Barnabas, Quentin and the Witch's Curse

Dark Shadows #20

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

Against her will, Anita Burgess accompanies her brother Jeffrey to Collinwood. He is determined to get revenge against Quentin Collins who he believes is responsible for his best friend's death.

Pretending friendship toward Quentin, Anita and Jeffrey learn he has established a Black Magic center at Collinwood and has several young women completely under his power.

Jeffrey enlists Barnabas's aid in his struggle to destroy Quentin - both to avenge his friend's death and to free the young women. But he does not realize that by destroying Quentin, he risks destroying Anita as well.

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Vampires, Novels, Fantasy

158 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1970

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, 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).

Reviews

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

For this year’s Modern Mrs. Darcy’s reading challenge one of the categories is three books by the same author. A glance at my shelves revealed three unread Dark Shadows novels by Marilyn Ross. I’m always a little embarrassed to post about them because they are hardly sophisticated literature. They’re somewhat juvenile, and, as I state elsewhere (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World), formulaic. Still, they’re guilty pleasure reads and they do help understand the role lying characters can play in drama fit for a soap opera.

Ironically Barnabas, Quentin and the Witch’s Curse is nothing about a witch’s curse. It tells the story of Quentin Collins’ background as a werewolf. Set in 1900, it begins in Venice before moving back to its more accustomed Collinwood. Quentin is portrayed as an inveterate Satanist. His Devil worship leads to his werewolf problem. The same fainting, distressed, and senseless female characters you come to expect in Ross’ writing occur. A product of his time, Ross seems to have no concept of a strong or capable female. If you can get over that, the book is fun enough. If, like me, you’ve read many of them you might experience deja vu. I always have to ask myself before picking one up, have I read this before?

Reading challenges are fun and I like to get a head start if I can. Dark Shadows books are always brief and never challenging to read. They remind me of my childhood, which is why I sometimes come back to them. This time it was in the context of the reading challenges I’ve set for myself this year. There’s nothing too unexpected in this tale, beyond the casual Satanism of a major character. Beyond that it’s life as normal just outside Collinsport. And even as I question myself for reading it, I know another one will show up in coming months and I’ll once again forgive my indulgence for such little guilty pleasure reads.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm currently at Episode 1050 of the complete Dark Shadows run, so I'm ready to branch out into the bizarrely unrelated Dark Shadows novels which were so popular on paperback shelves when I was a kid. Other than the names of the characters in the title, and one or two place names, this is a completely different world than any of the ones I've gotten used to from the show.
In this novel, set in 1900, Quentin is a werewolf/Satanist coven leader, and Barnabas, his cousin, is probably a vampire but he gives no direct sign of that here. The story is told from the point of view of a young woman named Anita, who almost falls under Quentin's spell but instead tries to bring him down for murder. Ross is not a prose stylist but she (actually he - I forget the real name behind this fake one) keeps the plot moving along, and fills 159 paperback pages with spookiness, weirdness, and the sorts of things that could have happened on the show, just without the main villain being Quentin.

[Laura Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books in the series. Plot was convoluted and was an excellent example of a story that was written badly.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather unusual book in the series. The others that I have read with Quentin in them have pictured Quentin as a not-very-nice character with assumptions made that he is directly responsible for certain bad things happening. This story presents him as basically a totally evil character. It seems he is directly responsible for a number of deaths.

The story is about a woman named Anita who travels to Venice with her brother, Jeffrey. What they discover is a Satanic cult run by Quentin. He seems to use hypnosis and possibly drugs to keep women under his control. He tries to get Anita into his cult but she turns him down. A friend of hers ends up dead and she suspects Quentin is responsible.

Quentin leaves Venice and Jeffrey and Anita follow him and the same types of bad things happen there. This time, though, she has Barnabas on her side along with another guy. More Satanic stuff, more werewolf stuff, another death, and a showdown with Quentin. This all makes for one of the darkest of the Dark Shadows paperback series.

[Richard Tolleson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't say this is the best of the series so far, but I will say that it makes the upper tier. Once again, we have characters from the TV show completely detached from the series--as well as from the preceding books from the series. If you can get past that, there's a lot to like about this book. The action moves from Italy to Collinwood, and Quentin, for the first time that I remember in this series, is revealed to be truly evil, not just suspected of it. The contrived ending is more or less predictable, but in a twist (if you've read any of the preceding books, you'll understand), Barnabas doesn't leave Collinwood at the end. While the heroines of these books tend to be helpless, this one has a bit more gumption, and takes an active role in solving the murders. Three stars if you're not a Dark Shadows fan, four stars if you are.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fast moving Dark Shadows adventure.
Only Barnabas and Quentin appear in this one (out of all the characters in the soap opera)
The year is 1900. Anita Burgess and her brother have followed Quentin from Venice, to Collinwood. They suspect Quentin is responsible for the death of her fiancee.
They also think he is dabbling into witch craft, with a coven of young women under his spell.
Barnabas is also weary of Quentin. And he offers to help Anita and her brother.
But he has secrets of his own.
Foe some reason in this book series, Quentin is almost always evil.
Barnabas takes a back seat in this story. He's really not in it a lot.
As always, the writer does a great job with creating the mood. I can feel the fog, as well as see it.
Not a lot of action. And we don't see much witch craft- the results of it, any way.
But it is entertaining.

[Larry Yonce · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1900, werewolf Quentin forms a Black Magic cult and is quickly suspected of involvement in several gruesome deaths. The early chapters in Venice, Italy and at the Castle Asariana were by far the best. Once the action shifts to Collinwood, things are basically at a stalemate until the final chapter. There are some effective scenes scattered here and there, but Barnabas is rather lackluster throughout and the final reveal somewhat amusing. Be prepared for many "knowing glances" between the characters.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why doe Quentin always have to be the bad guy? I liked him!!!

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

These things just keep getting nuttier. As I said in my last review, the plots of some of these could easily fit into the "Paperbacks From Hell" category as they are really out there.

One thing of note here is, big surprise, a beautiful lady falls in love with Barnabas! What a twist! (NOT, it happens in every volume.) He also has to sadly break it off with said lady and let her down gently at the end..in like every volume. (Sorry for the spoiler.)

Another thing of note, Quentin so far has been a total villain. I haven't watched all of the TV series, but I was under the impression that Quentin was more of a tragic figure than a villain, but I suppose the character morphs into that, much like Barnabas did.

This was still entertaining, as no matter how crazy they get these are always page turners. I wonder if they get better, or just crazier as they go?

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh Quentin, Quentin! If you aren't a bad boy enough by hanging around with the most despicable people, being a werewolf and roaming the countryside on a murderous romp, you have to create a devil worshiping group, meeting every night after dinner in a specially appointed with room with skull and all. Honestly, how much more supernatural mischief can this guy get into??

Please, do yourself a favor and take the next boat to England. Hop on the Hogwart's express and have a visit with Severus Snape. He can cure what ails you. Then make a recurring appointment with Sigmund Freud for psychoanalysis. Being bad doesn't always make you popular, you know. Geez!

[Mark Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sort of sequel to the 1897 TV storyline. This is the first book with Quentin as the main character; however he is unlike 1897 Quentin and instead like 1897 Evan Hanley. The people here continue to disregard personal safety and casually accept murder. Another bonkers DS novel from Dan “Marilyn” Ross.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love this book. It's one of the best of the 32 Dark Shadows novels written by Dan ("Marilyn") Ross. It seems to have been more carefully edited, too, than many other titles in the series. BARNABAS, QUENTIN AND THE WITCH'S CURSE has fewer typos, fewer grammatical errors and more internal consistency than usual.

The story centers around werewolf Quentin Collins, who's now desperate to escape his curse. Years of suffering have driven him into temporary madness. In 1900 Quentin sets up a black magic coven, composed of beautiful women, at his Venetian palace. He's guilty of some very dark doings there. After hosting an extravagant party he invites heroine Anita Burgess and her fiance, Arnold Tenn, to return for dinner the following night. Arnold is lured away by one of Quentin's sexy sirens, who then transforms into a hideous Medusa monster and causes Arnold to die! The resulting scandal breaks up the cult, with Quentin fleeing home to Collinwood. But before leaving Venice he must murder Mara (the Medusa girl) who has gone completely out of control...

The rest of the book concerns the quest of Anita and her brother to get revenge on Quentin Collins. Vendettas are always fun to read about, especially when they originate in sunny Italy! The Burgess siblings arrive at Collinwood in Maine, only to discover that Quentin is already organizing a brand-new coven there. Quentin, in fact, proves to be quite the ladies' man, hypnotizing all the local females with his charm. Several of them have already joined his "group." Anita seeks the help of Quentin's own cousin, Barnabas Collins, to deal with this menace. And yes, predictably Anita falls in love with Barnabas more than halfway through the book. But for me, the best scene comes in Chapter Eight when Quentin surprises her in the act of entering a Collins tomb. Coming up from behind Anita, he poses the question: "Are you so anxious to enter the world of the dead, Miss Burgess?"

[Dale Rosso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story.