Dark Shadows: The Foe of Barnabas Collins: The Complete Paperback Library Reprint Book 9

Dark Shadows #9

by Marilyn Ross, W.E.D. Ross (AKA)

Barnabas befriends lovely Paula Jennings right after her marriage to strange, mysterious Christopher Jennings. He feels protective towards the lonely heiress because he suspects Christopher is the werewolf who has been ravaging the countryside. When Christopher is joined by Melissa Henry (the reincarnation of the evil Angelique), Barnabas is certain Paula is in terrible danger.

Barnabas knows he can defeat the evil werewolf. But will his powers be stronger than those of the beautiful - and deadly - Angelique?

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Gothic, Vampires, Audiobook, Fiction, Paranormal

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1969

About the author

William 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).

Reviews

[Justin Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

If adding a vampire saved its ratings, what will werewolves, witches, ghostly orbs and satanic ritual do?! This ninth book in the soap opera tie-in book series turns the redonkulous factor way up, and I'm all for it. Motivations are senseless, romances are absurd, and the supernatural creatures are a barrage of self-aware melodrama.

It has all the satisfaction of a basic gothic romance, but is indeed far more interesting when the cast consists of throat-gobbling werewolves and blood-sucking vamps. Whoever said you can have too much of a good thing? Ever since Barnabas has been introduced, it's clear the writers started having fun and gleefully stuck a stake through the heart of reality. It was the right move. Never have I been more excited to continue on with the series, all the way through book thirty-two.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE FOE OF BARNABAS COLLINS is one of the best in the series. Here Dan ("Marilyn") Ross pulls out all the stops and gives us an overdose of the supernatural. This novel has it all: vampires, werewolves, even a witch AND a ghost! It's an alternate history of Collinwood, yet it captures perfectly the mood and feel of the creepy TV show. Angelique---witchy Nemesis to Barnabas Collins----is back, transformed into a black-haired siren. And werewolf Chris Jennings makes his debut, though as a full-fledged villain rather than the sympathetic victim depicted in the TV version. Familiar to Dark Shadows fans yet so very, very different....

The story takes place in 1910. The heroine is Paula Jennings, naive young bride. She marries Chris impulsively and lives to regret it, for he turns out to be a werewolf involved in some dark and terrible doings. He has a wolfish acolyte---Abel, who dies in an animal trap---and later, a love interest in the evil Angelique. Angelique appears as Paula's new housekeeper, "Melissa Henry," but after "Melissa" tries to kill Paula with a knife it becomes apparent that there will be serious problems with the help!

Paula instantly falls out of love with her husband. And that, in turn, paves the way for our romantic vampire hero, Barnabas Collins. Barnabas is clearly the good guy here and Josette makes a ghostly cameo as well, fighting off Angelique. In a way THE FOE OF BARNABAS COLLINS may be seen a tale of wife-swapping, since Barnabas and Angelique used to be married....oh, a couple of centuries ago! But let's not go there...

[Larry Yonce · Rating 3 out of 5]

A battle of creatures of the night in 1910.
Reluctant vampire Barnabas (who is also a sketch artist here!) must battle an evil "wolf cult" in order to save the mistress of Cranshaw mansion. Who knew the only "sure cure" for lycanthropy is to have the victim kneel in one spot for a hundred years?! Since that is not an option...what is to be done? Highlights include a couple of truly scary wolf attacks and a creepy encounter with a shape-shifting witch. But Barnabas knows a secret about Cranshaw mansion that could turn the tide.

[Gary Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Perils of Paula

At last, a Dark Shadows novel none can call boring! There are precious few moments for readers to catch their breaths and collect their wits as the narrative rockets ahead at a relentless pace. "Unputdownable" describes this book, with each end-of-chapter cliffhanger defying the reader to resist devouring just one more chapter.

Okay, Ross stacked the deck against us, adding not just werewolves but witches and satanic rites in a secret subterranean chamber from which no screams would ever be heard. He even brings on stage the fabled Angelique, the witch who made Barnabas the undead man that he is today, and if that weren't enough, there's even a Josette ex machina moment sure to thrill fans and evoke memories of her television appearance rescuing Vicky from the murderous clutches of that homicidal handyman.

Ross takes all these disparate components and successfully weaves them into a thrilling tale of terror, one with an almost palpable sense of impending dread and horror. It was brilliant to use the seemingly insignificant sketch of Paula found by Vicki and the antiques dealer to set in motion this turn-of-the-century tale. I only wish it were set in a different decade as 1910 was already spoken for in Barnabas Collins! (See my PS below for a rant on the matter.)

There's a flurry of characters in this book, from our damsel in perpetual distress Paula and her kindly aunt and uncle and, waiting in the wings, the now-requisite designated suitor to marry the broken-hearted woman who yearns achingly but could never marry the cursed Barnabas. There's Christopher Jennings, rogue, scoundrel, and dabbler in the dark arts, as well as his raven-haired beauty Melissa Henry, purportedly a housekeeper but actually a homewrecker.

Upstairs, Downstairs this ain't! Not with grotesqueries Abel and his sister Peg the roost-ruling domestics at the Jennings' stately mansion Cranshaw. Lizzie, a plucky Collinsport resident, signs on as maid when nobody else dared, and she proves a loyal friend and pivotal player in Paula's life. I came to like and appreciate Lizzie, which is why I was raging at Ross for blithely disposing of her for no convincingly substantive plot-forwarding reason than to stoke our hatred for Chris and Melissa and to demonstrate just how ruthless they can be. We knew all that already.

And why didn't Barnabas, who had enthralled Lizzie with his nightly visits to nibble her neck, have sensed she was in danger and swooped in on bat's wings to rescue her as he does Paula?

Another throwaway character whose sole purpose was to appear and provide helpful exposition was Joseph Sharon, father of Chris' first wife Rachel who met a savage end. The still-grieving father generously comes to Cranshaw to prevent the same fate from befalling Paula. I enjoyed how Ross described Joseph like Ichabod Crane, and perhaps intentionally as the poor man soon suffered a similar loss and without a pinch-hitting pumpkin in sight.

I did find tenuous the whole "wolf cult" and the necessity of wearing wolfskin belts to transform. And really out there were the crazy cures for lycanthropy detailed on page 123, from saluting the werewolf with the sign of the cross, calling the werewolf three times by his baptismal name, drawing three drops of blood from his underarm or--the only sure cure--having "the victim kneel in one spot for a hundred years"! The obvious question is... how did they ever discover this was the one sure cure?

Many dark and stormy nights and many walks along winding cliffside paths finally bring us to the big finish! Okay, the ending was disappointingly anticlimactic in an Oh, did I just miss the climax? kind of way. Ross ran out of rhetorical tricks to pull out of his sleeve so instead of building up to the big moment it just sorta happens. It was clever... but not conclusive.

I thoroughly enjoyed this ninth novel, which makes it frustrating to reluctantly push pause on reading on until I close the chasm between where I'm at in watching the television series (September '67) and where I'm at in the novels (July '69). Even though any similarities between the TV series and these books are at best accidental, I don't want to read about Quentin until I meet him on screen, already regretting I met Christopher Jennings here first, not knowing he was originally a Curtisverse character.

And speaking of wildly variant character portrayals, I suspected that wasn't Jonathan Frid on the last book and am sure there's some pretender to the fangs on this one's cover. Nonetheless, a cool photo and model who captures Barnabas' dual nature with that menacing smile.

P.S.: The Trouble with Timelines, or When Worlds Collide

Cr-r-r-u-u-unch! goes the Rossverse with The Foe of Barnabas Collins! This novel overlaps the same time span as book 6, Barnabas Collins. That book spanned 1902-11, and The Foe of Barnabas Collins begins "On that bleak evening in March 1910" (p. 10). Remember Jonas and Margaret Collins and their daughter Greta? They were living at Collinwood in 1910. Now Ross retroactively implants Michael and Sally Collins as the great house's residents. Paula Jennings nee Collins was also living at Collinwood in the fall of 1909 when an ill-wind brought her under the sway of Christopher Jennings. There's just no getting around this continuity conflict.

Okay, whatever. Who's keeping track of timelines, anyway, right? Well, I am, and I suspect I'm not alone. Continuity matters, declares this lifelong comic-book fan. But okay, taking a deep breath and letting out an exasperated sigh of defeat and resignation, I admit these gold-edition gothics were originally plucked from paperback spinner racks at Rexall with no requirement to read them in order. Most readers at the time were probably missing a few books and didn't care. Who knows, maybe Ross even envisioned multiple Rossverses as distinct from one another as his was from the canonical Curtisverse of ABC's continuing suspense drama? But... I doubt it.

A blast of a book just the same!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Foe is just an okay entry in Ross’s series of Dark Shadows novels. This one takes place in 1910 in a neighboring estate of Collinwood, the Cranshaw mansion. Werewolf Chris Jennings, baring little resemblance in personality to the television show character, is featured along with Angelique, who makes a late appearance in the form of a housekeeper named Melissa Henry. The book’s climax would’ve worked great for the TV series.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barnabas Collins continues his domination of the book series in this installment.
Vicki and Elizabeth make an appearance at the beginning of the story. But after a little more than 5 pages they are gone. Basically they are there to set up the story.
1910:
Paula is a distant Collins relative who has married Christopher Jennings and returned to Collinsport.
Paula soon finds herself in a bit of a mess.
A wolf (or wolves) is running around terrorizing the town. And Christopher is not the man she thought...
Cousin Barnabas comes to Paula's aid...but Chris counters that with the witch Angelique.
For me this is the best novel with Barnabas so far.
As usual there are leaps in logic....Paula takes the news that Barnabas is a vampire very well. :)
And the Chris Jennings here is nothing like his tv counterpart.
But it is a fun read.

[John Peel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in the long series of novels based on the TV soap opera "Dark Shadows", this one is set in 1910, and relates the story of newly-wed Paula Jennings, who comes to suspect that her husband is involved in a strange cult of werewolves. Barnabas helps her out, but finds himself also in danger when the witch Angelique shows up again.

I'd forgotten how melodramatic these books were, but they are also enjoyable reading. The main problem with this one is the rushed ending and the lack of satisfaction in the resolution.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good volume. This one features Angelique and a werewolf facing Barnabas. The novel continues the whole "alternate universe" theme as the Chris Jennings in this volume is not at all the Chris Jennings of the TV series. The ending is also a little unresolved, but there's a good chance that will play into future volumes.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good storyline, dialogue very stilted (moreso than her previous books).

Barnabas Collins and Angelique are really the only characters from the show that are in this storyline

[Richard Tolleson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book sounds interesting. Young Paula Collins marries Chris Jennings, who (unbeknown to her) is a werewolf. The Chris Jennings character is different from the one in the TV series. This one is a real nasty piece of work. One wonders what Paula sees in him, but it's already a done deal when the book starts and the couple moves to an estate near Collinwood. Paula falls in love with Barnabas, who tries to free her from a werewolf cult (really), while dealing with his own curse. There's a human would-be suitor for Paula too, for some reason, but he doesn't have much to do until the end, and then his action is "offstage".
As I say, the premise is interesting, but the execution leaves something to be desired. I struggled to get to the end of this masterpiece by "Marilyn Ross", and I began to grade it in my head as I read. My biggest complaint is the overuse of pronouns, particularly at the beginning of chapters. For example, here's the beginning of chapter nine: "When she awakened it was to a tumultuous roll of thunder. She sat up quickly with a frightened expression on her pretty face as a shaft of lightning showed menacingly through her window." That's fine if I am reading straight through from the end of chapter 8, but most people use the end of chapters as a stopping point, so I have to backtrack and see who awakened. There are also errors in comma usage, as well as no small number of sentence fragments.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that if the book were more entertaining in the first place, I wouldn't be noticing all of that. The entire plot is a thin gruel that is spread out over 12 chapters. When the climax finally comes, it is with such little fanfare that it doesn't move the reader to feel anything. Finally, there is one huge plot thread that's left hanging (no spoilers). The climax could have easily come a chapter or two earlier, leaving room for all the plot lines to be resolved. Trust me, they weren't saving it for the next book. It will be a complete reset.
One star for the cover (why does Barnabas look different on it, btw?), one star for nostalgia, and one star for Dark Shadows.

[Vincent Darlage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a strong series of books, but this was, perhaps, the best of the books so far. The menace seemed real - and although the main protagonist's acceptance of Barnabas as a vampire was contrived, the werewolf menace was fantastically conceived and realized. One of the pitfalls of setting the book in 1910 is that it contradicts statements made in other books, such as the statement in the previously published Barnabas Collins that in 1911 Judith, Barnabas' adopted daughter leaves Collinwood. He clearly has no adopted daughter here. The same book has Jonas Collins living in Collinwood from at least 1890 - 1921, and he's nowhere in sight.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was Book 9 and there is still no sign of Maggie Evans, although some fantastic sightings have occurred that imply Josette is with us

[Laura Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

By far the lamest book in this series (so far anyways). I couldn’t wait for this half assed story to just end.

[Barbara A. Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another thrilling tale in the Dark Shadows Saga.

In a trip into the past, this tale begins as newlywed
Paula Collins Jennings came back to Collinsport as the lovely young second wife of Chris Jennings and looked forward to beginning their lives together at Cranston Manor. However to Paula's dismay she finds her new husband has not been honest with her and little by little his secret real intensions for her begin to reveal themselves. Menacing Abel and his odd sister Peg are the caretaker and housekeeper for Chris even though Paula is frightened by them. There is talk of mysterious murders with the victims' throats torn open and the strange howling of wolves haunting the woods and village of Collinsport, Maine. Distant cousin Barnabas Collins has returned to Collinwood and makes his way to pay his respects to the newlyweds. Paula soon finds an ally in the reclusive but handsome Barnabas, Chris begins to exhibit some strange behavior towards Paula and his expectations of their marriage. Through twists and turns of events, this tale because more complicated and poor Paula begins to fear for her safety, from Chris' fearsome mood swings and strange demands. Paula turns to her budding friendship with Barnabas as actions by Abel and Chris become more alarming.
It's a thrilling story and keeps the reader thirsting for more. Very hard to put down.

[Sabrina Frang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy these classic Dark Shadows novels. They take me to Collinsport, allow me to spend time with familiar fictional characters, and they are short enough to consume in a day or so. They also give me that gothic atmosphere I crave.

The Foe of Barnabas Collins reads very much like those gothic paperbacks from the 60's and 70's. A young bride arrives at her husband's secluded estate, the husband begins to change in temperament, a dead body or two is found somewhere in the village, which forces our young wife to figure out what's going on.

This volume has it all: vampires, werewolves, witchcraft, and maybe even a ghost or two. Our young bride gets to bond with Barnabas, so we get to see plenty of Dark Shadows' most beloved character.

The book just has one minor and one major flaw that hampered from being a fully five0star read.
1) A character accepts something (no spoilers) pretty quickly. No questions asked, when really it would be a lot to take in.
2) As others have stated, the resolution is rushed and not done in a way that is satisfactory.

That said, I still had a good time with this novel, and I look forward to reading another classic Dark Shadows book in the future.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story takes place back in 1910. A woman named Paula Collins has married a man named Chris and they are moving near to Collinwood in another old building called Cranshaw. She briefly meets Barnabas on the boat over.

It turns out Chris has a servant named Abel who strikes her as being evil. It turns out to be a lot worse than she expected as, at night, she hears the sound of wolves howling. That wouldn't be a problem except there are not supposed to be any wolves at all in that area.

Matters get a whole lot worse as she finds that Chris is quite nasty. Before long she finds out he is much, much worse than just nasty. Various people die and before long she finds out the truth. Barnabas is trying to help her through this but she wonders if he can save her from a fate worse than death.

There are also two important characters from Barnabas' past, one who has appeared numerous times and the other has never appeared in the books in the form the character does.

Another good book in the series.

[Sarospice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gothic tragedy for the women who fall in love with Barnabas Collins. This time someone named Paula marries a werewolf named Chris Jennings. Yes, but better than the one on the show... This time we get gnashing of teeth and sounds of howls.... And a teeny tiny bit of Angelique!

[Jennifer Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many of the previous books in the series, this is mostly a fun supernatural soap opera. With this edition, we meet another set of supernatural additions to the cast, and watch Barnabas fall in love with another distant relative. Fun and simple to keep up with, it's well worth listening to.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Foe Of Bananas Collins

I liked this book very much. It had slot of suspense and action. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys this type of book.

[Kevin Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better written books in the series.

[Alan Ellias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read by Kathryn Leigh Scott!

[Stephen Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to re-read a few of these Dark Shadows novels in preparation for the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp movie that is scheduled to begin filming this fall. They're fun bits of fluff and some of them can be very entertaining, as is this ninth outing. But they do raise some eyebrows. The books, while using many of the characters from the TV show, follow their own continuity (mainly because Dan Ross, the author, was Canadian and unable to see the show that often). Angelique makes an appearance in The Foe of Barnabas Collins, but Ross describes her as having dark skin and long black hair. Certainly not the blond, blue-eyed Angelique as played by Lara Parker on television! Minor quibbles like that aside, the story moves along nicely. The ending, like many of these novels, seems to be rushed.

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

This DS novel was a typical gothic with its typical gothic-y characters, setting and story, but mostly it had those wonderfully cosy gothic phrases scattered throughout. Any lover of this genre would be transported by the phrases describing the lightning flashes through the window, the dark walk through the woods, the eerie atmosphere of a cemetery at night and so on. This type of thing is what I enjoy in this genre and I consistently get it from this book series.

[Dale Rosso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Dark Shadows story.