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Dark Shadows #17
Barnabas, Quentin and the Avenging Ghost
When the jury of which Roger Collins is chairman find Harriet Barnes guilty of murder, she swears vengeance on the entire Collins family, then kills herself.
Soon Celia Dalton, a guest at Collinwood, starts suffering strange spells. Each time she does, someone at Collinwood is violently attacked. Has Harriet Barnes taken over her spirit, making the innocent girl a blood-thirsty killer? Can Barnabas and Quentin save Celia --- and the Collins family -- from this menace out of the crypt?
Soon Celia Dalton, a guest at Collinwood, starts suffering strange spells. Each time she does, someone at Collinwood is violently attacked. Has Harriet Barnes taken over her spirit, making the innocent girl a blood-thirsty killer? Can Barnabas and Quentin save Celia --- and the Collins family -- from this menace out of the crypt?
159 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1970
About the author
Marilyn Ross
145 books63 followersWilliam 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, Olin Ross, 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).
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 18, 2018
You'd think that by now I'd have little to say about Dark Shadows books on my blog (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World), but this one managed to sneak in a biblical reference, so I couldn't help myself. In any case, these books are nostalgia reads for me. I read many of them shortly after they came out, when the pulp castoffs were easily found in the book bin at Goodwill. As an adult I've gone back to them, paying several times the cover price for each one, just to recapture a bit of those more innocent days.
These books are formulaic, romantic, and so very terribly gothic. Part of the draw, however, is that Barnabas Collins is such a compelling figure. Both vampire and hero, he predated the any number of popular accounts of the sympathetic vampire by a decade or two. He shifted the way we felt about the undead. The characterization of Maine in these stories led to an ideal imaginary place in my young head. A place where there was a threat, but a kindly and sophisticated one.
Something that struck me in this volume of the series was that Barnabas and Quentin (his werewolf cousin) don't always get along. My childhood memory was that they were allies, but just because you're a monster doesn't mean that other monsters will be your friend, I guess. In this story they work at cross-purposes and Quentin seems to have been added because now his name was a regular fixture in the titles.
You'd think I'd learn, after all these years; these books are fun, quick reads but they leave you still feeling hungry when you're done. Still, I have a few more on my shelf, and when I finish reading them I suspect I'll want more. Barnabas, I'm sure, would understand.
These books are formulaic, romantic, and so very terribly gothic. Part of the draw, however, is that Barnabas Collins is such a compelling figure. Both vampire and hero, he predated the any number of popular accounts of the sympathetic vampire by a decade or two. He shifted the way we felt about the undead. The characterization of Maine in these stories led to an ideal imaginary place in my young head. A place where there was a threat, but a kindly and sophisticated one.
Something that struck me in this volume of the series was that Barnabas and Quentin (his werewolf cousin) don't always get along. My childhood memory was that they were allies, but just because you're a monster doesn't mean that other monsters will be your friend, I guess. In this story they work at cross-purposes and Quentin seems to have been added because now his name was a regular fixture in the titles.
You'd think I'd learn, after all these years; these books are fun, quick reads but they leave you still feeling hungry when you're done. Still, I have a few more on my shelf, and when I finish reading them I suspect I'll want more. Barnabas, I'm sure, would understand.
March 11, 2025
I still enjoy this series, but it feels like they are using a form letter to plot them. Every novel a beautiful woman falls in love with Barnabas (and this time it's his cousin, Carolyn, although they never act on it at least), and then at the end Barnabas always writes a letter and leaves Collinwood, but then by the next novel he's back again. There is some time jumping to explain that, but it's still weird.
And speaking of weird, Quentin's appearances so far have been really weird. In both the last novel and this one, he shows up pretending to be someone else, a werewolf shows up, and then Quentin just leaves. It's like they put him in just to put his name in the title. I think maybe these were already written and then just re-written to put Quentin in. I mean, sure, he has the coolest first name ever, but still!
In any case, this was the usual mystery with a twist that we've come to expect from this series. I still like the series, but is there really another 15 volumes just like these? I'm guessing not, because Quentin has to eventually start playing a bigger part in the stories.
And speaking of weird, Quentin's appearances so far have been really weird. In both the last novel and this one, he shows up pretending to be someone else, a werewolf shows up, and then Quentin just leaves. It's like they put him in just to put his name in the title. I think maybe these were already written and then just re-written to put Quentin in. I mean, sure, he has the coolest first name ever, but still!
In any case, this was the usual mystery with a twist that we've come to expect from this series. I still like the series, but is there really another 15 volumes just like these? I'm guessing not, because Quentin has to eventually start playing a bigger part in the stories.
November 20, 2019
Until the last chapter, this may be the best book in the series so far. There is a disappointing loose plot thread. For the second book in a row, Quentin shows up disguised as another character, then disappears with no resolution. I suppose David Selby was so popular by this point that "Marilyn" Ross was instructed to put Quentin in the books. It seems that Ross was so wedded to the familiar formula of Barnabas showing up, then being accused unjustly of various acts of violence, that he couldn't easily discard it. Carolyn is the main character in this novel, and since she's Barnabas' cousin, their love is more in the nature of chaste affection. There's a real Scooby-Doo ending, and a passing reference to LSD (I suppose to make the book relevant to those hippies that were buying Dark Shadows novels in 1970). Another plot point that goes nowhere is the weather. We are told again and again that it's unusually hot in Collinwood, but it apparently means nothing in terms of the plot. In the previous novel, the snow that was featured prominently at least had a hand in the plot. Back to the ending: what a more skilled novelist would unspool over 30 or 40 pages, Ross summarizes in 4 pages to bring the novel to a close. Maybe his deadline was approaching. At any rate, the housewife that plucked this gem off the supermarket paperback rack in 1970 certainly got her 60 cents worth.
March 8, 2026
If you are a big Quentin fan, you will probably be disappointed in this one.
Though his name is in the title, and his photo is on the cover, he is a minor character in this story and doesn't figure into the main plot or finale.
Roger Collins is foreman of a jury for the trail of Harriet Barnes. She's accused of killing her husbands. When she is found guilty, she puts a curse on Roger and his family, then commits suicide.
Soon after a young friend of Carolyn's, Celia Dalton shows up for a visit with her parents. Her dad is well known for investigating the paranormal, and he's all set to dig into the mysterious going ons at Collinwood.
Cousin Barnabas is visiting as well, staying at The Old House. His odd habits of coming out only at night and picking up young ladies at The Blue Whale soon have the townspeople talking about vampires...
And the curse of Harriet seems to be reaching out to Roger and his family...
A quick read, and fun.
For a rare change of pace in this series, a young woman is not in love with Barnabas.
Though Carolyn does wish a few times they were not cousins, so that she could love him.
Roger, as always is well written.
Barnabas and Quentin share one quick scene together....again, Quentin is an afterthought here...
A good fun read that could have been better.
Though his name is in the title, and his photo is on the cover, he is a minor character in this story and doesn't figure into the main plot or finale.
Roger Collins is foreman of a jury for the trail of Harriet Barnes. She's accused of killing her husbands. When she is found guilty, she puts a curse on Roger and his family, then commits suicide.
Soon after a young friend of Carolyn's, Celia Dalton shows up for a visit with her parents. Her dad is well known for investigating the paranormal, and he's all set to dig into the mysterious going ons at Collinwood.
Cousin Barnabas is visiting as well, staying at The Old House. His odd habits of coming out only at night and picking up young ladies at The Blue Whale soon have the townspeople talking about vampires...
And the curse of Harriet seems to be reaching out to Roger and his family...
A quick read, and fun.
For a rare change of pace in this series, a young woman is not in love with Barnabas.
Though Carolyn does wish a few times they were not cousins, so that she could love him.
Roger, as always is well written.
Barnabas and Quentin share one quick scene together....again, Quentin is an afterthought here...
A good fun read that could have been better.
April 30, 2023
More fun with the Collins family, each and every one of whom behave like insane people! Many laugh-out-loud moments. That oddball, Barnabas—he who kisses village girls in “some strange way on their throats so they have scars and go wandering about in a daze”—so eccentric! Unfortunately, just like the last book, Quentin is shoehorned in nonsensically, obviously added after the first draft was written to better market the book. Oh! And Matthew Morgan is somehow alive and is the Collinswood “handyman”! The denouement in the last four pages . . . hilarious!
December 2, 2016
Maggie is the governess in this story. She has taken David and Amy on a trip so she doesn't play a role in this book other than that. Caroline has a girlfriend named Celia who will be coming to Collinwood. Celia had been in college but suffered a nervous breakdown.
Harriet is a woman who was tried for murdering her husband. Roger was the foreman of the jury that declared her guilty. Harriet placed a curse on all the Collins because of that.
Celia and her father come to visit. Her father is an absolute fanatic when it comes to spiritualism and he considers himself a great expert on the subject. There's a doctor attending Celia and a nurse.
Weird things start to happen with items that belonged to Harriet suddenly appearing. Celia's father has been forcing her to develop into a medium and things go wrong because of that.
Elizabeth and Caroline both are nearly murdered. Barnabas plays a role as confidant to Caroline. Quentin appears and is quite nasty even trying to attack Celia.
Everything comes to a head during a séance. This is a another good story in the series.
Harriet is a woman who was tried for murdering her husband. Roger was the foreman of the jury that declared her guilty. Harriet placed a curse on all the Collins because of that.
Celia and her father come to visit. Her father is an absolute fanatic when it comes to spiritualism and he considers himself a great expert on the subject. There's a doctor attending Celia and a nurse.
Weird things start to happen with items that belonged to Harriet suddenly appearing. Celia's father has been forcing her to develop into a medium and things go wrong because of that.
Elizabeth and Caroline both are nearly murdered. Barnabas plays a role as confidant to Caroline. Quentin appears and is quite nasty even trying to attack Celia.
Everything comes to a head during a séance. This is a another good story in the series.
December 25, 2022
Another novel based on the TV serial. This time, it looks as if there's a curse on Collinwood (of course, when *isn't* there a curse?) from a murderess. One of Carolyn's friends is visiting, and she seems to be possessed by the ghost of the dead woman. And the girl's boyfriend turns out to be Quentin. (Though not quite the way he was portrayed on TV or in the rest of the novels.) Pretty much the usual silliness, but readable fluff.
October 16, 2023
This one gets a lot needlessly complicated…there is so much jam crammed into this one. But I appreciate that this complication breaks up the previously-tired formula a bit. Plus: cousin effing obsession returns 👎🏻
April 28, 2020
I think I just heard that story 3 books or so ago. Marilyn must have forgot his stories as soon as he finished writing them!! Lol!! All part of the DS charm
January 14, 2026
Audiobook delightfully read by Kathryn Leigh Scott!
January 22, 2012
As Dark Shadows books go, this is a very decent read. The action centers around Carolyn Stoddard, Elizabeth's pretty but wilful daughter. Carolyn played a substantial role back in DARK SHADOWS (Book #1) and has appeared in subsequent novels as well but without major impact. Now, for the first time, she is placed center stage as our heroine. Carolyn is lively and spirited, more "edgy" than Maggie Evans and much more proactive. That's good, because author Dan ("Marilyn") Ross will proceed to put her in some pretty horrible predicaments...
It's the summer of 1969---same summer as BARNABAS COLLINS VERSUS THE WARLOCK, but let's ignore the overlapping timelines---and the Dalton family arrive at Collinwood for a visit. Edward Dalton is a creepy spiritualist who has used his psychic daughter as medium, very much to her detriment. The daughter, Celia, is recovering from a nervous breakdown brought on by these stressful activities. And Mrs. Dalton turns out to be a former girl friend's of Roger's! Roger's no longer an alcoholic, it would appear, but in these later books has devolved into an old codger who just wants to protect the family name. This he finds impossible to do, considering all the terrible things that regularly happen at Collinwood. And he would like to disown Cousin Barnabas, whom he now suspects of being a vampire!
Apparently Roger has been cursed by a local woman, Harriet Barnes, that was convicted of poisoning her various husbands. She died vowing to punish him "from beyond the grave." Now Celia Dalton seems to be possessed by the vengeful Harriet and is trying to kill off the entire Collins family! All botched murder attempts....luckily, since Carolyn, Elizabeth and Roger are major characters in the series. The reader will be relieved to learn that none of them actually DIE. And Barnabas becomes Carolyn's new love interest, while Celia Dalton is infatuated with werewolf Quentin. Not great literature but certainly a fun read.
It's the summer of 1969---same summer as BARNABAS COLLINS VERSUS THE WARLOCK, but let's ignore the overlapping timelines---and the Dalton family arrive at Collinwood for a visit. Edward Dalton is a creepy spiritualist who has used his psychic daughter as medium, very much to her detriment. The daughter, Celia, is recovering from a nervous breakdown brought on by these stressful activities. And Mrs. Dalton turns out to be a former girl friend's of Roger's! Roger's no longer an alcoholic, it would appear, but in these later books has devolved into an old codger who just wants to protect the family name. This he finds impossible to do, considering all the terrible things that regularly happen at Collinwood. And he would like to disown Cousin Barnabas, whom he now suspects of being a vampire!
Apparently Roger has been cursed by a local woman, Harriet Barnes, that was convicted of poisoning her various husbands. She died vowing to punish him "from beyond the grave." Now Celia Dalton seems to be possessed by the vengeful Harriet and is trying to kill off the entire Collins family! All botched murder attempts....luckily, since Carolyn, Elizabeth and Roger are major characters in the series. The reader will be relieved to learn that none of them actually DIE. And Barnabas becomes Carolyn's new love interest, while Celia Dalton is infatuated with werewolf Quentin. Not great literature but certainly a fun read.
July 3, 2017
This story was better than the last one but I still wondered a few things.
First, the publicity machine was in full swing with this one (as the previous one) mentioning Quentin in the title. First, he had very little show time and also was traveling incognito. He had nothing to do with solving the mystery of the avenging ghost.I guess at this point in the show he was quite popular and the powers that be figured they would sell more books this way. :\
Next, how in the world does Elizabeth allow random guests to stay in the 'apartment' of Collinwood? Carolyn apparently met this young woman in school then next thing the reader knows, she and her parents are traveling and Elizabeth asks them to stay on, indefinitely apparently.
Anyway, the story was OK and Carolyn and Barnabas seemed to work well together to figure out what was going on and who was attempting murder on her family members. There were a few gothicy scenarios and some of the descriptions brought to mind the thunder and lightening storms from the show plus the lonely walk through a werewolf-infested wood. I'm glad that this story, anyway, had some of the other Collins family members from the show whereas some earlier ones discovered some forgotten members.
First, the publicity machine was in full swing with this one (as the previous one) mentioning Quentin in the title. First, he had very little show time and also was traveling incognito. He had nothing to do with solving the mystery of the avenging ghost.I guess at this point in the show he was quite popular and the powers that be figured they would sell more books this way. :\
Next, how in the world does Elizabeth allow random guests to stay in the 'apartment' of Collinwood? Carolyn apparently met this young woman in school then next thing the reader knows, she and her parents are traveling and Elizabeth asks them to stay on, indefinitely apparently.
Anyway, the story was OK and Carolyn and Barnabas seemed to work well together to figure out what was going on and who was attempting murder on her family members. There were a few gothicy scenarios and some of the descriptions brought to mind the thunder and lightening storms from the show plus the lonely walk through a werewolf-infested wood. I'm glad that this story, anyway, had some of the other Collins family members from the show whereas some earlier ones discovered some forgotten members.
April 22, 2023
Members of the Collins family are under direct attack...but who (or what!) is the culprit?
Is the spirit of a suicide out for revenge?
Carolyn and Roger take center stage in this one. Yes, the unstable Quentin also makes the scene and is involved in a couple of frightening moments. Barnabas is heroic and, of course, as mysterious as ever. Good, "clean" fun that put a smile on this fan's face.
Is the spirit of a suicide out for revenge?
Carolyn and Roger take center stage in this one. Yes, the unstable Quentin also makes the scene and is involved in a couple of frightening moments. Barnabas is heroic and, of course, as mysterious as ever. Good, "clean" fun that put a smile on this fan's face.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews