Twilight Web

by W.E.D. Ross

When a distant relative suddenly died, Rose Hilary became the unexpected heir of a vast estate in Maine. Her first visit to the house at Rocky Terrace was a glorious she loved the bracing sea air and warm sunshine of the high coastal cliffs. But Rose began to feel a strange premonition of danger. She was racked by a violent fever that left her weak and trembling with terror. For there were those who resented her sudden fortune who wanted Rose to die. Hideous visions shone in the twilight, and harrowing screams pierced the night. There was no one Rose could trust. She was hurled into a sinister web of darkness, haunted by someone, something that threatened her life. An Easy Read Gothic - 170 pages.

Genres: Gothic

Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

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

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose Hilary is the daughter of missionaries in India. She loses her parents to an epidemic. Though she survives, she has recurring bouts of fever that often send her into a coma. She reaches out to her only relative, her estranged grandfather in Maine. He had disowned his only daughter after she had eloped with a missionary. Rose has never met him and worries that he will want to have nothing to do with her. However, her grandfather has had a change of heart, and invites her to live with him.

Rose makes the long journey back to the States, only to learn that her grandfather has died - and left her a fortune. He had changed his will in her favor soon after he heard from her. In the process, he drastically reduced what he was going to leave his distant cousin Harriet and her son Noel, who had been managing things for him. However, Harriet and Noel state that they are perfectly content with what they have.

Noel befriends Rose and even proposes. However, she falls in love with someone else, Richard Tolbert, which does not go over very well with Noel. Rose has one of her attacks and when she wakes up later, she finds that Richard is gone. In fact, they even deny his existence. It becomes obvious to Rose that there is a campaign to either drive her insane or convince the authorities that she is insane.

This was a quick little read. It came in handy when I was trying to get back to sleep in the early morning hours. This is really more of a thriller than a mystery. It's obvious who is behind everything. I was disappointed in the ending. Rose is a rather weak heroine. I prefer stronger lead characters, not ones that have to be rescued.