Thunder Heights & Baton Sinister

Thunder Heightsl by Phyllis A. Whitney
published by Ace Books
Copyright 1960

"THUNDER HEIGHTS IS A SUSPENSE
AND LOVE STORY APPEALING TO THOSE
WHO LOVE BRONTE, DU MAURIER
AND MARY STEWART" - Library Journal

Years ago Camilla King's mother died under
mysterious circumstances at Thunder Heights,
a gloomy, menacing old Gothic mansion
along the banks of the Hudson River.

Camilla's father, now dead, had always
forbidden her to set foot within Thunder
Heights' forbidding walls, but when her ailing
grandfather now summoned her, Camilla
went eagerly, hoping to find a home and a
family again.

What she found in this nest of bitter rivalries,
enduring hates and constant
dangers was that the same fate
that had befallen her mother
was being readied for her!

Its dark mood, brooking
atmosphere and realistic
backgrounds make
THUNDER HEIGHTS
"A romantic tale in
the turn Gothic
tradition." - Booklist.

I was already pretty impressed with this novel when I realized that the Ft. Wayne News - Sentinel compared it to "Rebecca" but when the back also promised "bitter rivalries" and "enduring hates" I was SOLD! Any one who has read this blog for any amount of time should know that the only thing better would be to boast "evil" and "the occult". This book is well deserving of my "Empty Promise" award. I promise I will read this one and get back to you regarding all of its splendor.

Okay, I love cover illustrations from the 50's, 60's and 70's. for any genre, but especially Gothic romance and the more racy men's novels. So when I ran into this graphic little cover, I had to scoop it up.

This back cover promises that Baton Sinister is going to duel and wench his way through "the glittering pomp of Renaissance Genoa". With this cover I believe it!

Some how it seems dirtier in red.

The Towers of Fear

The Towers of Fear by Caroline Farr
Cover Art by Allen Kass
published by: Signet Books
Copyright 1972

THE TOWERS

OF FEAR

TERROR, LIKE A COLD
FOR, ENVELOPED THE HOUSE ...

To Storm Towers, the brooking mansion of the
wealthy and influential Hailsworth family, came
lovely black-haired Ali Cavanagh on a visit to her
former college friend, Joan, young daughter of
the house.

Almost at once Ali was drawn into the web of
mystery that encircled the Hailsworth family:
Joan, strangely remote, was locked in her private
nightmare world; Ursula, whose relationship with
Joan held sinister undertones; Monty, the
handsome playboy, who attracted Ali yet frightened
her by his strange behavior; Donald, whom Ali
longed to trust but didn't dare. And then there was
Greg, Ali's former colleague - what was the real
reason for his unexpected presence in the mansion?

All were captive to the fear that filled the vast halls
of the old house where an unknown intruder
prowled the hidden corridors. The silent menace
grew until one fearful night when Ali found herself
struggling against a faceless evil that threatened
her sanity-and her life-and Storm Towers
revealing its shocking secret ....

This whole Hailsworth family seems just a little too familiar. FLASH BACK 18 YEARS: Joan? Easily me. Strangely remote and also lock in a private nightmare world. Ursula? Totally my younger sister, our relationship has ALWAYS held sinister undertones. Monty? No doubt my older brother, if strange behavior can include playing role playing games. As for Donald and Greg? They could be any number of the people who paraded in and out of my childhood home. I can say with all confidence that I don't think I'd like this book.

Now this cover is an Allan Kass whom we have see here on "WRFH" before. In fact there is a blogger site here dedicated to to his work.

Allan Kass was born in New York City in 1917. He received his BFA in Painting from Syracuse University after which he received an apprenticeship in the fashion art department of a Manhattan newspaper.

He joined the Air Force during WW2 flying 44 combat missions over Burma and Thailand. He was awarded 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses and promoted to Captain.

After the end of the war he continued to fly for the Air Force, art becoming only a hobby. After not being called for duty for the Korean War, Allan Kass retired from the military and began again to work as an artist. This time for an auto catalogue located in Detroit.

In the last part of the 1960's, after years in advertising, Kass painted sample book cover illustrations and traveled to New York City to solicit freelance work from book publishers. Here began what Kass himself said was a more artistically satisfying career. (Though I personally am rather fond of his advertising work.)

With approximately 1000 book cover illustrations from 1969-1998 for publishers such as Signet and Fawcett covering Romance, Western, Young Adult, and Historical Fiction, Allan Kass retired. Eventually moving to Big Sky, Montana.

Allan Kass died September 2, 2005.

Below are just a few additional examples of his work.

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.

Woman in Black

Woman in Black by Monica Heath

published by Signet Books
Copyright 1974

Mansion of Terror-

Julie had come West expecting a loving reunion
with her father, wealthy John McKay. But McKay mansion
turned a foreboding face to Julie, for her father was
dead, and her step-family viewed with hostile suspicion the
newcomer out to claim the family fortune. And when
suddenly the shrouded figure of the woman in black began
to haunt her, warning her to leave the mansion,
Julie did not know who to trust.

But in spite of herself, Julie found herself drawn to
Greg Gallagher, the handsome, brooding man whose name
was linked with so many unsolved mysteries of
the town. Julie knew it was madness to harbor such ardent
feelings about the man who might have murdered
her father, but she found herself caught in a tightening
web of terror. Could she dare express her love, and
trust her fate to this strange but irresistible man who might
lead her to her doom...?

Assignment: Can Julie pick'em, or can she pick'em? Okay, I've never read this but it just screams Scooby Doo. And, so that you'll are never find yourself fooled by some old caretaker in a rubber mask, please watch at least 4 hours of Scooby Doo, Where Are You? and take notes.