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1520090
Dark Shadows (novel)
Number

1

Publisher

Paperback Library

Author

Marilyn Ross

Released

December 1966

Dark Shadows Dark Shadows (novel)

Dark Shadows is the first of a series of novels written by Marilyn Ross as part of a separate continuity.

Publisher's summary[]

Despite warnings from the townspeople, Victoria Winters accepts the offer to come to the strange Collins House as governess. For some curious reason she feels the secret of her past may be uncovered in the bleak manor high on Widow's Hill.

From the moment she arrives, Victoria becomes the target of someone in the house determined to destroy her.

As the wind moans and the rain lashes around the isolated Collins House, Victoria, without friends in the manor, feels death close in on her, a choking, frightening death.

Synopsis[]

Victoria Winters arrives at Collins House (called Collinwood in later volumes) to serve as governess to young David Collins. Visiting the house is Ernest Collins, who is grieving for his wife. In no time, Victoria finds herself falling in love with Ernest, though she is the focus of a number of mysterious attacks and wonders just how Ernest became a widower...

Background information and notes[]

  • This volume was first printed before Jonathan Frid joined the cast of Dark Shadows as vampire Barnabas Collins. Its original cover only featured a painting of Victoria in front of Collinwood. After Barnabas became extremely popular, this volume (as well as numbers 2 through 4) were reprinted with a photo cover featuring Frid and Alexandra Moltke. Even though Frid/Barnabas is shown on these covers, Barnabas is not in any of the stories of these first five books. (He joins the cast of characters in the sixth book, appropriately titled Barnabas Collins (novel), which only features a cameo appearance by Victoria.
  • Elizabeth and Roger's cousin Ernest Collins was not a character on the TV show.
  • A partial re-telling of Victoria's arrival in Collinsport mirroring the version seen in the original series.

External Links[]

The Collinsport Historical Society - DARK SHADOWS: Re-imagined as a generic gothic pulp

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