to resist the temptation of human blood. But as a new actress filming the cult hit TV show Dark Passages in 1960s New York City, using her powers isn't the only temptation she has to resist…not with costars like dark, troubled Michael Halliday and enigmatic Brit Ian Fletcher.
And Meg isn't the only one with secrets.
When a beautiful, 300-year-old witch bent on destroying Meg forces her into a spectacular battle for supremacy, it will take all of Meg's wit and tenacity to realize that the powers she's always denied herself might not be a curse, but a blessing.
"I’ve written Dark Passages with an affectionate nod to both the New York Playboy Club, where I worked as a Bunny, and Dark Shadows, the ’60s soap opera in which I played Josette DuPrés, the doomed fiancée of vampire Barnabas Collins. In The Bunny Years and my books about Dark Shadows, I’ve told the story of what really happened all those years ago when I turned in my Bunny ears and joined a small company of actors to create the world of Dark Shadows. Now I’m satisfying my itch to write a novel about that time, that world—combining elements of horror and fantasy to tell a story about a vampire, a witch and unrequited love."—KATHRYN LEIGH SCOTT
Meg Harrison was raised by her mother to resist the temptation of human blood. But as a new actress filming the cult hit TV show Dark Passages in 1960s New York City, using her powers isn't the only temptation she has to resist…not with costars like dark, troubled Michael Halliday and enigmatic Brit Ian Fletcher.
And Meg isn't the only one with secrets.
When a beautiful, 300-year-old witch bent on destroying Meg forces her into a spectacular battle for supremacy, it will take all of Meg's wit and tenacity to realize that the powers she's always denied herself might not be a curse, but a blessing.
"I’ve written Dark Passages with an affectionate nod to both the New York Playboy Club, where I worked as a Bunny, and Dark Shadows, the ’60s soap opera in which I played Josette DuPrés, the doomed fiancée of vampire Barnabas Collins. In The Bunny Years and my books about Dark Shadows, I’ve told the story of what really happened all those years ago when I turned in my Bunny ears and joined a small company of actors to create the world of Dark Shadows. Now I’m satisfying my itch to write a novel about that time, that world—combining elements of horror and fantasy to tell a story about a vampire, a witch and unrequited love."—KATHRYN LEIGH SCOTT
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2011
8 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Leigh Scott
66 books154 followersKathryn Leigh Scott is an author/actress.
Her novels: September Girl (2019); Jinxed (2015); Down and Out in Beverly Heels (2013); Dark Passages (2012)
Recent nonfiction: Last Dance at the Savoy (2016); Now With You, Now Without (2017)
Kathryn has appeared in Blacklist with James Spader (2019); Woody Allen's A Rainy Day in New York (2019), soon-to-be-released The Eleventh Green (2019) with Campbell Scott, and Three Christs with Richard Gere and Juliana Margulies. She's also appeared in Hallmark Channel's Broadcasting Christmas (2016), Lifetime's A Wedding to Die For (2017), and has a recurring role as George Segal's girlfriend Miriam on The Goldbergs.
She wrote Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood (2012), and appeared in a cameo role in the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton film Dark Shadows (2012). She is recording the audiobooks of all 32 Dark Shadows novels by Marilyn Ross, published 1966-1970.
Kathryn grew up on a farm in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Upon graduation from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kathryn landed the ingénue lead in the classic Gothic daytime drama Dark Shadows (ABC, 1966-1971), and starred in the 1971 MGM feature House of Dark Shadows. Kathryn played four roles in the series: Maggie Evans, Josette du Pres, Lady Kitty Hampshire, and Rachel Drummond. Kathryn wrote Dark Shadows Memories to coincide with its 20th anniversary, and Dark Shadows Companion as a 25th anniversary tribute.
Kathryn launched Pomegranate Press, Ltd., to publish books about the entertainment industry, including guide books, biographies, textbooks and coffee table art books. She wrote The Bunny Years (the 25-year history of Playboy Clubs told through the women who worked as Bunnies), which was sold to Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer. She also co-produced a two-hour special for the A&E Network and a one-hour documentary for BBC-1 and Canadian TV, based on the book. Pomegranate has published over 50 nonfiction titles, including Scott's books Lobby Cards: The Classic Films (Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Coffee Table Book) and Lobby Cards: The Classic Comedies, both of which were published in the UK by Bloomsbury. She published a trade paper edition of the hardcover biography Coya Come Home, with a foreword by Walter F. Mondale.
Kathryn's theatrical credits include a lengthy run with James Stewart in Harvey in London's West End. She has appeared in many television series and miniseries, including the "Who Watches the Watchers" episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Barbara Taylor Bradford's Voice of the Heart, as Dan Travanti's wife in Murrow, as George C. Scott's mistress in The Last Days of Patton, as Philip Marlowe's girlfriend in Chandlertown, and as a series regular with Brian Dennehy in Big Shamus, Little Shamus. Feature films include Providence, The Great Gatsby, Brannigan, The Greek Tycoon, Assassination, 187, Parasomnia, and Dr. Mabuse.
Kathryn maintains homes in Los Angeles and New York.
Her novels: September Girl (2019); Jinxed (2015); Down and Out in Beverly Heels (2013); Dark Passages (2012)
Recent nonfiction: Last Dance at the Savoy (2016); Now With You, Now Without (2017)
Kathryn has appeared in Blacklist with James Spader (2019); Woody Allen's A Rainy Day in New York (2019), soon-to-be-released The Eleventh Green (2019) with Campbell Scott, and Three Christs with Richard Gere and Juliana Margulies. She's also appeared in Hallmark Channel's Broadcasting Christmas (2016), Lifetime's A Wedding to Die For (2017), and has a recurring role as George Segal's girlfriend Miriam on The Goldbergs.
She wrote Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood (2012), and appeared in a cameo role in the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton film Dark Shadows (2012). She is recording the audiobooks of all 32 Dark Shadows novels by Marilyn Ross, published 1966-1970.
Kathryn grew up on a farm in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Upon graduation from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kathryn landed the ingénue lead in the classic Gothic daytime drama Dark Shadows (ABC, 1966-1971), and starred in the 1971 MGM feature House of Dark Shadows. Kathryn played four roles in the series: Maggie Evans, Josette du Pres, Lady Kitty Hampshire, and Rachel Drummond. Kathryn wrote Dark Shadows Memories to coincide with its 20th anniversary, and Dark Shadows Companion as a 25th anniversary tribute.
Kathryn launched Pomegranate Press, Ltd., to publish books about the entertainment industry, including guide books, biographies, textbooks and coffee table art books. She wrote The Bunny Years (the 25-year history of Playboy Clubs told through the women who worked as Bunnies), which was sold to Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer. She also co-produced a two-hour special for the A&E Network and a one-hour documentary for BBC-1 and Canadian TV, based on the book. Pomegranate has published over 50 nonfiction titles, including Scott's books Lobby Cards: The Classic Films (Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Coffee Table Book) and Lobby Cards: The Classic Comedies, both of which were published in the UK by Bloomsbury. She published a trade paper edition of the hardcover biography Coya Come Home, with a foreword by Walter F. Mondale.
Kathryn's theatrical credits include a lengthy run with James Stewart in Harvey in London's West End. She has appeared in many television series and miniseries, including the "Who Watches the Watchers" episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Barbara Taylor Bradford's Voice of the Heart, as Dan Travanti's wife in Murrow, as George C. Scott's mistress in The Last Days of Patton, as Philip Marlowe's girlfriend in Chandlertown, and as a series regular with Brian Dennehy in Big Shamus, Little Shamus. Feature films include Providence, The Great Gatsby, Brannigan, The Greek Tycoon, Assassination, 187, Parasomnia, and Dr. Mabuse.
Kathryn maintains homes in Los Angeles and New York.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 13, 2011
As one of those girls who raced home from school every day to watch the original 'Dark Shadows' soap opera, I was delighted to discover this novel. Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played Maggie Evans/Josette duPres on the tv show has done a wonderful job writing the story of Meg Harrison.
Meg, an aspiring actress who supports herself as a Bunny at the Playboy Club, lands a much coveted role on a brand new soap opera called Dark Passages. Her inital excitement is dampened somewhat when she suspects that someone in the cast may have discovered her secret life as - a vampire. It soon becomes obvious that Meg has a supernatural enemy among the cast of the show.
In addition, Meg faces all of the 'normal' struggles of a young woman alone in the big city. The story does a great job of taking the reader back to the early sixties. For some readers the sex and supernatural elements may be too tame, but for me they were just right. Highly recommended, and I look forward to reading more of Miss Scott's books.
Meg, an aspiring actress who supports herself as a Bunny at the Playboy Club, lands a much coveted role on a brand new soap opera called Dark Passages. Her inital excitement is dampened somewhat when she suspects that someone in the cast may have discovered her secret life as - a vampire. It soon becomes obvious that Meg has a supernatural enemy among the cast of the show.
In addition, Meg faces all of the 'normal' struggles of a young woman alone in the big city. The story does a great job of taking the reader back to the early sixties. For some readers the sex and supernatural elements may be too tame, but for me they were just right. Highly recommended, and I look forward to reading more of Miss Scott's books.
October 30, 2011
I loved this book. Loved the story, characters, setting, descriptions and everything else in between. The author presents a wonderful sense of place in both the Playboy Club and a recording studio during the 60s. As a veteran actor in Dark Shadows, it reads that some of the events are based on her real experiences while filming the show, thereby making this an absolute must for all fans of the soap opera to relish and enjoy the small behind the scene glimpse not necessarily known to the general public.
I realize this is a work of fiction but the descriptions of rehearsals, filming, and working in the bunny club made me feel as though I were actually there in the story, as the author was in real life.
I sincerely hope there is a sequel in the making!
I realize this is a work of fiction but the descriptions of rehearsals, filming, and working in the bunny club made me feel as though I were actually there in the story, as the author was in real life.
I sincerely hope there is a sequel in the making!
March 23, 2012
Plot: First of all, the author of this novel was on a TV soap opera that ran from 1966 – 1971 called Dark Shadows, so she writes this novel largely from experience. It's about a girl named Meg who leaves 1960's Minnesota to work in New York City as a Playboy Bunny waitress, until she can get an acting job. She gets hired for a small role on a daytime soap opera, which eventually writes in a male vampire character into the script. Meg happens to be a real vampire and nobody knows about their existence, so she keeps her true identity a secret from everyone she knows. This is rather anti-climactic. It would have been better if even Ian, the soap opera vampire, had discovered her secret, but he doesn't. Halfway through, a witch named Camilla is thrown into the story, out of nowhere, to be the main villain character out to make Meg miserable, but I didn't understand Camilla's motivation. She has no reason for her vendetta against Meg and her family.
Characters: Meg isn't really a problematic character until she tries to hide her pregnancy from everyone. She constantly lies to everyone that she is fine when she should be saying something. But, I don't understand the point of her pregnancy at all. It means nothing to the plot. Ian, a sort of love-interest, is a nice character, but doesn't really do much to further the plot, either. I was thinking he'd get mixed up in Meg and Camilla's big boss fight at the end, maybe be held hostage by Camilla, but that never happens. Tons of characters are completely pointless. Haddie is a ghost that helps Meg with Camilla, but it's never explained how a dead guy's ghost can do anything supernatural. He just can.
Technical Writing: First, I'll have to narrow it down to mentioning sentence structure because that is good. But, the overall writing is not good because most of it is very “telly,” meaning it's like listening to someone blather on about their experience rather than feeling immersed in it. Not a single scene break can be found, other than normal chapter breaks, so it follows Meg every place she goes, no matter how pointless. There are some “showing” scenes, but not nearly enough. I never felt plunged into the story and it made this an arduously slow read for me.
Storytelling: My problem is with the world-building. This is fantasy, yet there is hardly any effort to develop it. Vampires are never explained and Meg never questions her mother about anything, which I find strange. Witches are never mentioned outright, and then suddenly one shows up halfway through to be the villain. I never bought it because it isn't set up properly. Also, Meg being a vampire seems moot. Because no one she works with ever finds out about her being a vampire, and it never helps her do anything significant regarding the Club or the TV show, I wonder why the author bothered to make Meg a vampire at all.
Overall Quality: Below average for me. I like the premise with the 1960's setting, the Bunny Club, even the soap opera, but 30% of the story could have been cut due to being unimportant. I wanted it to be an escape into a rare time in history that is fascinating, but it felt more like reading autobiographical nonfiction (except for the fantasy elements). I realize this author has an incredibly rare history that begged to be fictionalized, but I have to judge this book based on the standards all fiction is subjected to, and it doesn't hold up well.
Characters: Meg isn't really a problematic character until she tries to hide her pregnancy from everyone. She constantly lies to everyone that she is fine when she should be saying something. But, I don't understand the point of her pregnancy at all. It means nothing to the plot. Ian, a sort of love-interest, is a nice character, but doesn't really do much to further the plot, either. I was thinking he'd get mixed up in Meg and Camilla's big boss fight at the end, maybe be held hostage by Camilla, but that never happens. Tons of characters are completely pointless. Haddie is a ghost that helps Meg with Camilla, but it's never explained how a dead guy's ghost can do anything supernatural. He just can.
Technical Writing: First, I'll have to narrow it down to mentioning sentence structure because that is good. But, the overall writing is not good because most of it is very “telly,” meaning it's like listening to someone blather on about their experience rather than feeling immersed in it. Not a single scene break can be found, other than normal chapter breaks, so it follows Meg every place she goes, no matter how pointless. There are some “showing” scenes, but not nearly enough. I never felt plunged into the story and it made this an arduously slow read for me.
Storytelling: My problem is with the world-building. This is fantasy, yet there is hardly any effort to develop it. Vampires are never explained and Meg never questions her mother about anything, which I find strange. Witches are never mentioned outright, and then suddenly one shows up halfway through to be the villain. I never bought it because it isn't set up properly. Also, Meg being a vampire seems moot. Because no one she works with ever finds out about her being a vampire, and it never helps her do anything significant regarding the Club or the TV show, I wonder why the author bothered to make Meg a vampire at all.
Overall Quality: Below average for me. I like the premise with the 1960's setting, the Bunny Club, even the soap opera, but 30% of the story could have been cut due to being unimportant. I wanted it to be an escape into a rare time in history that is fascinating, but it felt more like reading autobiographical nonfiction (except for the fantasy elements). I realize this author has an incredibly rare history that begged to be fictionalized, but I have to judge this book based on the standards all fiction is subjected to, and it doesn't hold up well.
February 11, 2014
I finished Kathryn Leigh Scott's novel "Dark Passages" today and I loved it so much!!! :D "Dark Shadows" is still one of my all-time favorite shows and Kathryn played my fav female character on it Maggie Evans/Josette so I had to read this. Her novel is loosely based on what happened behind the scenes of the show but told with a paranormal/supernatural twist. The book focuses on young actress Meg who gets casted in a new 60s soap opera "Dark Passages" but is hiding the fact that she's a vampire. :) Kathryn did a great job inventing a brand new vampire mythology as they are mortal, age like normal humans, can have children with regular humans, and choose normally to feed on animals. Freaky things start happening to Meg on set and off after a new actress Camilla is casted as the show's witch. Turns out Camilla really is a witch and has a vandetta against Meg and her whole family. It also sets up a love pentagon between Meg, her co-star Ian who plays the vampire, their other co-worker Michael, Camilla, and Meg's high school boyfriend Eric. The book also features ghosts and other creepy events and leads to a great showdown all the while they're filming what becomes a hit TV series. :)
As a fan of the show I totally enjoyed this. I loved Meg & Ian's budding romance. You can tell Meg is based off Kathryn, Ian is Jonathan Frid, Camilla is Lara Parker, Michael is a mix of David Selby and other actors who played the girls other boyfriends, the co-creater & head writer Paul after "Dark Shadows" real creator/writer/director, and all the rest of the main cast & crew has fictional versions of themselves. It also makes you relive a lot of the storylines as Kathryn writes about what's happening on the show and the fans.
I'm not sure how others who weren't fans would take this book but those that were will love it!!! :D
As a fan of the show I totally enjoyed this. I loved Meg & Ian's budding romance. You can tell Meg is based off Kathryn, Ian is Jonathan Frid, Camilla is Lara Parker, Michael is a mix of David Selby and other actors who played the girls other boyfriends, the co-creater & head writer Paul after "Dark Shadows" real creator/writer/director, and all the rest of the main cast & crew has fictional versions of themselves. It also makes you relive a lot of the storylines as Kathryn writes about what's happening on the show and the fans.
I'm not sure how others who weren't fans would take this book but those that were will love it!!! :D
June 13, 2012
Loved this fictionalized autobiography. The place/event/time isn't always consistent with the reality but I enjoyed how she told her own story in a fictional setting. Made me wish I could have been there instead of running home to see the show. The story captures so much of what has been told in the various Dark Shadows Scrapbooks that you will love this if you are an old fan or a new one just taking your first steps into Collinwood/Stanhope!!
August 7, 2015
Many people might not know this about me, but I'm a fan of the yesteryear gothic soap opera, "Dark Shadows." My parents, who are of an age with the teen heartthrob of that series, have both expressed bemusement, at best, about this. :p
So naturally I was intrigued by how Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played female lead roles on the series, would meld a making-of narrative with her own fiction about the supernatural. In hindsight, maybe I should have just read one of her memoirs instead.
The chapters were relatively fast paced and I loved the foray into 1960s New York. Perhaps I'm biased by my voyeuristic desire to see behind the scenes of "Dark Shadows"--er, I mean Passages--but the focus on the acting culture and generally what it's like to be a young girl in that setting could entice anyone interested in a period romance of sorts.
It's the paranormal aspects that felt out of place. Leigh Scott's idea of a vampire falls into the "Twilight" camp--gorgeous, strong, indestructible, even impervious to normal vampiric weaknesses--the only plus is that these skills were ultimately in service of building up protagonist Margaret's power and self-esteem. But the vampire stuff was so tangential to most of the story that half the time I forgot it was even an issue. Especially with the Bunnies, this could have just been a decent story about a young, Midwestern girl making her way in New York. But suddenly she was pregnant and we were led to believe that this could affect her appearance-heavy jobs, even though she could turn into mist or sound waves if she wanted.
As for her scuffle with the witch, Camilla, there was hardly anything there. Leigh Scott had Margaret remark on the turgid nature of the soap opera dialogues and plot, but unrequited love, which was the motive of the witch on DS to do her dastardly deeds, was still more fortified than whatever Camilla was after. Apparently she'd been tormenting Meg's family for years, so Leigh Scott could have really built this up. Perhaps if the novel were told in third person, from multiple perspectives, so at least the readers could have gotten a fuller sense of Camilla's motives and the danger she posed. I mean, I knew this couldn't have been the gothic drama that the soap opera espoused, given the mid-20th-century urban setting, but we could have gotten something.
It was an enjoyable read, surely, but also a forgettable one. I'll give extra kudos for when the "Dark Passages" cast groaned, post-vampire development, how the next thing they knew there'd be werewolves, too. :p. (A later-day development in DS to keep the housewives invested in hunky men, hee). Also, I appreciated that Leigh Scott payed homage, via fictional character, to the female director who got the show off the ground. Just yesterday, the real-life woman, Lela Swift, passed away at 96. I'm grateful that this novel gave me extra pause to think about her legacy.
So naturally I was intrigued by how Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played female lead roles on the series, would meld a making-of narrative with her own fiction about the supernatural. In hindsight, maybe I should have just read one of her memoirs instead.
The chapters were relatively fast paced and I loved the foray into 1960s New York. Perhaps I'm biased by my voyeuristic desire to see behind the scenes of "Dark Shadows"--er, I mean Passages--but the focus on the acting culture and generally what it's like to be a young girl in that setting could entice anyone interested in a period romance of sorts.
It's the paranormal aspects that felt out of place. Leigh Scott's idea of a vampire falls into the "Twilight" camp--gorgeous, strong, indestructible, even impervious to normal vampiric weaknesses--the only plus is that these skills were ultimately in service of building up protagonist Margaret's power and self-esteem. But the vampire stuff was so tangential to most of the story that half the time I forgot it was even an issue. Especially with the Bunnies, this could have just been a decent story about a young, Midwestern girl making her way in New York. But suddenly she was pregnant and we were led to believe that this could affect her appearance-heavy jobs, even though she could turn into mist or sound waves if she wanted.
As for her scuffle with the witch, Camilla, there was hardly anything there. Leigh Scott had Margaret remark on the turgid nature of the soap opera dialogues and plot, but unrequited love, which was the motive of the witch on DS to do her dastardly deeds, was still more fortified than whatever Camilla was after. Apparently she'd been tormenting Meg's family for years, so Leigh Scott could have really built this up. Perhaps if the novel were told in third person, from multiple perspectives, so at least the readers could have gotten a fuller sense of Camilla's motives and the danger she posed. I mean, I knew this couldn't have been the gothic drama that the soap opera espoused, given the mid-20th-century urban setting, but we could have gotten something.
It was an enjoyable read, surely, but also a forgettable one. I'll give extra kudos for when the "Dark Passages" cast groaned, post-vampire development, how the next thing they knew there'd be werewolves, too. :p. (A later-day development in DS to keep the housewives invested in hunky men, hee). Also, I appreciated that Leigh Scott payed homage, via fictional character, to the female director who got the show off the ground. Just yesterday, the real-life woman, Lela Swift, passed away at 96. I'm grateful that this novel gave me extra pause to think about her legacy.
July 8, 2011
A vampire, farmer, Playboy Bunny, and an actress! All in a days work for Meg Harrison. Meg is trying to resist her urges as a vampire and just have a normal human life. Her take is that you don’t really know about vampires because she can function just fine in daylight, does not need human blood (She can survive on the occasional squirrel or bird), and seems like an ordinary girl. After high school she sets off to the big city to become an actress and begins her work as a Playboy Bunny in the notorious Bunny Club. While working she also goes to auditions and finally lands a part in the daytime soap opera Dark Passages. Things are going pretty good and she is able to push away her bodies need for blood, until a strange presence begins to cause trouble. Trouble in the form of a jealous witch. What will Meg do to keep this witch from destroying everything while dealing with what the witch has already taken from her? You've really got to read and find out! No spoilers here.
This book is not your normal vampire book. It was a great twist on what you would typically read a vampire novel for. The characters in the story don’t know that they are in the presence of a vampire at all and they are never in any vampire-like harm. I thought it was a refreshing take on vampires, and it played out like the soap opera the characters were acting in. The main character Meg was an average girl, not a blood crazy vampire, and her dramas just happen to be different from ours because she had to deal with paranormal activity that humans just didn’t understand. Oh, and her occasional blood needs!
The writing style was easy to read and the story flowed nicely. It sometimes felt like Meg was telling you the story directly and that you were sitting there listening. I also thought the characters and world were very well developed and full of details. Because the main story was set in New York it wasn't much of a stretch to imagine the setting at all.
~Anna here. Pardon the interruption but I just wanted to add that this book has the potential to appeal to a wide audience as it combines so many popular elements from pop culture, including the classic, groundbreaking television show, Dark Shadows, and the iconic Bunny Club from the 1960's. Also, I would easily recommend this book to both the YA crowd and any adult fan of vampire fiction.
Also, Kathryn has a lovely website and blog that you can check out for more information about Dark Passages, the original Dark Shadows, and the re-issue of The Bunny Years, which might be used as a source for the upcoming NBC show. Just click here.
*This book was sent by the author for review purposes.
*Reviewed by guest reviewer Jenny Osborne, with additional comments by Anna Dougherty.
This book is not your normal vampire book. It was a great twist on what you would typically read a vampire novel for. The characters in the story don’t know that they are in the presence of a vampire at all and they are never in any vampire-like harm. I thought it was a refreshing take on vampires, and it played out like the soap opera the characters were acting in. The main character Meg was an average girl, not a blood crazy vampire, and her dramas just happen to be different from ours because she had to deal with paranormal activity that humans just didn’t understand. Oh, and her occasional blood needs!
The writing style was easy to read and the story flowed nicely. It sometimes felt like Meg was telling you the story directly and that you were sitting there listening. I also thought the characters and world were very well developed and full of details. Because the main story was set in New York it wasn't much of a stretch to imagine the setting at all.
~Anna here. Pardon the interruption but I just wanted to add that this book has the potential to appeal to a wide audience as it combines so many popular elements from pop culture, including the classic, groundbreaking television show, Dark Shadows, and the iconic Bunny Club from the 1960's. Also, I would easily recommend this book to both the YA crowd and any adult fan of vampire fiction.
Also, Kathryn has a lovely website and blog that you can check out for more information about Dark Passages, the original Dark Shadows, and the re-issue of The Bunny Years, which might be used as a source for the upcoming NBC show. Just click here.
*This book was sent by the author for review purposes.
*Reviewed by guest reviewer Jenny Osborne, with additional comments by Anna Dougherty.
August 15, 2012
Who better to write a novel about a young actress moving to New York City in the 1960s and landing a part on a daily supernatural soap opera than Kathryn Leigh Scott, who starred on TV's DARK SHADOWS for its entire run from 1966 to 1970? Scott has written, edited and published numerous books on the cult TV series over the years (The Dark Shadows Almanac: Millennium Edition, 35th Anniversary Dark Shadows Memories, The Dark Shadows Companion: 25th Anniversary Collectionamong them) and now she smoothly makes the transition from non fiction to fiction with this amazingly assured page-turner.
Leigh does an outstanding job of evoking the mood and time of life in Manhattan during the early 1960s. She also has a keen sense of time and place when describing the frustrations, hilarity and exhilarations of the life of an actress who is filming a daily soap opera as breakneck speed. The politics, egos and camaraderie of life of the set of a daily soap opera offers a sensational setting for the story.
But this is not just a behind-the-scenes look at the making of DARK SHADOWS (er, I mean DARK PASSAGES)... you see, the young lead actress in this novel is a real vampire herself. When she's hired for this job, the soap opera has a gothic feel to it, but over the course of months, supernatural elements are added along with ghosts, spirits, witches and, yes, even a vampire. So, we have a real vampire actress acting on a TV show with other characters playing vampires. And, soon, she discovers that one of her co-stars also possesses supernatural powers...powers that are being used against our heroine.
This debut novel succeeds on so many different levels--compelling, three dimensional characters; fast-paced and clever plotting; fascinating background setting; and some new twists on old vampire lore. Just like Charlaine Harris did not allow her TRUE BLOOD series to be ham-strung by vampire traditions, Kathryn Leigh Scott has some new twists on what REAL vampires can and can't do.
This is a compelling and well-written novel that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go during its thrill-packed ride. I only hope that there's a series in the work so we see more of these characters!
Leigh does an outstanding job of evoking the mood and time of life in Manhattan during the early 1960s. She also has a keen sense of time and place when describing the frustrations, hilarity and exhilarations of the life of an actress who is filming a daily soap opera as breakneck speed. The politics, egos and camaraderie of life of the set of a daily soap opera offers a sensational setting for the story.
But this is not just a behind-the-scenes look at the making of DARK SHADOWS (er, I mean DARK PASSAGES)... you see, the young lead actress in this novel is a real vampire herself. When she's hired for this job, the soap opera has a gothic feel to it, but over the course of months, supernatural elements are added along with ghosts, spirits, witches and, yes, even a vampire. So, we have a real vampire actress acting on a TV show with other characters playing vampires. And, soon, she discovers that one of her co-stars also possesses supernatural powers...powers that are being used against our heroine.
This debut novel succeeds on so many different levels--compelling, three dimensional characters; fast-paced and clever plotting; fascinating background setting; and some new twists on old vampire lore. Just like Charlaine Harris did not allow her TRUE BLOOD series to be ham-strung by vampire traditions, Kathryn Leigh Scott has some new twists on what REAL vampires can and can't do.
This is a compelling and well-written novel that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go during its thrill-packed ride. I only hope that there's a series in the work so we see more of these characters!
July 26, 2011
I've been a fan of the show Dark Shadows for over 20 years now, and I've read several of Ms. Scott's non-fiction books. Needless to say, I was very excited when I heard about this book. It immediately jumped to the top of my to-read list, and now that I've finished reading it, I must say - it did not disappoint!
The book is unquestionably a take off on the filming of the original Dark Shadows series, except with a real vampire right in the middle of the mix. The plot moved along swiftly, and seemed to be a string of small plots laced together by the central plot (that of Meg and her nemesis). Ms. Scott did a lovely job of balancing the severity of some of the situations with just the right amount of humor to keep the book from feeling too dark or heavy. I do wish there had been a bit more of a wrap up after the climax of the book, but at the same time, the fact that it occurs so late in the book kept me reading late into the evening to find out what happened!
Admittedly, folks who are fans of the original "Dark Shadows" series will probably have an added level of enjoyment of the novel; many of the characters seem quite similar to original cast and crew members, and even many of the minor events in the book seem to be nods to actual occurences both on and off screen (thanks to many years of DS conventions for giving me that background knowledge!) However, I do suspect that even readers who are not familiar with the original TV show could appreciate the novel. I'm working on convincing some of my friends to read the novel to find this out!
Thank you Ms. Scott for a lovely novel - I'm looking forward to a sequel!
The book is unquestionably a take off on the filming of the original Dark Shadows series, except with a real vampire right in the middle of the mix. The plot moved along swiftly, and seemed to be a string of small plots laced together by the central plot (that of Meg and her nemesis). Ms. Scott did a lovely job of balancing the severity of some of the situations with just the right amount of humor to keep the book from feeling too dark or heavy. I do wish there had been a bit more of a wrap up after the climax of the book, but at the same time, the fact that it occurs so late in the book kept me reading late into the evening to find out what happened!
Admittedly, folks who are fans of the original "Dark Shadows" series will probably have an added level of enjoyment of the novel; many of the characters seem quite similar to original cast and crew members, and even many of the minor events in the book seem to be nods to actual occurences both on and off screen (thanks to many years of DS conventions for giving me that background knowledge!) However, I do suspect that even readers who are not familiar with the original TV show could appreciate the novel. I'm working on convincing some of my friends to read the novel to find this out!
Thank you Ms. Scott for a lovely novel - I'm looking forward to a sequel!
October 28, 2020
I've read several of Ms. Scott's non-fiction books about Dark Shadows (she played Maggie Evans in the series), but I've never read any of her fiction. Ms. Scott is quite an engaging author. She drew me in with engaging characters and an exciting story. The plot of the novel has elements of both Dark Shadows and Ms. Scott's own life. The twist here is that her protagonist is an actual vampire. However, it's not so "out there" that a reader that normally doesn't go in for that kind of thing can't enjoy it. Set in the early 1960's, the author creates an atmosphere that totally makes the reader feel as if they are in the period.
I have two points of criticism. First, I felt it was unnecessary to use the events of JFK's assassination. It's almost a cliche now for movies/TV shows/books to throw that into any plot set in that time period. It didn't really add anything to the plot.
I thought the book ended rather abruptly. That's normally not a criticism I offer, but it just seemed as if, after the plot moved at a reasonable pace for the rest of the book, it suddenly came to a close.
But those are minor complaints for an otherwise fine book. This is a very entertaining novel. I would like to see KLS do more with her protagonist--maybe have her find prime-time success?
I have two points of criticism. First, I felt it was unnecessary to use the events of JFK's assassination. It's almost a cliche now for movies/TV shows/books to throw that into any plot set in that time period. It didn't really add anything to the plot.
I thought the book ended rather abruptly. That's normally not a criticism I offer, but it just seemed as if, after the plot moved at a reasonable pace for the rest of the book, it suddenly came to a close.
But those are minor complaints for an otherwise fine book. This is a very entertaining novel. I would like to see KLS do more with her protagonist--maybe have her find prime-time success?
August 30, 2018
An amusing and interesting fictional take on the actress' real life adventures as a Playboy Bunny and as a star of the hit TV show 'Dark Shadows,' this is fun reading for fans, and Scott was one of my favorites actors on the show.
Scott has a different take on what Meg, her narrator and heroine-vampire is (more of nice super-powered creatures with occasional anemia if they don't get enough blood). The problem with the story is a lack of tension and no interplay between the Playboy Club and the TV show set cast regarding her vampirism, with the exception of Meg's nemesis, castmate Camilla (a take on Lara Parker's characters; Parker wrote a trilogy of 'Dark Shadows spin-off novels that have a more close gothic style of the show's themes). Nobody discovers Meg's secret, and she doesn't kill to survive (except small animals in Central Park). Still, the rehearsal and shooting scenes are fun, if you know the show's actors and characters.
The 1960s setting is well described, but some parts were a bit off, in that the pace was slowed by a focus on minutia (her meals and work schedule). My favorite scenes included the low-budget film adaptation scenes in a decaying upstate mansion.
Scott has a different take on what Meg, her narrator and heroine-vampire is (more of nice super-powered creatures with occasional anemia if they don't get enough blood). The problem with the story is a lack of tension and no interplay between the Playboy Club and the TV show set cast regarding her vampirism, with the exception of Meg's nemesis, castmate Camilla (a take on Lara Parker's characters; Parker wrote a trilogy of 'Dark Shadows spin-off novels that have a more close gothic style of the show's themes). Nobody discovers Meg's secret, and she doesn't kill to survive (except small animals in Central Park). Still, the rehearsal and shooting scenes are fun, if you know the show's actors and characters.
The 1960s setting is well described, but some parts were a bit off, in that the pace was slowed by a focus on minutia (her meals and work schedule). My favorite scenes included the low-budget film adaptation scenes in a decaying upstate mansion.
August 8, 2011
Dark Passages is a different take on the vampire myth. Our vampiric girl, Meg, walks in daylight, can shapeshift into whatever animal she wants including human, prefers animal blood to human and was the result of the union of her vampiric mother and her human father. Not your traditional vampire story. No, it's not.
Meg leaves Minnesota and her family for New York City to be an actress. She works at the Playboy club as a bunny and lands a role in a new soap opera called Dark Passages. She's rejecting her vampiric side for her human one so she stops hunting small animals in Central Park and trys to be human until she comes up against a witch determined to destroy her. With some help from her mother and the spirit of a former fan of this bunny, Meg has to fight evil and save herself and her leading man.
This is a fast enjoyable read that only gets better as it goes along. I recommend this especially for fans of Dark Shadows
This was a FirstReads Giveaway.
Meg leaves Minnesota and her family for New York City to be an actress. She works at the Playboy club as a bunny and lands a role in a new soap opera called Dark Passages. She's rejecting her vampiric side for her human one so she stops hunting small animals in Central Park and trys to be human until she comes up against a witch determined to destroy her. With some help from her mother and the spirit of a former fan of this bunny, Meg has to fight evil and save herself and her leading man.
This is a fast enjoyable read that only gets better as it goes along. I recommend this especially for fans of Dark Shadows
This was a FirstReads Giveaway.
May 24, 2015
I enjoyed this book by virtue of the characters and the premise--the main character is cast on a Gothic soap opera (loosely based on the Gothic soap Dark Shadows which Scott was in) and has a supernatural secret to keep.
The only reason I didn't give it a four star rating is because the stakes aren't very high. Meg is a vampire but no one even comes close to discovering this fact. Therefore there isn't much tension in the plot because it is treated as if it is something not very noticeable or likely to be discovered. Even her friends don't catch on. And I do agree with another reviewer that there were a lot of characters that were just sort of "there" with nothing to really do or contribute other than their characters.
Other than that, I enjoyed this book, and as a fan of Dark Shadows, enjoyed reading the fictionalized accounts of life "behind the scenes". I would recommend anyone who is a fan of Dark Shadows or supernatural fiction read it.
The only reason I didn't give it a four star rating is because the stakes aren't very high. Meg is a vampire but no one even comes close to discovering this fact. Therefore there isn't much tension in the plot because it is treated as if it is something not very noticeable or likely to be discovered. Even her friends don't catch on. And I do agree with another reviewer that there were a lot of characters that were just sort of "there" with nothing to really do or contribute other than their characters.
Other than that, I enjoyed this book, and as a fan of Dark Shadows, enjoyed reading the fictionalized accounts of life "behind the scenes". I would recommend anyone who is a fan of Dark Shadows or supernatural fiction read it.
July 20, 2011
I can't recommend this novel highly enough. It has it all ! Kathryn Leigh Scott has written a rip-roaring story packed full of perfect period detail, conspiracy, romance, and a heroine of such delightful complexity who is not just a rising star but who also happens to be a vampire. This is no small inconvenience and it leads her to places where her courage is tested in unimaginable ways and no mortal would survive.
This book is the perfect summer read and takes vampire stories to a new level, neatly dovetailing with the hugely anticipated Burton/Depp movie "Dark Shadows".
Buy it - you won't regret it.
This book is the perfect summer read and takes vampire stories to a new level, neatly dovetailing with the hugely anticipated Burton/Depp movie "Dark Shadows".
Buy it - you won't regret it.
October 22, 2018
I found "Dark Passages" an entertaining read that left me with a yen to see if I can find re-runs somewhere of "Dark Shadows," the 60s TV show the author starred in.
I liked the view of the club scene in 1960s NY and how the author slyly incorporated a "real life" vampire (who's trying to hide her "other nature") into a TV show that about a vampire. This is not a deep book and not dark. I'd call it vampire-lite with some interesting - human- supporting characters that could have had their own stories fleshed out in their own books.
My book club chose this as our Halloween read and I think it was a good one.
I liked the view of the club scene in 1960s NY and how the author slyly incorporated a "real life" vampire (who's trying to hide her "other nature") into a TV show that about a vampire. This is not a deep book and not dark. I'd call it vampire-lite with some interesting - human- supporting characters that could have had their own stories fleshed out in their own books.
My book club chose this as our Halloween read and I think it was a good one.
July 28, 2011
Dark passages was an amazing story about Meg Harrison, a vampire, who moves to New York to become an actress without the help of her vampiric powers. Unfortunetly for her a witch is bent on destroying her and her loved ones. Poor Eric was one of her victoms. "Moonlighting" as a playboy bunny and playing several different roles in the new hit T.V. show Dark Passages, Meg is on her way to stardom. Along the way several tragic things happen but in the end Meg is brave and strong and overcomes all. It is so worth the read.
Meg is totally one of my most favorite vampires.
Meg is totally one of my most favorite vampires.
June 14, 2012
Creating a fictionalized account of the author's actual life as a soap opera actress and waitress-bunny at the Playboy Club in the 60's and then adding vampires and witches into the mix may sound like a recipe for disaster but I thought Dark Passages was very well done and a fun break for me from more serious reading. Looking forward to a sequel.
Nice job too by Pomegranate Press on design and layout. Too bad there aren't hard cover copies available.
Nice job too by Pomegranate Press on design and layout. Too bad there aren't hard cover copies available.
November 8, 2018
A Great Read with a Surprise
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. The whole time I wondered how much of it was based on real events and what wasn't, although some of it was obvious. It was fun to read a familiar story from "Margie's" point of view.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. The whole time I wondered how much of it was based on real events and what wasn't, although some of it was obvious. It was fun to read a familiar story from "Margie's" point of view.
June 27, 2024
Dark Passages. A Vampiric Young Actress on a soap similar to …..
Barnabas Collins. Dark Shadows. My college days. Finished a two hour final at my university so I could run home to see my beloved vampire. My professor asked how I finished so early. Me: I need to get home. Prof: why? Me: Dark Shadows comes on and I can’t miss my vampire. 🧛🏻♂️ …..
To say I ravished this book is to put it mildly — an Audible read just under 12 hours. It swept me back to the excitement of watching my forever all time fav soap opera. The character development excellent. The plot development excellent. The cast of characters remarkable. Was it based on the real-life story of the author who was on the soap — pretty certain she pulled some of the story from her experience. It felt like I was reliving my college days. Thank you Katheryn Leigh Scott for a glorious stroll through your great story. And yes, I was madly in love with Barnabas.
Barnabas Collins. Dark Shadows. My college days. Finished a two hour final at my university so I could run home to see my beloved vampire. My professor asked how I finished so early. Me: I need to get home. Prof: why? Me: Dark Shadows comes on and I can’t miss my vampire. 🧛🏻♂️ …..
To say I ravished this book is to put it mildly — an Audible read just under 12 hours. It swept me back to the excitement of watching my forever all time fav soap opera. The character development excellent. The plot development excellent. The cast of characters remarkable. Was it based on the real-life story of the author who was on the soap — pretty certain she pulled some of the story from her experience. It felt like I was reliving my college days. Thank you Katheryn Leigh Scott for a glorious stroll through your great story. And yes, I was madly in love with Barnabas.
May 2, 2022
Dark Passages just wasn't my thing.
I thought it would be an awesome paranormal story about a woman trying to hide the fact she was a vampire from the world, while still coming to terms with her powers and all that cool stuff. But no, it was about a woman who moves to the city to become an actress and also works as a playboy bunny waitress. And, oh yeah, she just so happens to be a vampire.
I disliked the way Dark Passages was written - the author never let you figure anything out (not that much happened). There was a lot of "I wonder what this could mean...maybe it means this or this". Also, the main character was so annoying, her dialogue was unbelievably frustrating. I don't get the world-building. Like, there are ghosts and stuff? What are the vampires' powers exactly? Where did they come from? Nothing was explained.
I thought it would be an awesome paranormal story about a woman trying to hide the fact she was a vampire from the world, while still coming to terms with her powers and all that cool stuff. But no, it was about a woman who moves to the city to become an actress and also works as a playboy bunny waitress. And, oh yeah, she just so happens to be a vampire.
I disliked the way Dark Passages was written - the author never let you figure anything out (not that much happened). There was a lot of "I wonder what this could mean...maybe it means this or this". Also, the main character was so annoying, her dialogue was unbelievably frustrating. I don't get the world-building. Like, there are ghosts and stuff? What are the vampires' powers exactly? Where did they come from? Nothing was explained.
July 20, 2023
If you're a fan of the original 1960s "Dark Shadows" soap opera, as I am, you'll enjoy this book. Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played the characters of Maggie, Josette, and many others, seems to have written a dishy memoir of her time working on the show and disguised it as a vampire novel. I felt like I was getting a peek behind the scenes at what the actors were really like and their off-screen interactions, rivalries, romances, and quirks. The vampire plot seemed clunky at times and to serve as a vehicle for the story. But if you're a fan of the "Dark Shadows" characters and the actors who play them, it's well worth the read. A friend gave me the CD audio book for Christmas, which is read by Kathryn Leigh Scott herself. Scott does a great job of bringing the characters to life as she reads.
November 22, 2025
The lovely Kathryn Leigh Scott was an actress on the long-running 60s supernatural soap opera, Dark Shadows. Prior to getting her acting break, she worked as a bunny at the Playboy Club in New York. Alas, unlike Meg Harrison, the fictional version of herself that is the protagonist of this novel, she is not actually a vampire. Of course, I can’t be completely certain of that…
This novel is great fun. Action-packed, fast-moving, and fun. But also moving and sad. Ms Scott is not only an excellent actress, but she is also a competent and entertaining writer. Dark Passages will no doubt appeal mainly to fans of Dark Shadows—still an amazingly large number for a show that started in 1966!—but I would recommend it to everyone.
This novel is great fun. Action-packed, fast-moving, and fun. But also moving and sad. Ms Scott is not only an excellent actress, but she is also a competent and entertaining writer. Dark Passages will no doubt appeal mainly to fans of Dark Shadows—still an amazingly large number for a show that started in 1966!—but I would recommend it to everyone.
November 27, 2023
If you're a fan of Dark Shadows
I really enjoyed this book. The story wasn't that great and the climactic battle at the end was kind of hokey as was the whole vampire thing. Had I not been a fan of Dark Shadows the tv show, I probably wouldn't have finished this book. Fortunately, I am a fan of the show and found this book to be borderline genius in presenting characters. While reading, it was easy to place characters from the show into the book. A somewhat better story would have made this an easy five star book. If you like or liked Dark Shadows, read this book. If not, well...you still might enjoy it, but it's the parallels that make the story.
I really enjoyed this book. The story wasn't that great and the climactic battle at the end was kind of hokey as was the whole vampire thing. Had I not been a fan of Dark Shadows the tv show, I probably wouldn't have finished this book. Fortunately, I am a fan of the show and found this book to be borderline genius in presenting characters. While reading, it was easy to place characters from the show into the book. A somewhat better story would have made this an easy five star book. If you like or liked Dark Shadows, read this book. If not, well...you still might enjoy it, but it's the parallels that make the story.
July 8, 2017
A fun read especially if you remember the TV show Dark Shadows.
August 21, 2011
This is a brilliant book which I had a lot of fun reading, In addition to a cracking good story it was also interesting to gain insight into what it was like to film the Dark Shadows TV series from someone who was there behind the counter and at the house. I applaud Kathryn Scott's originality in taking some very familiar characters and putting them in somewhat familiar but with a twist situations and then have it old told from the pov of a supernatural creature - wonder if that pints to parts of The Dark Shadows mythology that were not used. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the sequel which I know must be in the making with the return of some old adversaries and the arrival of new ones. Brava!
August 20, 2011
Dark Passages was very unique. I never would have thought that combining Playboy Bunnies and Vampires could be so intriguing. There were parts during the story that were boring but when it was interesting it was so compeling that I was completely absorbed by it. The characters were well developed with their own unique personalities, each with their own backgrounds, and with the main character being a farm girl from a small town in Minnesota moving to a large city was something that I could connect with instantly (being a vampire, not so much.) I felt the ending was abrupt but I want to know what happens to the characters afterwards, so I was very sad to put the book down.
July 8, 2014
What fun!
If you were a Dark Shadows fan, you will probably love this.
If you want an entertaining visit to 1960's New York city, the Bunny Club, and the world of daytime soaps on TV, you will enjoy this.
It stretches credibility, but plays out like a "good" soap with interesting characters. You want the nice people to have good things happen to them.
And the not nice people?
My only complaint is the resolution was too quick. Long suffering would have been OK by me!
And we are left with the possibility of the story being picked up for next season (There is the hint of more to come).
If you were a Dark Shadows fan, you will probably love this.
If you want an entertaining visit to 1960's New York city, the Bunny Club, and the world of daytime soaps on TV, you will enjoy this.
It stretches credibility, but plays out like a "good" soap with interesting characters. You want the nice people to have good things happen to them.
And the not nice people?
My only complaint is the resolution was too quick. Long suffering would have been OK by me!
And we are left with the possibility of the story being picked up for next season (There is the hint of more to come).
September 19, 2013
I must admit to not finishing this one. It wasn't terrible but I just couldn't engage with the story. I may got back to it someday when my to be read pile is smaller and not filled with books I am keen to get to. Perhaps I suffered from never having seen the original Dark Shadows soap. Meg seemed kind of cold and selfish and disconnected from her fellow man and thus I found it difficult to care what was happening in her life.
November 6, 2011
I think most fans of the original Dark Shadows series will enjoy this book. I found it fun to read and at times found it so real I pictured the actors and actresses from the TV show as the characters in the book. I raised my eyebrows a few times and wondered if some of the things in the book really happened behind the scenes.
I finished the book in 2 days. It was fun, light and a great book for any Dark Shadows fan to add to their collection
I finished the book in 2 days. It was fun, light and a great book for any Dark Shadows fan to add to their collection
December 11, 2018
To be rated/reviewed after this month’s book club meeting
This was a fun, well-paced story set in 1960s New York City. The protagonist is Meg Harrison, a vampire masquerading as a human working as an actor on a popular soap opera that has a supernatural twist. The author drew on her own experience as an actor on the classic soap "Dark Shadows," bringing an insider feel to the story. This was the perfect pick for an October read.
This was a fun, well-paced story set in 1960s New York City. The protagonist is Meg Harrison, a vampire masquerading as a human working as an actor on a popular soap opera that has a supernatural twist. The author drew on her own experience as an actor on the classic soap "Dark Shadows," bringing an insider feel to the story. This was the perfect pick for an October read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews