This Ancient Evil

This Ancient Evil by Dorothy Daniels
published by Lancer Books
Copyright 1966

THE BROODING GHOSTS

Verna Ward was worried. Worried ... and determined
in spite of her fear.

A strange, apparently supernatural menace had taken
hold of her best friend, Lucia. Elusive and silent by
day - she walked by night and performed rituals to
the Aztec gods whose pyramid temple loomed men-
acingly over the Mendoz ranch.

Verna had to find the explanation - no matter what the
cost of her own life and wonderful new love ...

Unless Verna Ward plans to handle some highly toxic liquid I don't know why she is wearing those awful gloves.

Several years back I worked for the kind of research and development company where there were almost as many men in military uniforms as there were people in lab coats, and I can tell you that her gloves are pretty heavy duty for a chick wearing a bow that's wider than her waist.

But maybe the bow is so large to help minimise her waist and the gigantic "Umbrella Corporation" gloves are to distract from the crazy-ass giant bow. Maybe her whole fashion statement is a variation on the "Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" thing and if we were able to see her feet it would just get WAY uglier.

I'd sure like to think so!

The Ghost of Channing House

The Ghost of Channing House by Genevieve St. John

published by Lancer Books
Copyright 1967

OF HOPE
AND HORROR (quite a promising start)

The Channing Mansion was a bizarre pile of
stone stucco ... and misguided hopes. Anita
Collins could remember it only as she had first
seen it: barren, dripping with cobwebs, nearly
ghostly in its state of neglect. Its new owner
had spent thousands of dollars to rebuild it,
furnish it elegantly, and restore it to pulsing,
exciting life. But Anita was right ... for death
hovered over the house, striking unpredictably
and apparently without reason. Death
interrupted the first opulent dinner party; death
lurked in every shadowy corner and cranny ...

Anita was merely a guest, but she felt strangely
responsible. Perhaps, she thought, she might
cast rational light on the seemingly supernatural
menace when others could see only looming
terror. But then it began to appear that only
Anita's own death would lift the sinister curse -
and she learned what real fear was!

Firstly, Anita needs to let go of the past. How disappointing it is to spend thousands of dollars on cleaning up a place only to have your mopey house guest dwell on past cobwebs. Now, the whole death around ever corner thing is a whole other story. But still, she is no life of the party.

The book as a whole is only added to by the wonderful addition of a 4 page foldout advertisement for TRUE® Cigarettes. I don't know about you, I haven't really read a gothic romance novel that warranted a smoke afterwards.

I can't find a credit on the cover art but I think this illustration is pretty sharp. I mean, I can easily image the overwhelming need to flee a newly remodeled, cobweb free house that was so powerful that I would leave without my shoes.

The House on the Moat

The House on the Moat by Virginia Coffman

published by Lancer Books
Copyright 1972

COULD THE MOAT HOUSE
BE HAUNTED?

The year is 1810. And the fiery young
Irish orphan, Kathleen Killain,
arrives at the 14th Century castle, the
Moat House. Deep in the forbidding
countryside of Kent, surrounded by
murky river, this old mansion is to be
the home of Sir Peregrine and his
strangely timid wife, Nerissa. And this
is the house that Kathleen is to run.

She is joined by Polly Dean, the
white-haired, eccentric old cook who
walks about at night, and is strangely
intuitive about the lurking spirits.
And by the three chambermaids, who
enter their new position with
enthusiasm and innocence-too much
innocence. Another arrival is
Sir Peregrine's uncle, Lord Talford,
an earl who is high above Kathleen's
station-and yet one who must
become her friend, as he offers her
sanity-and perhaps even hove-in what
is to become a situation of sheer doom.

For as Kathleen slowly begins her
duties and learns of the violent, secret
history of the Moat House, she
suddenly wonders what kind of
household she has come into...full
of strange cries and a deep, hidden
terror that prophesies danger.
And maybe even death.

Okay, after reading the lengthy back cover description, I'm not sure a person even needs to read this book. Very 1950's Hollywood movie trailer.

Chalet Diabolique

Chalet Diabolique by Virginia Coffman

published by Lancer Books
Copyright 1971

A Devilish Attraction...

Twice before, Kay Aronson had been drawn irresist-
ibly to men who had wronged her, men who led
her into calamitous marriages...and disaster.
With Leo it had been different. But now Leo
was dead, killed in a mysterious plane crash
near the little-known California spa called
Lucifer Cover. Or had he been murdered?
Out of her devotion, Kay was deter-
mined to find out...

Only at Lucifer Cover itself would Kay
learn the deeper, terrible mystery
behind Leo's strange death. For there
she was to meet wicked Nadine
Janos, fiery Caro Teague,
the possessive Christie Deeth-
women different from her yet so
like her-women drawn heart
and soul to the Cove's fascinating,
youthful owner Marc Meridon.

And then Kay knew she had to
battle a third fatal yearning
-one that threatened not
only her earthly happiness
but her eternal soul!

It's nice to know that Kay gets over her husband's death so quickly. I mean, so many women, while searching for the truth behind their spouse's death, might actually mourn them for a few weeks. What a waste. Good for you Kay!

Masque of Satan

Masque of Satan by Virginia Coffman

published by Lancer Books
Copyright 1971

Mission to Fear ...

It was Jean Benedict's missionary
zeal that had brought her to the Cove
- that, and a message from a friend
who had cried out to her in torment.

But what was Lucky Schallert's
plight? Here, at the coastal resort, a
cure was offered for lost romances and
early sorrows, a renewed chance to live
as freely, as vibrantly, as one wished -
a chance, even, to call on occult powers
which offered excitement and balm for
the soul ... but at a terrible price.

Jean Benedict wanted only to help
her friend. But when she met the mys-
terious and fascinating Marc Meridon,
she knew her fight was not for her
friend's soul - but for her own ....

MASQUE OF SATAN

The Classy ads above were bound into this book between pages 120 and 121. Could anything be greater. All true literary types smoke fancy cigarettes and serve their equally literary type friends from the finest of serving ware.

We can only assume the copy of this book I was lucky enough to find was the "Book Club" edition.

The Brand Inheritance

The Brand Inheritance by Dorothy Fletcher

published by Lancer Books Inc.
Copyright 1973

Suddenly
Aunt Vicky
Was Dead!

In bewilderment, Margo Brand heard the
terrible news. After thirteen years abroad,
she has at last returned to magnificent
old Brand House, the scene of her childhood,
and to the one person in the world who
meant the most to her - only to learn that
that person had just died!

But just as puzzling as the sudden death
were the conditions of Aunt Vicky's will ...
and the cryptic message she had carefully
hidden in a bundle of old letters for Margo to
find. Had she been trying to warn Margo
against danger?

But surely there was no danger from her
handsome adopted cousins, John and
Michael... from her childhood paymates,
Norma and Ben ... from the houseman
Pompy or his wife Clara.

Then who was trying to frighten her away
from Brand House ... to injure her ...
to kill her ...?

Who?