The Lock

The Lock by Janet Lovesmith (Paul W. Fairman)
published by Popular Library
Copyright 1972

SOMETHING
FROM THE WORLD BEYOND
WAS STALKING
YOUNG LYN COURTNEY -

The lock was huge, rusted, ungainly. It guarded the
tomb that lay behind the old house - the tomb of the
ill-fated Gantry clan. Lyn Courtney, who had come to
work at Gantry Hill, became fascinated, haunted by
that lock. Her fears, her hopes, her fantasies cnetered
around it.

Could it explain the puzzling behavior of good-looking
Christopher Gantry? The mystery of beautiful, volatile
Lila? The invisible creature that even now was stalking
young Lyn? She must find out - if it wasn't already
too late ,,,

QUEEN-SIZE GOTHICS are a new idea. They offer the
very best in novels of romantic suspense, by the top
writers, greater in length and drama, richer in reading
pleasure. Each book is guaranteed to be:

"READING FIT FOR A QUEEN"

So, is that supposed to be our heroine on the cover? If it is, isn't Lyn Courtney supposed to be obsessed with a rusted lock? Wouldn't it make more sense to have a big old lock floating above her head? Or, if you really want to sell books, why not depict one of those "fantasies" involving that lock she's been going on and on about floating up there instead? I'm sure that would have all the ladies cat fighting for a copy at Barnes and Nobel.

It really looks like this cover is actually less an illustration of Lyn as it is an illustration of the author thinking about "her" book. As if part of the writing method required Paul W. Fairman to don a long wig and pale lip stain, then to stare off into space and let the story unfold in his mind. Really Mr. Fairman doesn't make a half-bad woman.

If fact, this cover inspires me to write a Gothic novel of my very own. But, being that I see no real point in being subtle, my story would involve the Amityville Horror house, a virginal math tutor and a shirtless land owner with a love of horses and giving presents. Cha-Ching!

The House of Ravenbourne

The House of Ravensbourne by Mary Ann Gibbs
Cover Art by Mort Engel
published by Pyramid Books
Copyright 1964

A SUDDEN TWIST OF FATE

left Catherine Wittingham penniless and alone,
Disregarding the advice of others and her own
premonitions, she took the position of governess
in the foreboding Ravensbourne mansion.



But the chilling memory of Mary Ravensbourne
lurked in every shadow of the ill-fated house.
And Catherine found herself the terrified target
of unspeakable evil.

A Gothic novel of romance and terror in the tradition of Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt

Ah ... the penniless and alone. You've got to love them. They've got nothin' to lose and no one to protect them. I've got to get me one. Kind of like a canary in a coal mine, they seem to be able to detect unspeakable evil. And THAT always comes in handy.

I like the cover but I LOVE the close up on the back cover. I think our amateur governess would be one of those people who just photograph better in black and white. This cover is the work of the very talented Mort Engel. Below you'll find samples of some of his other work.

Gorgeous!

The way he seems to not be paying any attention to what he is doing with that ax, makes me glad she's a nurse.

Ow .. I want that one. That is an official "Weird Dude on the Cover"!

Well this can't be good.
Even if no one plans to shoot anyone he's still drinking out of puddle. Ick!

The Most Dangerous Game - Mill Reef Hall

Mill Reef Hall by Ariadne Pritchett
published by Fawcett Books
Copyright 1968

From the moment she stepped out
of the coach into the blinding
snowstorm, Lilia Franklin felt a strange chill
that was from something more than the
icy blasts that whipped at her.

Another might have turned back. But the
raven-haired young girl who had been
hired as nurse-companion to old Lord Reef
had curiosity as well as courage. Besides,
there was no alternative. She was a
penniless orphan.

Then she met Lord Reef's brother Seaton
and nephew Edgar and was more certain
than ever that she was in danger. Never had
she been made to feel so unwelcome. She
could not know then that she was in their way.

For they did not want to wait for old
Lord Reef to die. And now they had to plan
for Lilia, too. But Lilia was more than
they bargained for - much
more. And she had a few
plans of her own ...

If someday in the far future I need to hire a nurse-companion I will definitely hire myself a penniless orphan. It appears they will take all kinds of shit from you. I bet you could even hunt them. You know, give them something like an hour head start on the extensive grounds of your evil mansion and then just hunt them. My weapon of choice would be a bow but it is really a hell of a lot of fun to shoot a gun.

But anyway, back to my possible far future employee needs. I will hire a nurse-companion BUT will not hire a nurse-companion with such a long neck. I would have problems not staring and staring would just be rude. Still, a neck like that would really look great mounted on the wall of my game room.

Here we have a signed cover by the prolific Harry Bennett.

Born in Lewisboro, New York in 1925, Bennett was raised in Connecticut and studied painting and illustration at the American Academy of Art in Chicago after returning from his service in the South Pacific during World War II.

He began is commercial illustration career working in advertising with companies such as Pepsi and Keds in the late 40's and early 50's before moving on to illustrating book covers for publishers such as Fawcett, Crest and many others.

Below are several examples of other cover illustration you may or may not have seen.

Cry Shame, 1950 Illustrated Cover

Whistle for the Crows

Whistle for the Crows by Dorothy Eden
published by Ace Books
Copyright 1962

The job had seemed a godsend to Cath-
leen Lamb, alone, friendless, and in need of
a home. It has been fascinating at first,
tracing the O'Riordan family tree. But the
past, she soon discovered, was intricately
and diabolically woven into the present, and
its strong, slender threads were even now
involving her with

• The tyrannical spinster who controlled lives and purse-strings
• The younger heir who might - but did he? - kill to get what he wanted
• The girl who married the wrong man
• The baby who was born to the wrong woman
• The brother who weren't bothers
• The two drownings - and the accidents that weren't accidents

In the gloomy castle on the edge of a moor,
a spirited girl pokes among the moldering
bones of a family skeleton and stirs up the
dust of malice and murder.

You know that is exactly the kind of Craigslist job ad that inevitably turns out to be too good to be true. It will assuredly end with something like "Please send topless photo and measurements to help selection process." Damn! Burned again.

Okay, so this is driving me crazy. We have a signature but I just can't make it out. I would also swear on the Necronomicon that I have another book with a cover illustrated by this same artist but I can not locate it. I have scanned the books I have already posted and I even sorted through the books waiting in the wings but no luck. If you know who it is, put me out of my misery, please let me know.

Seed of Evil

Seed of Evil by Petrina Crawford
published by Magnum Books
Copyright 1967

The

Evil That Men Do

"The evil that men do lives after them ..."
Joanna Bruce had heard those words, of course,
but she had no idea how true they were -
or how that truth could change the course of her
life. She had no idea of the depths of evil
to which man could sink, nor of the dangerous
heritages one can leave behind him ...

But she was to learn. Hired abruptly as companion
to warped, bitter old Martin Crask, Joanna
was thrust into a new and alien environment.
The old Cornish mansion was a veritable lair of
evil ... and Joanna gradually became aware
of its nefarious secrets. But could she learn
the ultimate secret in time to escape with her
sanity ... and her life?

Wow, Martin Crask sounds fantastic! I think all books should contain at least one warped and bitter character. I hope someday to inspire the warped and bitter character within a novel written by one of my children, or if I don't perfect it right away, a novel written by my children's children. Either way, it will be kind of like having my own "evil" living after me. And with out all the effort of holding the world hostage like a James Bond villain.

Oh, and by the way Joanna, what's up with your sleeves?

Bellwood

Bellwood by Elisabeth Ogilvie
published by Dell Books
Copyright 1968

AT FIRST CAROLINE ASKED NO QUESTIONS...

Bellwood seemed too good to be
true when lovely Caroline Brew-
ster took up her post as governess
at the isolated mansion on the
great cliff overlooking the sea.

Her young charge, Tim, though
crippled, was delightfully alive.
The landscape was dreamlike. And
above all, there was the darkly
handsome master, Rees Morgan.

Caroline was sure she could help
this proud and lonely man forget
the horrible death of his wife, ease
the torture in his eyes, stop his
strange, savage outbursts of rage.
Too late Caroline realized that
Bellwood held a secret that
cursed all who dwelled (sic) ther, and
there was no escape...

We have a three choices here. Caroline is either wearing her schoolmarm get-up, a sexy nightgown in hopes of seducing Rees Morgan, or a cheap wedding dress with a elastic waistband.

While white is great for helping to camouflage chalk dust and on a governess's salary an economical wedding dress maybe the only option, I am voting for seduction-wear.

What woman wouldn't go to any length to secure herself the darkly handsome master of a mansion. Especially if he has tortured eyes and has savage outbursts of rage. The later of which was nothing what-so-ever to do with the horrible death of his wife. Nothing.

Remember there isn't a character defect in the world that really loving a man can't fix.

The Family at Tammerton

The Family at Tammerton by Margaret Erskine
published by Ace Books
Copyright 1965

THE FAMILY AT
TAMMERTON

"MRS. CRANE IS DEAD. DO NOT SEND NURSE."

At best the telegram was a cruel joke; at
worst a cryptic message warning Louise
Morton to stay away from her new job at
Tammerton Hall.

When Inspector Finch was called to the
sinister old mansion to investigate a
murder, he was not surprised, for he re-
membered the telegram Louise had shown
him on the train to Tammerton, Finch had
an instinct for spotting the first trail shoots of
an evil growth. Now instinct plus
experience were telling him that LOUISE
MORTON WAS NEXT ON THE KILLER'S LIST!

I have no doubt this is a wedding dress. Which tells me that somewhere between the best and the worst cases scenario of that telegram is that the family at Tammerton got wind that their new nurse was off her nut.

Now I'm no stranger to confrontation but even I hate having to fire an employee. So, if it were me, and I found out that my new hire was some sort of Miss Havisham crazy, I might also try and "head her off at the pass" as they say.

Two Faces of Fear

Two Faces of Fear by Julie Wellsley
published by Magnum Books
Copyright 1971

Blood in the night ...

Seacliff House was ancient, a crumbling ruin
threatened to fall into the sea. The locals avoided it,
claiming that at best it was a house of evil and
at worst - they shuddered, and quickly changed the
subject. But Mary James could not change her
mind so readily. She had accepted the job as nurse to
Gerald Winchley in a desperate attempt to
escape from London and she could not let the fears
of superstitious natives drive her back to the city.
Then the first murder was committed, and the
blood ran free in the night. Was it a harbinger of
things to come - or was it intended as a special
warning to Mary? For the murderer - or murderers -
would not be content to stop now ... and Mary
seemed marked to be their next victim!

London must really suck for someone to prefer possible death to being there. I've never been to London but obviously I should avoid it in the future. AAA should start handing this one out as a travel brochure. Sure it wouldn't be good for their tourist industry but maybe London will think twice before being worse then being murdered.

This cover totally reminds me of a Nancy Drew cover. It could be the the upturned eyes, the clean cut look of Mary James or the face that looks to be piecing together clues but it's probably just Nancy Drew's rampant hatred of London.