Curse of Kenton

by Janet Louise Roberts

Wicked Wave of Death!
Young, ripe, and penniless, Barbara Ashe was swept by powerful emotions into a marriage with the rich, wildly romantic Duke of Kenton. But soon she was shocked by his evil society friends, mortified by his bursting hot-tempered fits, and plagued by the fear that his worsening heart condition was more than simply the gypsy curse on the men of Kenton.
Taunted by her suspicions through chilling, dark nights, she began to trust no one. Someone in that ominous castle was planning murder - and each moment marched Barbara closer to the awful truth!

Genres: Gothic, Historical Romance, Romance, Gothic Romance, Horror

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

See pseudonyms Louisa Bronte, Rebecca Danton & Janette Radcliffe. Some of the listed titles are more straight romance than romantic suspense.

Janet Louise Roberts was born on January 20, 1925, in New Britain Connecticut, the daughter of a missionary in a conservative church. She wrote contemporary, historical, and gothic romances, as well as occult horror romances such as The Devil’s Own, Isle of the Dolphins, Lord Satan, and Her Demon Lover. She used pseudonyms for several of her works.

Roberts died on June 11, 1982 in Dayton, Ohio.

Reviews

[Wendy, Lady Evelyn Quince · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read too many gothic romances, but The Curse of Kenton is definitely one of the better ones in my reading history. My Avon first edition features the typical gothic cover, with a heroine (wrong hair color alert: she’s brunette, not blonde) screaming in terror as she runs away from a dark castle, in this case, Castle Kenton, a place shrouded in a dreadful mystery, as is always the case in these gothics.

Barbara Ashe is an orphan who works as a pharmacist for a country doctor. One day two dashing lords come racing through town, and the darkly handsome Duke of Kenton requires her services as he is gravely ill. Gilbert is a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars and suffers from a secret, fatal malady which makes him bitter and dissolute.

Despite her better judgment, Barbara falls for the Duke and they are quickly married, Gilbert needing an heir before he dies. What follows is a great gothic romance, filled with secrets and a cruel hero who straddles the lines between romantic, tragically condemned to fate, and villainous. Gilbert parties it up with friends, engaging in drunken orgies. But Barbara is no shrinking violet meekly accepting her husband's peccadilloes. What makes this book so very good is Barbara’s strong, resilient character, who won’t put up with her husband’s licentious debaucheries nor placidly accept his belief that his disease is incurable. “The Kenton bad temper is not going to kill my husband! I have resolved on that!”

As is usual in these books things are not always what they seem as horrific, hidden mysteries are slowly revealed to a shocking denouement.

4 ½ stars rounded up for a great heroine with a backbone.

[Sarah Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dumb. The one thing I liked was how she saves his life—literally—by the midway point, which he repays by saving her life—literally—in the climax. But the characters were dumb, their emotional development (or lack thereof) was dumb, & the villainy was dumb…too much dumbness overall. It could’ve been a decent pulp in the hands of a better author, but JLR’s characters are flatter-than-flat & their dialogue is frequently stilted or idiotic. That’s just how she rolls, & I’ll likely avoid her books from now on; this + four previous chances is more than enough to know her style doesn’t agree with me.

Also: please note that Bob McGinnis cover. Normally I love his work, but this one is uninspired & dull…much like the book itself. Oh, snap. :P

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a gothic-like historical oddity. First published in 1972, it should have stayed in 1972.

The dukes of Kenton were cursed. The men died before the age of 25. Gilbert, the current D of K, had run away to sea as a boy (he had a very unhappy childhood after his parents died) and eventually fought with Wellington.

He’s back. He’s bad. And he is dying. From the curse, or so Ms. Roberts would have you believe.

I didn’t.

He marries orphaned Barbara Ashe, a pharmacy tech/herbalist though I thought she should have been named an apothecary assistant. Gil thinks she is sweet and wants a child before he dies.

Insert note here~> I never thought Gil was in his early twenties (maybe mid 30s), but that wouldn’t have made any sense with the plot.

After some wonderful time getting to know each other and becoming accustomed to being married, Gil turns in to Mr. Hyde. Remember, he is dying, but he invites his lecherous friends to castle Kenton and proceeds to get drunk, stay up to 4 in the morning, ride his horse like a demon AND fondles one of his women friends.

And he is dying? Yeah, right. Oh, did I mention at one point he hits Barb? For no valid reason other than he is mad.

Insert note here~> Neither Barbara nor I are happy with the way things are going.

Blah, blah, blah, Gilbert confesses once again he loves Barbara (boo hoo, Gil, I don’t care anymore). Barb figures out he’s being poisoned. Duh. And then she’s being poisoned. Duh, again. But they are still clueless as to the identity of the villains. When they are told point-blank by the baddies that they want Gil and Barb dead, they are gobsmacked. Gah! Then it is off to the dungeon.

Of course, they escape and live happily ever after. But there is no epilogue and this story needed an epilogue.

[Chrisangel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been really good, it the whole story hadn't been written Debbie Downer style, and if I hadn't guessed Whodunit almost from the start.

Gilbert and Barbara deserved better, and so did the readers.