PREZIO REAL ESTATE

For years, starting as a kid, I didn't know the name of one of my favorite artists. He (or she) produced painted comic book covers for Gold Key's Magnus Robot Fighter, of which I was a huge fan of in the 1960s. The discovery of that person's name came much later in life, but I should've known all along who they were because I was also a periodic reader of magazines such as Creepy and Eerie and Famous Monsters of Filmland, where their cover art was always credited. I was delighted though when I did figure out that one of their intermittent cover artists, who it turns out was a man and whose cover art was always awesome, was also my Magnus Robot Fighter artist.  His name was Vic Prezio.

Victor Anthony Prezio was born in 1924 in the Bronx, NY, the son of Italian immigrants. He attended college for about a year before being hired by Street & Smith Publications to be an illustrator. In 1943, at the apex of the Second World War, he enlisted in the Army and was a Private First Class in the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion, serving honorably in Europe until his discharge in December, 1945. After the war he continued with his career as a commercial illustrator, and like most returning soldiers he got married. By the mid-1950's he had firmly established himself as a versatile illustrator for men's adventure magazines, or MAM's as they are often called by their collectors. I was never exposed to them as a child and by the time I became an adult their heyday was over, so I never had privy to any of Prezio's artwork for that medium. It wasn't until the internet came along and compilations from Taschen and Feral House were published that I learned what I had missed.

Back in the 1960's and 70's I was primarily a collector of science fiction, fantasy and horror paperbacks. Prezio's contributions to those genres were negligible, so I never knew that he had started producing paperback covers, a natural if not necessary transition after the MAM's dried up. Apparently, Prezio did scores of work for westerns, spy, action and adventure novels, and even a few children's books. Another genre that Prezio excelled at was gothic romance, but I didn't know anything about that. You see back then if a book didn't get shelved in the SFF section at B. Dalton's and Waldenbooks then it pretty much didn't exist for me. Had I just strayed over to the romance section I might have today a huge collection of gothic paperbacks. God only knows beautiful women in nightgowns running away from spooky mansions is something I would have easily embraced. As it is, it's very difficult to collect gothic paperbacks now due to their scarcity, condition issues, and expensiveness.

Eventually I did get lucky in finding about eight gothics with Prezio covers, and they were all in very good condition too. I've matched a few of them up here with their original paintings, along with a few other borrowed images, which I found at Heritage Auctions and elsewhere. Prezio's painting style is one that adheres to realism, and generally in the strictest sense of the word, and within that category he was one of the best to ever hold a brush. Most of his gothic cover art was done in gouache, painted on either illustration board or masonite, and each piece averaged 15 x 25 inches in size (reverse the dimensions for wraparounds).

Vic Prezio died in his home state of New York in 1976 of causes not known to me. Sadly he was only 52 years old. And while I wished he would have been able to keep producing art for at least a couple more decades, his productivity was nevertheless very high as far as illustrators go, so high in fact that his artwork continues to show up regularly at galleries and auction houses. And you know, the more I think about it the more I'm convinced that one of his gothic paintings would look mighty good hanging in my office.

*   *   *

HAVING read so few "gothic romances," I really have no business trying to regard the genre. What I will say though is that most of the ones I have read all seemed to be more or less mired in formula, which upon reflection is not necessarily a bad thing even though it sounds bad; every genre has to adhere to certain guidelines and motifs to please its reader's expectations. It's all intrinsic I suppose. I also know that some novels packaged as gothics are really just romantic suspense, or thrillers, while others are practically straightforward mysteries or detective novels.  I myself try to refrain from labeling books but sometimes it can't be helped. I've not read any of the titles I've posted below, so I won't be doing any evaluations on them either, however, Prezio's beautiful cover art is more than enough to carry the day.

An Echo of Weeping by Miriam Lynch was published in paperback by Lancer in 1971 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  Newspaperwoman Miriam Lynch wrote more than 50 novels between the years 1956 and 1983. Her themes generally included romance, gothic, suspense, historical and nurse-doctor relationships. She was known to use the pseudonyms Claire Vincent and Mary Wallace for some of her romances.

'Stonehall was a grim relic of a past that should have been dead and buried. The people who came to it seemed to be drawn into an unhealthy dream world, where love turned to hatred, and bitter memories marked the course of daily life. Maria Arnold came to the old house to find her sister... and remained a prisoner of a man whose bleak profession of love bound her to a meeting with Death!'

 
  'Augusta pushed me toward my room, her voice harsh. "There will be no prying, do you understand? The sooner you get out of Stonehall, the better it will be!"

   I had no choice but to leave her at the door. I went to bed, then, wanting to be rested for my journey home in the morning, and despite the upsetting evening, sleep came easily.
   Sometime during the blackest hours of the night, I awoke. I knew that I was not alone. I sat up... and something came down over my head! My hands rose to my throat and fought the loop of rope that was biting into my flesh. My breathing seemed to stop...'

The Devil's Mirror by Miriam Lynch was published in paperback by Pocket in July, 1977 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'THE HOUSE OF SATAN.  Mirror House was a "beauty farm" that promised to restore youthful appearance. But when twenty-three-year-old Althea Brayton went there in search of her older cousin, she found the old house filled not with health and cheer but with gloom and oppressive menace. The "guests" wandered in lifelessly as if in a trance, and the staff lurked in the shadows, glaring suspiciously at passersby. A strange and evil influence had fallen over Mirror House. Althea knew she had to free her cousin from this weird prison before it was too late. But to do so, she would have to do battle with powers of darkness.'

This 7th paperback printing of The Red Carnelian by Phyllis A. Whitney from Paperback Library was published in March, 1972 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  Phyllis A. Whitney wrote more than 70 novels for both the juvenile and adult markets, most of which are probably classed as romantic mysteries. They were published between 1941 and 1997. The Red Carnelian was her fourth novel and it was first published hardback in 1943. According to some it's more of a detective novel than an actual gothic. The New York Times dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics," but Whitney actually hated that title, and instead preferred to say she wrote "romantic novels of suspense." She was awarded two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile Novel, and in 1988 the MMA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Two years later it was ditto from the Romance Writers of America. She died in 2008 at the age of 104.

WHAT WAS THE SECRET OF THE RED CANELIAN?  Someone evil crept in sinister silence down corridors of terror, pursuing a beautiful young woman who risked her life to uncover the secret of this dark and fearful place... '

The House on Rainbow Leap by Rena Vale was published in paperback by Pocket in 1973 (cover art by Vic Prezio). Rena Marie Vale (1898-1983) was primarily a science fiction writer who began publishing in 1952 with the novella "The Shining City" for Science Fiction Quarterly. Her first novel, The Red Court: Last Seat of National Government of the the United States of America, was also published that year. She wrote three additional SF novels after that, and apparently this one gothic romance, all of which were published between 1960 and 1973. Vale it seems was a late bloomer; we should all be so lucky in life.

'CURSED INHERITANCE.  Pretty young Eula Harkness looked out the train window at the passing Illinois towns. At last, she was coming to claim her inheritance---the great old house that stood atop the stark cliff known as Rainbow Leap. But she was unprepared for what awaited her--menacing halls that seemed alive with dark passions and nights that were shattered by inexplicable violence. Was the house, as some said, "full of spooks"? Or had a murderous, all-too-human curse been placed on those who dared to live within its walls?'

Dark Odyssey by Florence Stevenson was published in paperback by Signet in 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  Florence Stevenson (1922-1991) wrote more than 50 romance novels between the years 1965 and 1992, her last being published posthumously. She also published under the pseudonyms Ellen Fitzgerald, Lucia Curzon, Pamela Frazier, Zandra Colt and Zabrina Faire.

'RUINS OF ROMANCE, RUINS OF MENACE.  Casa Slade was a beautiful hacienda. And lovely, orphaned Ada Brett was sure she could be happy there with her cousin's family. But from the first, something overshadowed Ada's joy. Was it the frequent quarrels between Henry and his fiery-tempered wife? Or the presence of Don Felipe, that handsome, infuriating man who had earned Henry's enmity but captured Ada's heart? Or was it the strange attraction she felt toward the ruins in the pine grove, the legendary House of Tears where Don Felipe first declared his love? Drawn again and again to this forbidden place, Ada could feel an evil stalking her within its ruined walls---an evil that at any moment could become death's trap...'

Falcon's Island by Antonia Scott was published in paperback by Pocket in 1973 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  I was unable to find any other books written by this author. The name may be a pseudonym, or perhaps merely a one-off.

'THE ISLAND'S CURSE.  Governess Wanted," the ad said, and pretty Christy Randolph was glad to escape her unhappy past by taking the job on the remote island off the Maine coast. But no sooner had she arrived than she was plunged into a past more dark and barbaric than any she had known. There was Matthew Parrish, the gruff, rude, but strangely handsome seaman. There were the sullen townspeople who muttered of spells and witchcraft. And there was the enigmatic Falcon family itself, haunted by madness and violent death. Soon Christy realized that the dead had placed a terrible curse on the living, and she too was trapped in its fateful grip.'

The Wailing Woman by Dora Shattuck was published by Warner Paperback Library in 1973 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  Dora Richards Shattuck (date of birth and death unknown) wrote three supposedly screwball mysteries and one humorous novel in the 1940's under the pseudonym Richard Shattuck. This gothic mystery is apparently the only one of its kind from her.

'WAS SHE WOMAN OR WITCH? She could tell the future, but with a harrowing sense of impending doom. She longed for a man to lover her, but chose one who would give her only pain. She was Lisa--ward of the wealthy Oliver family. Sometimes they treated her like a servant--ordering her to sew for them. Sometimes like a poor relative---ridiculing and patronizing her. And sometimes they treated her like an enemy--plotting her ruin, and even her death...'

   "When I dream... I am the Ranchera; I own everything. But there is no one to plow my fields, to prune my grape vines, to polish my silver. I am alone in the world... and up the path comes footsteps. Is it a traveler who will people the world for me?"
   In her secret nook in the crumbling ruins of an old church on the Oliver estate, Lisa dreams as any eighteen-year-old girl does. But Lisa is different than other girls. She is lame---her leg crippled in a violent episode in the Oliver stable. She is alone---the offspring of a love affair between her mother, long dead, and a father whose name she does not know. And she is in danger---for the dreams she dreams foretell disaster and have a terrifying way of coming true!'
  

Mansion of Evil by Caroline Farr was published in paperback by Signet in 1972 (although a signature is not visible, I'm pretty sure this cover was produced by Vic Prezio).  Caroline Farr was a pseudonym used by prolific Australian writer Richard Wilkes-Hunter (1906-1991) to write dozens of gothic romance novels which were published in the U.S. between 1967 and 1980. Under other pseudonyms, such as Todd Conrad, Alex Crane, Bradley Ross, Diana Douglas and Shauna Marlowe, he wrote war stories, spy novels, romances, westerns and purportedly even some pornography. The Farr name though was also used by a at least two other male writers, Carter Brown & Lee Pattinson, so there's no way to be absolutely sure who should be credited for Mansion of Evil, but my money's on Wilkes-Hunter. (On a side note, his granddaughter Lisa happens to be a talented mixed media artist living in Australia. Some of her artwork is displayed here.

'VIOLENT DEATH STALKED THE TOWERING CLIFFS OF RAVENSNEST.  Lapped by the icy waters of the Gulf of Maine, the mansion of Ravensnest brooded like a specter from the past over the fishing town of Tregoney. To the gloomy ruin of a house came beautiful Diane Montrose on a nursing assignment. But more than illness threatened the life of her young charge, Robyn Warburton, whose mother had perished under mysterious circumstances. Diane found herself being drawn into a compelling web of evil. What was the terrible secret that dominated the lives of everyone at Ravensnest? What horror was hidden away in the cell hewn from the living rock of the cliffs below the mansion? And what was the danger that lurked in Diane's attraction David Warburton, heir to the family fortune?'

   'MURDER WITH TORTURE. 
   "Want to hear about the secret room?" Beth Swanson asked as Diane Montrose got her first glimpse of Ravensnest. "The secret room is cut in the cliff itself... No way in or out except through a door at the foot of the stairway, but there are channels cut in the rock to let water flow in or out. The room is below water level at high tide."
   "For heaven's sake, Beth---why?"
   "They say that earlier Warburtons put the survivors from wrecked ships in there and barred the door. The iron grills have long rusted away, but once they opened and allowed the bodies to be flushed out by the falling tide..."
   "Horrible! They'd drown slowly as the tide rose..."
   But Beth Swanson's story was only the first terrible secret hidden away in the Mansion of Evil. Behind its stern facade, Ravensnest harbored terros that were to threaten Diane Montrose's sanity and her life itself. Helpless, she struggled against the evil that came surging out of the Warburton past to claim her beauty for its own.'

Night of the Phantom by Marilyn Ross was published by Warner Paperback Library in 1972 (cover art by Vic Prezio). Marilyn Ross is the a pseudonym of William Edward Daniel Ross, or W.E.D. Ross (1912-1995), one of Canada's most prolific writers, credited with over 300 novels. He wrote pretty much everything that could be written in novel format, including gothics, romances, action, adventure, espionage, war, westerns and the entire 32 book run of Dark Shadows which was based on television's long-running daytime soap opera of the same name. Nearly all of it was under pseudonyms, both male and female. He was a fiction force to be reckoned with, and a rare writer's breed even in his lifetime.

'KARIN WILL RISK ANYTHING TO SAVE HER MARRIAGE---INCLUDING HER LIFE!  Recovering from her grief over the mysterious death of her first love, Peter Allison, Karin marries Walter Bell, Peter's best friend. At first they are happy, but soon Walter changes. He becomes silent and forbidding, and absurdly jealous of Peter. Hoping to prove that she truly loves her husband and not a dead man's memory, Karin returns with Walter to Greece and the home he shared there with Peter and their friend, Simon Ward. But from the moment they arrive, Karin realizes she has made a terribly mistake. The house is haunted by Peter's ghost. Simon confides to Karin his suspicion that Walter murdered Peter--and will try to kill her. She scoffs at the idea, and to prove her husband's innocence, begins to probe the circumstances surrounding Peter's death. But the more Karin uncovers, the clearer it seems to become-- her own husband is a murderer and she is to be his next victim!'

Satan's Island by Marilyn Ross (W.E.D. Ross) was published in paperback by Warner Books in 1975 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'THE DEVIL'S SANCTUARY? Lisa Stillwell moved to Drew Island intent on settling down to hard work illustrating. Shortly after arriving, she experienced the eerie sensation that someone watched her every move. Lisa couldn't explain her strange feeling---then she learned that her property was formely named Satan's Island... headquarters for a Satanic cult! Was the devil's influence still present in Lisa's home? Was she strong enough to resist him?'

   'A SEARCH FOR THE UNKNOWN...
   Lisa had no reason for going down to the cellar. It was musty, forbidding and dungeon-like. But the black coin engraved with Satan's head in her hand had been found here. If Black Magic had been practiced in her house, this might be the spot. Lisa lit a stout candle and started descending the worn and slippery stairs to the basement. Nerves tense, she edged along in the grim blackness, not knowing what she was looking for. The stillness was suddenly eerie. Her heart started pounding!
   She heard a rustle in the blackness directly ahead! Raising the candle higher, she saw a ghostly figure slowly materialize in the shadows. A figure completely gowned and hooded in black---with diabolical, terrifying eyes gleaming through slits in the hood.
   A scream froze in Lisa's throat!'
  

Terror at Nelson Woods by Susan Richard was published by Warner Paperback Library in December, 1973 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  Susan Richard was a pseudonym of Julie Ellis, born Marilyn Syliva Wasserman (1933-2006) in Columbus Georgia. Under the professional pen-name name Julie Ellis and her known pseudonyms Alison Lord, Jeffrey Lord, Julie Marvin, Susan Marino, Susan Marvin, Joan Ellis, Linda Michaels, Jill Monte, and Susan Richard (a derivation of her two children's names), she wrote more than 150 novels. They ranged from lesbian erotica novels in the early 1960s (her first publications, and always with happy endings which went against the then current grain), to mainstream contemporary romances, historicals, family sagas, and gothic suspense fiction. In 2003, three years before she died, she was a featured guest at the annual Paperback Collectors convention in NYC.

'WHY DID I HAVE THIS URGE TO GRASP TIM BY THE HAND---AND RUN?  Tim's stepmother, Claire, had welcomed me to Nelson Woods. Even though he had given her no advance notice that he would be bringing me home as his bride, she had insisted that we live in the mansion with her.  Still, I did not feel wanted. The servants looked at me hostilely. There was the girl next door who, I was sure, had expected to be Tim's wife someday. Then the "accidents" began to happen...'

   'I could hear Tim's laughter as I hurried to the stairs... Then suddenly with no warning someone---something---hurtled down the corridor behind me. Was thrusting me down the stairs. I was falling! Falling down that dangerous length. My mind flying apart with shock. I tried frenziedly to grasp hold of the ornately curlicued bannister to break my fall. And as I did so, my attacker was immediately all over me. Warm. Breathing hotly at my throat. Rusty! The dog trained to attack!
   I screamed. My voice shrill with terror.
   "Tim! Tim""
   Where was Tim? Why was Rusty attacking me this way? Who had given him the command?'
   

Serena by Janine Fitzpatrick was published in paperback by Warner Books in 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  Janine Fitzpatrick is a pseudonym of James Fritzhand. He also used the pseudonyms Nick Carter, Geoffrey Linden, J.F. Farber, James Farber, and J. S. Forrester, as well as his own name while publishing novels across a variety of genres. They include literary dark humor, contemporary, Hollywood exploitation, young-adult, techno-thriller, men's action series, horror, and roman à clefs (a novel in which real people and events appear with invented names). The other gothic he wrote was titled The Dreamwalker, and it was published by Pocket in 1975. Fritzhand also wrote scripts for one-hour television dramas and series, which include Trapper M.D., Bare Essence and Flamingo Road,  Hotel, Falcon Crest, Valley of the Dolls, and As the World Turns. 

'THIS WAS AN ISLAND HAUNTED BY HATE.  Serena came to Gresham Island in a violent storm, narrowly escaping drowning in the battering waves. The wind howled, and the hawks screamed. This would be no peaceful haven. But the wild ocean was no more violent than the bitter hatred in the hearts of the people who lived here--the Greshams, with their memories of suicide, fear of madness, and obsession with the secret they must hide. Serena's life was in danger if she stayed; but a once-famous writer needed her here to help with his memoirs, there was a mystery to be solved and there was a man with piercing blue eyes that were, somehow, loving.'

   "Go on," he urged, "take a look at it."
   It was a portrait, but no ordinary or even serene one. Judson had painted the image of a Harpy, as exact and carefully rendered as the articulated silver osprey which sat atop his uncle's desk. But in placde of the features of a monstrous and frightening crone, a harbinger of death, there was my own face, looking back at me!
   I leaned closer, my eyes drawn to the Harpy's bloodstained claws. I trembled with sudden apprehension, gently touching the dripping talons with the tip of one outstretched finger. It came back stained with a viscous and clotting drop of color. I can't say why, but I pressed the tip of my finger to my lips. The taste was salty.
   "Judson," I whispered, This isn't paint. It's blood!"

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Dangerous House by Jan Herbrand was published by Warner Paperback Library in 1975 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  Jan Herbrand, who may or may not be a pseudonym, is credited with two other gothic romance novels, Lost Heritage, and The Altheimer Inheritance. Both were published by Warner Paperback Library in 1973.

"Everybody loves Daddy." That's what Debbie Bryant told Karen when she came to the Bryant house to tutor young Tommy for the summer. And Karen found herself falling in love with Doug Bryant, the handsome widower. But what could have been a romance for him and Karen turned suddenly into terror. There was someone here who wanted to prevent Doug's remarrying, someone who would not stop at murder, someone who lived in this DANGEROUS HOUSE.'

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The Girl Who Didn't Die by Ruby Jean Jensen was published by Warner Paperback Library in 1975 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  Ruby Jean Jensen (1927-2010) published 200 stories in Women's magazines before her first novel was accepted. 30 novels later and I think we can all say she made it, in a very big way. All but seven of them were strict horror/suspense novels, a burgeoning genre in the 1980s and 90's, which she delved right into. Those first seven were more or less gothic and occult romances published in the 1970's, just like the entry above, and while I don't own any of them currently, I sure wish I did. I did read a few of her '80s horror novels when they first came out and they weren't half bad, most published by Zebra. Her usual theme of a "child in supernatural peril," was not something that particularly interested me but she did justice to it as far as I can remember. 

'Waves of terror swept me as I huddled, cold and wet at the water's edge. Over and over, the accident haunted me. The bridge--wet, slippery, so narrow. And then the fog--thick, condensing, coming from behind, then covering the windshield. Smothering me, blinding me. Oh, God, where's the railing? Then blackness... and icy water lapping, lapping. The hunters who found me on the shore were puzzled. How had I escaped? My car was still under water, locked. I knew no answers, only that I must go on to the dark house I would use as a hunting lodge, to welcome the strong young men who would come as hunters and might stay as lovers.'

The 4th printing of Lady of the Shadows by Dorothy Daniels was published in paperback by Warner Books in October, 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  Dorothy Daniels (1915-2001) was married to prolific all-genre writer Norman Arthur Daniels (1905-1995), and between the two of them they cranked out hundreds of stories and novels. Dorothy is credited with at least 127 novels, mostly romances and gothics. Her first gothic was Shadow Glen, published in 1965. It should be noted that the couple often collaborated, and Norman also wrote gothics so determining who wrote what individually is not an easy task (I'm reminded of another collaborative writing couple, Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore). However, in the Fall, 1981 issue of The Paperback Quarterly, Michael S. Barson attempts to do just that by interviewing Norman Daniels; this blog post here has some details about that article.

'IS IT GABRIELLE HERSELF OR HER SPIRIT THAT HAUNTS THE OLD MANSION?  When Gabrielle is confronted by the ghost that haunts the old house she is shocked into understanding why the Bradys' first reaction to her was one of horror. For the ghost is the identical image of Gabrielle herself.  The Bradys, convinced the ghost is responsible for several recent deaths in the family, fear the evil spirit will strike again. But in some warped way they believe Gabrielle can stop the ghost, and threaten to kill her if she fails.  Trapped in the evil mansion, her life in danger, Gabrielle lives in terror. For she must destroy a supernatural spirit--that may be her own ghost.'

   'IN A HOUSE OF MADNESS AND DEATH, GABRIELLE CONFRONTS THE LADY OF THE SHADOWS.  As I stood before the mirror, I became aware that the light wasn't as intense. At the same instant, a strange feeling of foreboding seemed to envelope me. A chill breeze wafted past my face, yet no window was open.
   Someone was in the room. Behind my face in the mirror was the face of another girl, hazily reflected. Then it began to clear a little. I stood there in stunned silence and terror, for the second image was also my own.
   I was looking at my own ghost...'

The Prisoner of Malville Hall by Dorothy Daniels was published in paperback by Warner Books in 1975 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  Despite the byline, this novel was determined to have been written by Norman Daniels alone, as verified by The Paperback Quarterly in the 1981 Fall issue.

'Cassie Anders is a college student whose major interest is telepathy and psychic research. A sensitive, she is adept at card and mind and reading. A friend begs her to come to his parent's country home, which is haunted by an elderly couple who were murdered there many years ago. Innocently, Cassie accepts the invitation, eager to put her psychic powers to a real test. Once inside Malville Hall she is stunned to discover that she is unable to leave. Supernatural forces intend to keep her their prisoner until she performs a special penance--communication with the dead!'

This 2nd printing of The Larrabee Heiress by Dorothy Daniels by Warner Paperback Library was published in 1975 (cover art by Vic Prezio); note: the title is misspelled on the cover.

'A young woman wakes up in a hospital after being struck by a car to find that she has lost her memory---and with it, her identity. When the police recover her handbag, it is empty except for three keys. Finally she is identified as Sandra Larrabee, widow, mother of twin girls, and heiress to a vast fortune. But nothing at the Larrabee mansion stirs her lost memory, not even her daughters. The keys fit no doors there, and the masculine face that appears in her dreams is not that of her late husband. Troubled by these discrepancies, Sandra searches desperately for something that will reawaken her memory and give her back her past. And she can't know that every step of her search is leading her further into a dangerous maze at whose heart a killer waits...'

Dark Island by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in October, 1972 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'FOR JANET THAYER, NO PART OF HAITI IS SAFE---BUT RANCHO MARIA HAS ITS SPECIAL DANGERS.  Janet comes to the island illegally to find her missing brother; her only clue leads her to a mansion called Rancho Maria and its strangely hostile master, Ben Coburn.  Reluctantly he protects her from the police, but asserts that she is in greater danger from voodoo. Her brother has been turned into a zombie; if she stays, she will die.  Skeptical, Janet refuses to leave. Then she discovers that she is not immune to the power of the voodoo drums--and that Rancho Maria is no refuge from their power to kill.'

   "You're leaving today." Mr. Coburn informed after flinging the dead snake out the window. "Next time the snake will not be dead and it will not be dangling harmlessly above you. It will be in your bed. It's a particularly venomous sort."
   "Was that snake a form of voodoo?" I asked him.
   "Yes."
   "But I've harmed no one."
   "You came back to Haiti, to search for Peter Thayer."
   I backed away from him. "Then I'm to go home and forget my brother."
   "Exactly."
   "And if I don't?"
   "You'll die."

This 2nd paperback printing of Dark Island by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Books in 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio). The inside and back cover blurbs are essentially the same as the 1st printings blurbs.

'FORBIDDEN ENTRY.  Janet comes to Haiti illegally to find her missing brother; her only clue leads her to a mansion called Rancho Maria and its strangely hostile master, Ben Coburn. Reluctantly he protects her from the police, but asserts that she is in greater danger from voodoo. Her brother has been turned into a zombie; if she stays, she will die. Skeptical, Janet refuses to leave. Then she discovers that she is not immune to the power of the voodoo drums--and that Rancho Maria is no refuge from their power to kill.'

 

The Summer House by Dorothy Daniels was published in paperback by Warner Books in June, 1976 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'CONCERTO FOR PIANO AND VIOLENCE.  Amy Cooper had come home to Beckford to perform at the opening of the Concert Hall. She would be the soloist, playing the piano in the tradition of her world-famous parents.  It promised to be a gala occasion. Except that there were some in the town so anxious to prevent the performance that they shot at Amy's carriage. Except that the Concert Hall was being named after a man generally considered to be a thief. Except that Amy carried in her memory, beneath layers of protective forgetfulness, the secret of a terrible crime someone feared she would recall...'

Image of a Ghost by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in December, 1973 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  This novel is credited exclusively to Norman Daniels.

"There---in Paris Match---were photographs of the GHOST OF MY MOTHER!"
The first photograph showed a swirling mass halfway down a staircase. In the next, a shape began to emerge. There, in the third, stood my mother, who had died eighteen months ago, wearing a dress from the Forties. I remembered that dress! In the fourth shot, the image swirled again, dissolving.  The accompanying story reported that these pictures had been taken by a respected artist in Maine. His wife had seen the ghost, and the shots had been developed and printed before witnesses. It was no hoax. I must go to Maine and discover for myself why my mother's spirit had returned...'

   "Look," I cried. "Don't you see her?"
   There, on the path to the lake, backgrounded by tall pines, stood my mother. She was enveloped in a strange, blue-green light that came from nowhere. She smiled and nodded as if in approval of the love between Steve and me.
   Suddenly, form inside the lodge came a wild scream, so high-pitched as to be a shriek of plain terror. I looked back into the living room. Someone was on the gallery and the screaming was louder. I turned back. Where my mother had stood, bathed in the weird light, there was nothing but solid darkness.'

The Caldwell Shadow by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in September, 1973 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  This novel is credited exclusively to Norman Daniels.

   "My daughter has not uttered a word for four years. Someone, somehow, has to break whatever spell possesses her."
   Mr. Caldwell looked thin and drawn as he confided his desperation to Janelle Farrignton, R.N. The beautiful young psychiatric nurse was his last hope. She must try to save his daughter Nadine from the strange silence that had overcome her that dreadful day of her mother's death.
   Janelle looked gently at the distraught father. "Tell me," she asked, "what is her attitude toward you, sir?"
   "I would think," said Mr. Caldwell, "that if the proper opportunity arose, my daughter would kill me..."

This 2nd printing of The Man From Yesterday by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in September, 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

   "Don't go back to Rose House, Miss Sybil. The young man---"
   "Gibbs," I said as the housekeeper paused. "What about the young man?"
   "He died under the rock slide when he was four. His ghost continued to grow as if he was alive. He haunts that house 'cause he can't leave it."
   "That's absurd."
   "No, miss. I'm tellin' you; one of these days you'll find out. If he's blamed your mother for what happened twenty years ago, he'll blame you now, for there's no one else. Seeing him will mean your doom. He'll destroy you as he was destroyed!"
   I turned away from her. I could hardly tell her that I'd fallen in love with this... "ghost" who wanted to kill me.'

The Apollo Fountain by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in January, 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'Was this a dream, delirium---or a dire forecast of death?  She saw herself dressed as a shepherdess, her flaxen hair piled high, waiting to meet a secret admirer. She stood at the foot of a staircase where two fountains splashed in the quiet of the night. suddenly, from the garden's looming topiary shapes, a silken cord ringer her throat with death.  The vision was so vivid, so real! And it lingered after her fever left her. then, one day, she rode down a winding road and saw the formal garden spread out before her, and the nightmare began to come true...'

   "You know what you are," The woman screamed, "A witch!"
   "You'll put a curse on this town just as your mother did. Your aunt had to take you away. Now she's bringing you back. Why? To perpetrate more mischief by predictions which will bring grief and heartache on families who ask only that they be allowed to live in peace."
   This woman was rude and what she said was shocking, but was it the truth? If so, I had the right to know. The very thought was repugnant, yet I couldn't disregard everything this woman said. I'd seen both this woman and her daughter in my hallucination. I'd also seen myself lying dead at the foot of the Apollo statue. Was it a forewarning that this woman meant me harm and I must be on guard?'

This 2nd printing of The Dark Stage by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in August, 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'ANOTHER CURTAIN CALL FOR DEATH?  In this theater, Louise's father had died. From its stage, her mother had fled in the shadow of disgrace. Now Louise had come back to reopen The Charton Opera House and free the family name of the scandal. But the theater was haunted, the workmen said. Even Louise herself had been wakened in the dead of night to the sound of voices as ghostly figures performed a macabre Hamlet on the boards of THE DARK STAGE...'

Darkhaven by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'The secret history of Darkhaven lay buried in the awesome pink marble tomb of Leland Ward that stood on the grim mansion's wide front lawn. Why did visitors still lay garlands on the grave every Sunday? What made Leland Ward's beautiful wife give up her career as an actress to spend her life caring for the pink marble tomb? Why didn't death destroy Leland Ward's unearthly influence over everyone at Darkhaven? Beth Harrington had to know--and quickly. Someone in the shadowy vastness of that fearful place pursued her relentlessly. Was this hidden enemy readying another pink marble tomb--this time for her?'

The 3rd printing of House of False Faces by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio).  This novel has been determined to be a collaboration between Dorothy and Norman.

'From the moment she arrives at the grim Louisiana mansion, a happy bride, Nancy is plagued by a grim series of "accidents". And when she learns that the two previous Marston brides had met with horrible fates after attending Mardi Gras balls at the Manor, Nancy begins to fear for her life. But whom should she fear? Her mad sister-in-law? The ravishing neighbor who nurses a passion for Nancy's husband? Or her husband himself? Nancy must know before the Mardi Gras Ball whether to run for her life or stay to dance--with death!'

The 3rd printing of The Lily Pond by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in June 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'What evil waited for Laura Montville beneath the haunting loveliness of The Lily Pond.  Laura's return to Montville, her grim ancestral home, was not a joyful occasion. Her father was strange and cold and almost hostile to her. He had provided Laura with a woman companion who seemed more enemy than friend. Most frightening of all was the sinister mansion itself, hiding the secret of the death of Laura's mother many years ago at the exquisite lily pond on the estate.  Beset first by shadowy fears and then by open attacks on her life, Laura pursued the mystery. She dared trust no one, not even the man who had already won her heart. For her nights of terror at the lily pond had taught her that appearances were deceiving--and often deadly!'

This 2nd printing of Shadows of Tomorrow by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in September, 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'What is it like to be the daughter of a witch?" The childhood taunt comes back to haunt Cassie Taylor when she returns, after a long absence, to the ancestral mansion she has inherited following her mother's death. There she learns of the strange gift of prophecy her mother possessed. Feared and hated by the villagers who believe she has inherited her mother's powers, Cassie finds her life menaced in mysterious ways. Though she tries not to believe it, sudden and sinister events seem to prove that Cassie can indeed see into the future. But will this gift save her life--or condemn her to death as witch?'

This 3rd printing of The Tormented by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in July, 1974 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'A GHOST CALLED ME BACK TO THE PILLARS.  I returned, but not as mistress, to The Pillars, the Louisiana estate my family had owned. It had been sold to pay my father's debts, and the new owners had hired me as a governess. But the Beaumonts wanted more from me than tutoring and child care. They wanted me to banish the ghost that haunted the mansion, flung objects and shrilly screamed a name--my name. They wanted me to rid The Pillars of the specter they said was the ghost of my mother...'

   'Can Sharon learn the secret of the ghost who haunts the Pillars?
   Sharon Aldrich, forced to sell her old family home, The Pillars, after the death of her parents, moves to New Orleans. Two years later she finds herself back at The Pillars as governess to the younger daughter of the new owner, Craig Beaumont.
   Sharon soon learns that the Beaumonts wanted her services for another reason; The Pillars is haunted---by the ghost of Sharon's mother! And the Beaumonts believe that Sharon is the only one who can appease the restless spirit.
   Can Sharon reach her mother's spirit---and end the unearthly visitations? Or will the horror that has gripped the lovely old house destroy it?'

This 3rd printing of The Carson Inheritance by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in February, 1975 (cover art by Vic Prezio.)

'Will Ada Carson's twenty-first birthday be celebrated with a party--or mourned with a funeral? Finding a warning letter--in the handwriting of her dead mother--strikes terror in Ada's heart. Already suspicious that her stepfather and his two children were responsible for her mother's mysterious death, Ada now fears that some supernatural force menaces her own life in the huge mansion. The last of the Carson line, Ada is due to inherit control of the family fortune on her twenty-first birthday, just weeks away. She is frightened, for both her brothers died--accidentally and mysteriously--just days before they became twenty-one. Then her fear turns to terror when she finds a tombstone with her name on it and a date--her twenty-first birthday!'

Emerald Hill by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in January, 1975 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'WAS THE MENACE TRYING TO KILL NICOLE FANCHON A HUMAN OR A GHOST?  Cara Palmer was a disturbed child. That was why Nicole Fanchon had come to Emerald Hill--to care for her. On Nicole's first night in the house, Cara had crept close to her bed, holding a pair of scissors like a dagger. She hadn't struck... not then. But Nicole knew she was in danger. Could her real enemy be Cara, who claimed her dead mother visited her, spoke to her, warned her against Nicole? Was it the hostile housekeeper, who also claimed to see the dead woman? Or Cara's father, to whom Nicole was so quickly drawn? Or was the killer the ghost of the former mistress of Emerald Hill?'

The House on Circus Hill by Dorothy Daniels was published by Warner Paperback Library in 1975 (cover art by Vic Prezio).

'AT MY LIVELY CIRCUS PARTY, SOMEONE HAD ARRANGED FOR ME TO DIE... When I reached the little terrier, the star of the circus's dog act, he was dead. He had snatched food from the plate someone dressed as a clown had handed to me. Someone had tried to poison me, in my own house, at the annual party for the circus. Frozen with fear, I knelt beside him for a moment longer, my hand on his cold muzzle. A twig snapped in the underbrush nearby. No one knew I'd left the party to hunt for the dog in the woods. Had the killer stalked me here?'

I have not been able to match up a book or title with either of the two paintings seen above, but I'll keep trying until I do. Prezio kept producing paintings, especially gothics, right up until his death in 1976. I have a dozen more images of his gothic paperbacks that I could've posted (and there are at least a dozen more I know of that I don't have), but their clarity is less than ideal for viewing, so I didn't. I may still try to collect as many of his gothic paperbacks as are available for sale online in order to expand this post in the future, or better yet, create a sequel to it, so don't give up on me just yet. And anyway, there's plenty of his other genre paperback covers that are worth posting too. Which I hope to get to in time.

MIRRORING what I said earlier about an author, Vic Prezio was a positive force in the field of 20th century illustration, and a rare breed indeed for his strong productivity and remarkable skill at rendering realism.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

[© October, 2023, Jeffersen]