The Silent Place

The Silent Place by Rachel Cosgrove Payes
Cover Art by George Gross
published by: Ace Books
Copyright 1969

There was just one more year to wait
before Rome Barclay would be officially a
widower and free to remarry. Though
his wife Suzanne had drowned six years
before, her body had never been recovered.
His secretary, Paulette, was waiting out
the time with eagerness. But then so
was lovely Fiona, his little girl's governess.

But then Suzanne came back to Cliffhouse,
not remembering her past, her identity a
mystery to herself but to no one else. Everyone
in the isolated coastal estate had a reason
for wishing her gone again - permanently.

But whose reason was the most desperate?

And how many women would have to die
in the Silent Place before Cliffhouse could
be at peace again?

Hooray! We have a signed cover here. George Gross was born in 1909 Brooklyn to Jewish immigrant parents from Szeged, Hungary. Art ran in the family. His father attended Pratt and became a successful artist in the fashion industry, running his own art studio - Fashion Paper.

After graduating high school, George also attended Pratt, graduating in 1931 even while working within his father's studio. Later he moved on to Fiction House where he soon became a top illustrator, painting hundreds of pulp covers for Action Stories, Detective Book Magazine, North West Romances and many more.

After barely missing serving WW2 due to a life long vision impairment in his right eye. he began to sell freelance illustration to paperback books for publishers such as Dell, Bantam and Ace Books.

His work can be seen on hundreds of fiction book covers and men's magazines. If you are interested in learning more about George Gross take a look at the "Guide to the Wild American Pulp Artist" listed in my Artist Resource Links.

Below are just a few examples of his other illustrations.

The Devil's Dreamer

The Devil's Dreamer by Alice Brennan
published by: Magnum Books
Copyright 1971

Can You
Die In A Dream?

This was impossible - this room, this place. Where
was she, and how had she come to be here?
Carsa caught her breath on a sob of relief, for it
was morning, and daylight was filtering through
the drawn shades.

Then she saw that the light, which was very bright
and had a strange bluish cast, came from only
one spot. It seemed to come for a woman who
stood in a large circle. Long hair, pale and silky,
flowed over her sholders and blue eyes burned
bright with golden light. There was something
horrifyingly familiar about the face, and Carsa
struggled with a memory that was just out of reach.
Then the woman spoke.

"This is a dream. Everything that happens to you,
everyone you meet, is part of the dream. When
you awaken, it will be an awakening to death..."

Seeing that the last book I cover was also a Devil book I really should have tried and put together a "Devil" week, but it is too late for that. This cover has its problems but I must say that it really like the quality of illustration of our woman. It is really quite nice. The Devil child? Not so much.

Sadly we have no illustration credit here but as I have begun this blog, even these uncredited artists are starting to become familiar to me. Who know, eventually I may become confident enough to start making guesses as to their identities.

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.

Dark Carnival

Dark Carnival by Maysie Greig
Cover Art by Lou Marchetti
published by Pyramid Books
Copyright 1950

CHATEAU OF DEATH

The imposing form of Chateau Trione rose ominously
above a cold, lifeless cliff from which, too recently, a
young girl had plunged mysteriously to her death.

Shirley had come to the medieval chateau at the invita-
tion of her good friend Robert, Count de Revenau. She
had come to recuperate from a broken engagement, to
loll on the sun-drenched sands of the Riveriera and to lose
herself in the gaiety of Carnival time in Nice.

What had she to do with a terrible tragedy that belonged
to the past? Now - with new love so near - why did she
find herself inextricable drawn to the cliffs ... to mystery
... to death? (all very good questions)

Wow, Lou Marchetti did a great job on this cover. It just screams Italian film dubbed in English. How appropriate. Awesome.

Born in Italy in the 1920's, Lou Marchetti grew up in United States, becoming a freelance illustrator and portrait painter. His illustrations graced the covers of numerous romance and pulp novels and magazines. His art was risqué, beautiful and truly memorable. There are many links to information on his art, including this one where there are posted image of his oil painting by his granddaughter

.

I want this book!



When he had run through the men in the boat, he had to look elsewhere.



Another fabulous piece!



Um ... I've interrupted you.

The Inheritance

The Inheritance by Daoma Winston
published by Avon Books
Copyright 1972

She was the heiress to
a chilling legacy -
a time of terror,
torment, and death

When Mary Ellen and her six relatives chose to live
in the bleak New England mansion they inherited,
a series of bizarre and baffling events occurred.
Soon, one by one, her relatives were mysteriously
killed. And slowly, Mary Ellen began to feel that
she had inherited something she never guessed -
something creeping up on her out of a maelstrom
of fear and trembling!

I'm going to go out on a limb and say stress. I think stress is killing her relatives. I can't imagine the expense of maintaining a house of that size, not to mention the amount of property taxes involved. Good lord. I'm stressed out about my own house expenses and my place is only about ... um ... well it's just a little smaller than her place, so I should know.

What a great cover. If I was ever to run from a house I would definitely wear a cape. And, if at all possible, a dress that matched the place. In fact I think I may take this book into my next hair appointment and ask Whitney to give me "the trembling heiress". I think this is a beautiful cover. Awesome!