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The Stewarts of Stormhaven #1
Curse of Black Charlie
Book 1 of The Stewarts of Stormhaven
Flora thought she had found sanctuary in the loving arms of aristocratic Ian Stewart, who brought her as his bride to the ancient family manor of Stormhaven. But all too soon the terrified young woman found that this seeming fortress against fear was in reality a prison of peril, with her own beloved husband as her implacable captor, and with an all-hungering horror rising straight from hell. . . .
Marilyn Ross is one popular pseudonym for the prolific author W. E. D. Ross. Possibly best known for Gothic novels including The Stewarts of Stormhaven and novelizations of the TV series Dark Shadows, Ross also wrote romance, historicals, nurse and horror novels. Many of the books are set in New England, particularly coastal Maine.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published July 9, 1976
About the author
Marilyn Ross
131 books62 followersWilliam Edward Daniel Ross, W. E. Daniel "Dan" Ross (born 1912) is a bestselling Canadian novelist from Saint John, New Brunswick who wrote over 300 books in a variety of genres and under a variety of mostly female pseudonyms such as Laura Frances Brooks, Lydia Colby, Rose Dana, Jan Daniels, Olin Ross, Diane Randall, Clarissa Ross, Leslie Ames, Ruth Dorset, Ann Gilmer, Jane Rossiter, Dan Ross, Dana Ross, Marilyn Ross, Dan Roberts, and W.E.D. Ross. As Marilyn Ross he wrote popular Gothic fiction including a series of novels about the vampire Barnabas Collins based on the American TV series Dark Shadows (1966-71).
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 19, 2026
Bland, repetitive, & took way too long to deliver its tepid resolution. (If you’re a fellow vintage gothic aficionado, here’s a tip: this isn’t from the Queen Size line, but it has the same bloated, ultra-mid feel of most QS gothics. *fail horn*) The heroine wasn’t awful but the hero is a non-entity; meanwhile Stormhaven itself feels like a ripoff from the author’s Dark Shadows fanfic, while the family drama hits all the predictable Ross notes, up to & including a resident dwarf & lovably absent-minded graybeard.
…Essentially, it’s just not very good. 😶
2 ultra-disinterested stars. Despite Stormhaven scarcity on the collector’s market, this isn’t one of the better Ross pulps.
…Essentially, it’s just not very good. 😶
2 ultra-disinterested stars. Despite Stormhaven scarcity on the collector’s market, this isn’t one of the better Ross pulps.
November 20, 2023
“The circle of terror was growing more taut around her, and sooner or later she was bound to be throttled by it unless she found a means to destroy the evil.”
Flora Murray stood in the witness box, nervously looking at the grim features of the man sitting directly across from her, the hideously looking highwayman, the accused, Black Charlie. The charge against the rough character was multiple murders, one of which was witnessed by Flora. No one in the courtroom was a bit surprised that the notorious Black Charlie had committed murder, what did surprise them was that this courageous young woman had the daring to testify against the nationally known criminal.
And if the substance of Flora’s words condemned the highwayman, her resolve in delivering her testimony sealed his ultimate fate.
Black Charlie was sentenced to death by hanging, and days later the execution was carried out.
The trial took place in Glasgow, and soon the news of Black Charlie’s fate spread throughout the city, and not long after, the entire country.
It could be said that the nation was divided over the issue, some relieved at the end of Black Charlie’s heinous criminal doings, and some hating Flora for testifying against a man who they saw as a kind of Scottish folk hero.
The day after the trial, and old woman came to Flora’s home, claiming to be the mother of Black Charlie. She put a curse on the courageous young woman. And weeks after that, a band of Black Charlie followers actually murdered Flora’s father, Dr. Peter Murray, one of the most respected physicians in Glasgow.
But it was during the period after the curse, and before Dr. Murray’s murder, that Dr. Murray admitted a young banker named Ian Stewart to his home hospital room to convalesce after he fainted on a ship that his recently come to port. The man was in a coma when he was admitted to Dr. Murray’s home hospital room.
And over the days that followed, the young banker recovered, bit by bit every day. His care was primarily overseen by Flora, and when Ian awoke from his coma, he and Flora had long conversations, soon the two became fond of one another.
And by the time Ian Stewart was ready to be up and about, Dr. Murray was killed. Both Flora and Ian were concerned for Flora’s safety, so Ian suggested that she move to his hometown of Edinburgh, to live in an apartment complex run by a woman his family knew well.
Flora did list her father’s house and medical practice for sale and moved to the apartments in Edinburgh. Her real estate in Glasgow soon sold, and she found she was making new ties in Edinburgh, both with the kindly landlady, and the group of exuberant, but good-natured medical students who were also lodging at the apartments. And of course, she was spending time with Ian, and the two fell in love.
As the months passed, Ian proposed marriage, and Flora accepted. Her fiancée told her all about Stormhaven Mansion, the family home to the Stewart banking family for generations. After the day of the wedding, Flora saw Stormhaven for the first time, and she met Ian’s family. Very soon, strange things began happening at the storied old mansion, things that made Flora nervous. And the weird comportment of Ian’s family members did not help matters. Soon Flora felt she was in a fortress of fear, perhaps the old woman’s curse had followed her all the way to the shadowy corridors of Stormhaven!
Okay, I was only a short way through the story when I found myself hooked on this story of a spooky mansion, filled with strange characters. I read on with interest, wondering what would come of Flora in this strange place. Scene after scene, I was captivated. Here were a few of my favorite aspects of this story:
The forbidden third floor of Stormhaven, grotesque and twisted faces staring down from windows, disembodied chuckles ringing forth from empty rooms, a falling object at a party that nearly causes a fatality and a sinister hangman drawing.
I was intrigued by a few of the characters, especially Peggy, the dark-haired, attractive sister of Ian who seldom speaks to anyone, but rather moves about the mansion in the shadows, or roams about in the empty dark rooms alone. The Stewart family all held firm that Peggy was insane, and some of her actions would definitely give one such an impression. But she plays the spinet in the music room for hours on end, the hauntingly beautiful music seeming to be an extension of the young woman’s troubles. She seems to be in a trance quite often, but underneath it all, she is obviously gifted and intelligent, and I sensed that there was much more to this character than the family seemed to indicate. I looked forward to finding out more about the mysterious Peggy Stewart.
All in all, it was an amazing, enjoyable story, an excellent example of the Gothic Mystery genre of the 1970’s.
Flora Murray stood in the witness box, nervously looking at the grim features of the man sitting directly across from her, the hideously looking highwayman, the accused, Black Charlie. The charge against the rough character was multiple murders, one of which was witnessed by Flora. No one in the courtroom was a bit surprised that the notorious Black Charlie had committed murder, what did surprise them was that this courageous young woman had the daring to testify against the nationally known criminal.
And if the substance of Flora’s words condemned the highwayman, her resolve in delivering her testimony sealed his ultimate fate.
Black Charlie was sentenced to death by hanging, and days later the execution was carried out.
The trial took place in Glasgow, and soon the news of Black Charlie’s fate spread throughout the city, and not long after, the entire country.
It could be said that the nation was divided over the issue, some relieved at the end of Black Charlie’s heinous criminal doings, and some hating Flora for testifying against a man who they saw as a kind of Scottish folk hero.
The day after the trial, and old woman came to Flora’s home, claiming to be the mother of Black Charlie. She put a curse on the courageous young woman. And weeks after that, a band of Black Charlie followers actually murdered Flora’s father, Dr. Peter Murray, one of the most respected physicians in Glasgow.
But it was during the period after the curse, and before Dr. Murray’s murder, that Dr. Murray admitted a young banker named Ian Stewart to his home hospital room to convalesce after he fainted on a ship that his recently come to port. The man was in a coma when he was admitted to Dr. Murray’s home hospital room.
And over the days that followed, the young banker recovered, bit by bit every day. His care was primarily overseen by Flora, and when Ian awoke from his coma, he and Flora had long conversations, soon the two became fond of one another.
And by the time Ian Stewart was ready to be up and about, Dr. Murray was killed. Both Flora and Ian were concerned for Flora’s safety, so Ian suggested that she move to his hometown of Edinburgh, to live in an apartment complex run by a woman his family knew well.
Flora did list her father’s house and medical practice for sale and moved to the apartments in Edinburgh. Her real estate in Glasgow soon sold, and she found she was making new ties in Edinburgh, both with the kindly landlady, and the group of exuberant, but good-natured medical students who were also lodging at the apartments. And of course, she was spending time with Ian, and the two fell in love.
As the months passed, Ian proposed marriage, and Flora accepted. Her fiancée told her all about Stormhaven Mansion, the family home to the Stewart banking family for generations. After the day of the wedding, Flora saw Stormhaven for the first time, and she met Ian’s family. Very soon, strange things began happening at the storied old mansion, things that made Flora nervous. And the weird comportment of Ian’s family members did not help matters. Soon Flora felt she was in a fortress of fear, perhaps the old woman’s curse had followed her all the way to the shadowy corridors of Stormhaven!
Okay, I was only a short way through the story when I found myself hooked on this story of a spooky mansion, filled with strange characters. I read on with interest, wondering what would come of Flora in this strange place. Scene after scene, I was captivated. Here were a few of my favorite aspects of this story:
The forbidden third floor of Stormhaven, grotesque and twisted faces staring down from windows, disembodied chuckles ringing forth from empty rooms, a falling object at a party that nearly causes a fatality and a sinister hangman drawing.
I was intrigued by a few of the characters, especially Peggy, the dark-haired, attractive sister of Ian who seldom speaks to anyone, but rather moves about the mansion in the shadows, or roams about in the empty dark rooms alone. The Stewart family all held firm that Peggy was insane, and some of her actions would definitely give one such an impression. But she plays the spinet in the music room for hours on end, the hauntingly beautiful music seeming to be an extension of the young woman’s troubles. She seems to be in a trance quite often, but underneath it all, she is obviously gifted and intelligent, and I sensed that there was much more to this character than the family seemed to indicate. I looked forward to finding out more about the mysterious Peggy Stewart.
All in all, it was an amazing, enjoyable story, an excellent example of the Gothic Mystery genre of the 1970’s.
July 19, 2017
2.5 stars. The book went on longer than it needed to but it wasn't bad. I was surprised in the end. I never would have guessed, though looking back I should have.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews