Caroline Farr: The Towers of Fear

The Towers of Fear, written by Caroline Farr and illustrated by Allan Kass, was published by Signet for its gothic romance line in August 1972. Ali Cavanagh arrives at Storm Towers to visit her college friend, Joan. She soon realizes that a web of mystery surround Joan and her family and she doesn't know who to trust.

Allan Kass illustrates our heroine with a backdrop of a splashing wave and the ominous mansion behind her. She wears a pink coat thrown over her shoulders while she waits in the twilight. Note Allan's signature in the lower right corner.

Caroline Farr: Terror on Duncan Island

Terror on Duncan Island was published in May 1971. Lisa Duncan returns from the big city to her family's island, hoping for peace but she finds herself caught up in the mystery of strangers living there who have brought evil to the island.

Allan Kass shows our heroine running through the tall grass fleeing the fog enshrouded house on the cliff. She wears a cute olive skirt and brown blouse that would be stylish even today! Her clothing echoes the colors of the outdoors. What's most noticeable about this is her bracelets hanging on her right wrist!

Caroline Farr: Secret at Ravenswood

Caroline Farr wrote Secret at Ravenswood in April 1980. Alicia Baker has journeyed to Ravenswood, an English Manor house, to catalog a valuable collection of manuscripts. Ravenswood is reputably haunted by the Black Baron and Alicia believes now that it may be true!

Allan Kass shows our heroine outside in front of the house. The sky is darkening and our heroine seems to be leaving the property. I like her medieval trimmed gown of pink and her pretty bracelets! In an article written for a magazine, Allan Kass stated that he took yearly vacations to England to photograph the outside and inside of period houses to have as input for his work.

Caroline Farr: The Scream in the Storm

The Scream in the Storm is next in our gothic romances by Caroline Farr. November 1975 is the publication date and Gwenefa Carnarvon travels to Fiddler's Tower as secretary to author Margrath Manan. She soon realizes that there is danger that threatens her as a long ago Gwenefa drowned at Fiddler's Tower!

Allan Kass illustrates our heroine climbing down stone stairs as she flees the tower. She wears a white gown with a cream colored coat over it. We see her pause in mid-step as she leaves the area. The sky behind the tower almost has a wood grain look to it! I do like how all the colors are harmonious in this picture.

Caroline Farr: Mansion of Menace

Mansion of Menace was published in June 1976 by Signet for Caroline Farr. Irene Demar arrives at a premier art school in Cimaroon. The mansion which houses the art school is interesting until mysterious things begin to happen and Irene feels herself to be in danger!

Allan Kass does a great job illustrating this gothic novel. Our heroine is wearing a very 1970's halter top dress while escaping the building behind her while the waves crash along the shore and the dark clouds move in. I like her curly hair, which is a departure for Allan!

Caroline Farr: House of Valhalla

House of Valhalla was published in July 1978 by Signet for Caroline Farr. Valhalla is the home of Johann Richter, an old man writing his autobiography. Lorna Mitchell arrives to help translate it but there are people who are trying to stop the publication of his work at any cost!

Allan Kass shows our heroine fleeing a mansion in a snowy setting off the coast of Maine. She is fashionably dressed in a brown cape and sensible boots with an sweater and skirt outfit underneath. I like the touches of jewelry and belt Allan gives her. We get a feel of impending doom and snow with the total bluish white of the background. Enjoy!!

Caroline Farr: House of Treachery

House of Treachery was published by Signet in February 1977. Kirsten Willard is drawn back to Quilty, her grandfathers home, to his dying bedside. She is terrified of the evil which seems to claim new victims of her family and is getting closer to her!

Allan Kass illustrates our cover with our heroine fleeing the home near the sea. I like the lighthouse in the background, which may be part of the house or just on the land. Our Kass heroine wears a robe which looks as if it's been thrown on in order to flee. I like the waves crashing behind her on the shore. Click on picture to enlarge.

Caroline Farr: House of Secrets

House of Secrets was published by Signet in February 1973. Leonie Glendenning finds out that she is an heiress to Inverness, the stone house were her mother still lives and can she figure out the mysterious circumstances of her father's death?

Allan Kass illustrates our heroine standing dangerously close to water while she flees the house on the cliff. Note her gold bracelet which is a Kass element! It looks as if she's trying to move carefully over rough and steep terrain. I almost think the cover has a cluttered feel, which is unusual for Allan's work.

Caroline Farr: The House of Landsdown

The House of Landsdown was published by Signet in November 1977 for Caroline Farr. Sally Lane saw the demon that lived at Landsdown who swore to kill her if she told what she saw. Could anyone in the house, her employer or his handsome nephew, save her?

Allan Kass illustrates one of my favorite gothic covers with this book! I love the auburn haired heroine in her purple gown or robe as she runs from the haunted house behind. She wears Kass's traditional gold jewelry: hoop earrings and a gold bangle bracelet!
Again, the touches of fog and cliff show why Allan was a great cover art illustrator! Enjoy!!

Caroline Farr: House of Dark Illusions

August 1973 saw the publication of House of Dark Illusions by Caroline Farr. Megan Marshall visits her aunt at the House of Ferrari, her mother's family mansion. She senses evil as her aunt begins acting strangely and feels as if the house holds a dark secret.

Allan Kass shows our heroine fleeing the house on the cliff. She wears a purple dress that contrasts with the green of the sea. Her necklace, swinging as she climbs, is a Kass feature! What captures me is the contrast of light because the longer you stare at this cover, it seems to be getting lighter, like the sun is rising!

Caroline Farr: Heiress to Corsair Keep

March 1978 was the publication date of Heiress to Corsair Keep by Caroline Farr. Elizabeth Lagrange returns to the castle where she had almost died in a fire as a child. Now that she has inherited, she plans to live in this tropical paradise until an ancient evil threatens her.

Allan Kass creates an interesting image for this cover. We see the spooky castle set on an island with the palm trees in the distance. Our heroine is fleeing wearing a pink evening gown. Note her bracelets---a Kass touch! Somehow I don't think you'd see a Gothic castle on the shores of a Caribbean island, but isn't imagination a great thing?

Caroline Farr: Dark Mansion

Dark Mansion by Caroline Farr was published in February 1974 by Signet. Tracey visits Castle Glamis to live with relatives and realizes that someone wants her dead. Even the town's doctor, Peter McDonald thinks that what's happening is no accident!

This is a different cover by Allan Kass. In fact, except for the signature, I don't know if I would have caught it. His sense of motion with our heroine running is spot on, but I'm so accustomed to seeing his characters face forward, that it makes this pose highly unusual. We see the heroine running from the distant castle in either a twilight or sunrise. The red and pink make nice variations in the water and sand.