Mary Linn Roby: And Die Remembering

Mary Linn Roby book, And Die Remembering, is a gothic romance published in June 1972 by Signet. This author wrote under other names and published regencies and gothics under this name.

Claudia came to visit an old college friend, but soon finds the mansion scary as a domestic drama escalates into hatred and murder.

Allan Kass creates a sufficiently spooky cover with our heroine arms up against the danger while we note a dark mansion in the background. This is the first of nine gothic books by this author illustrated by Kass.

Madeleine Robins: Althea

Althea was published by Fawcett in 1977. Madeleine Robins wrote a few other stories for Fawcett but this one is about Althea who is excited to experience her first London season and to fall in love with Edward Pendarly until Sir Tracy Calendar comes into her life!

Allan Kass gives us a picture of our couple sitting in a curricle about to go on a ride. It's a fine day and our heroine is pretty in a golden gown while the hero wears a red jacket. It looks like the beginning of a romance!

Frank Robertson: Wanted: Dead or Alive

Wanted: Dead or Alive was published by Signet with no definite publication date. Robertson writes a story about Josh Randall, who is hunting down kidnappers and murderers.

This is another rare Western illustrated by Allan Kass. What's interesting about this cover is the lack of any detail except the hero. Kass shows us a cowboy in typical western clothing carrying a gun. Our hero is weather beaten, but handsome in a rugged way. Note Kass's signature near the leg.

Janet Louise Roberts: The Dornstein Icon

Avon books gives us a Gothic romance by Janet Louise Roberts. Published in June 1973, it is the story of Caroline, an art expert who travels to Austria to help Rudolf von Dornstein determine if his icon is valuable.

Allan Kass illustrated about 30-40 gothic romances and they are fun to see, though he didn't do much work for Avon, as far as I know. This book has our heroine running down the hallway of a stone building. I like the detail in the stained glass window along with the archway. Note Allan's signature gold jewelry on this heroine! Enjoy!

Evelyn Richardson: The Willful Widow

The Willful Widow by Evelyn Richardson was published in January 1994. Diana Hatherill was a widow who had no desire to remarry and none tempted her until Lord Justin St Clair burst onto the scene with the intention to seduce her!

Allan Kass shows our couple at a masquerade and it's fun to see the different costumes and their detail. Our hero's costume seems a bit risque and the heroine's pretty. I really like the Elizabethan lady in the background. Masquerades were not unusual and sometimes people just wore a long cloak, or domino, over their evening clothes along with a mask.

Evelyn Richardson: My Wayward Lady

My Wayward Lady was published in August 1997 by Signet and is the story of Harriet Fareham who was determined to help a girl she knows who works in a brothel even at the peril of her own engagement.

Allan Kass creates a country setting for this cover with our couple on horseback. They ride in a grassy area near a stream and seem to be enjoying themselves as they talk together. Allan not only is correct in his depictions of people but also of animals. I appreciate how he draws to scale so that both look natural.

Evelyn Richardson: The Reluctant Heiress

The Reluctant Heiress by Evelyn Richardson was published in May 1996 and is the story of Lady Sarah Melford who became an heiress and now had a lot of masculine attention and had to weed out the fortune hunters in order to find true love.

Allan Kass gives us a sweet cover of our couple. I like that the hero has a genuine smile on his face as he looks at the heroine. She has been writing as evidenced by the quill feathers and paper on the desk behind. It's a charming picture which shows the love between them.

Evelyn Richardson: Miss Cresswell's London Triumph

October 1990 is the publication date of Miss Cresswell's London Triumph by author Evelyn Richardson. She wrote other books for Signet under this series.

Cassandra Cresswell was content to be a bluestocking until the beautiful Miss Taylor stole away the one man she loved.

Allan Kass shows our couple at a ball where they are stealing a moment away from the gaiety. They could almost be dancing. I like the contrast of her pink gown with the black and gray of the hero. Notice Allan's unusual signature in the base of the figurine behind them.

Evelyn Richardson: Lady Alex's Gamble

Lady Alex's Gamble by Evelyn Richardson was published by Signet in February 1995. A gambler was taking the ton by storm but no one guessed that this was Alexandra de Montmorency in disguise trying to save her family's inheritance until Lord Wrotham got too close for comfort!

Allan Kass brings us back to the regency with this cover! He illustrates our couple in an embrace and our heroine is very feminine in a purple riding habit with her hat discarded behind. The hero is in dark green, which is a color Kass doesn't use much but makes his coat and waistcoat stand out. This room seems like a 1800's version of a man cave with a comfortable couch and deer head trophy on the wall.

Patricia Rice: Mad Maria's Daughter

Patricia Rice is a well known historical author and she wrote a few books for Signet. Mad Maria's Daughter was published in April 1992. Daphne Templeton encounters a highwayman on her way to her aunt's house that keeps her from accepting any other offer of marriage!

Allan Kass illustrates an interesting scene here with our hero highwayman holding up the carriage where we assume the heroine had been traveling inside! Her coat of blue is exquisite and her bonnet is a perfect match. We get a glimpse of a peach dress underneath. The hero is casually dressed and brandishes a long pistol. Note the detail of the carriage, horses, and driver behind.

Elizabeth Renier: The Moving Dream

The Moving Dream by Elizabeth Renier was published by Fawcett in 1977. Veronica Danby was a young widow and not looking to remarry until she met Adrian Fullerton, a childhood friend whose heart is heavy with the memory of a lost love.

Allan Kass gives us an action pose for this cover. We see the hero rescuing the heroine from an overturned carriage. He carries her from the accident and her hair and skirts give us the feel of motion and movement. Again Kass uses autumnal colors for the clothing and landscape.

Elizabeth Renier: Landscape of the Heart

Landscape of the Heart by Elizabeth Renier was published by Fawcett in 1978. Jennifer Haslam went home to Dartmoor after 2 years in London to find a lot of changes but the biggest being the new American who inherited and enclosed a lot of the moor land. How could she be attracted to someone who stood against everything she believed in? Renier wrote other books but has only one other illustrated by Kass.

Allan Kass illustrates our couple while out riding. Our heroine wears a simple, yet elegant green riding habit while our hero is autumnal in brown. I like her white blouse sleeves protruding from her habit's sleeves. They seem enchanted with each other and we hope for a happy ending.

Claire Rayner: Bedford Row

Switching gears, we come to Claire Rayner's Bedford Row. Published by Signet in August 1979, it is the story of Martha Lackland who left England for the Crimea and worked with the camp followers of the army and how she found love in that war torn land.

Allan Kass created a few Victorian covers and they are always a treat to view. I especially like this one because it is bright and cheery with our couple standing near a park. The heroine's ornate blue gown is edged with lace and tiers most becomingly. Her hair is swept close to her head and she carries a straw hat. The hero is plainly dressed in black but also elegant. It's almost as if he's telling her not to go away.

William MacLeod Raine: Sons of the Saddle

Sons of the Saddle by William MacLeod Raine was published by Signet around 1980. This is a reprint about Gord Stone who was gunning for the cattle king who had framed him.

This is my favorite western cover by Allan Kass. The colors are simply gorgeous as we see the hero descending the mountain on his white horse. I like how Allan uses the whole cover as a frame for the cowboy with the distant mountains and the nearby creek. I just wish my copy was in better shape. Click to enlarge.

William MacLeod Raine: The Six-Gun Kid

William MacLeod Raine's The Six-Gun Kid was published by Signet around 1980. It's a reprint from 1952 about Randy Sloan whose feud with land hungry Anse Cottrell turned into all out vengeance.

Allan Kass shows our hero as determined as he stands on a cliff edge with his guns. Note his signature under the hero's foot. Though not as detailed as his regency covers, note the tree behind him and the greenery as well as the rock formations. Allan really enjoyed creating these covers of a land that he loved.

William MacLeod Raine: Powdersmoke Feud and Clattering Hoofs

Next up in our line of Allan Kass covers is a double story by William MacLeod Raine, a western author. Signet published this book in February 1980. Powdersmoke Feud is about a man on the run and Clattering Hoofs is about a man wrongly accused of murder.

Allan Kass illustrated both photos. He told me in a letter that he was surprised not to have more western covers since he lived in Montana! Powdersmoke Feud shows the hero alone against the elements. It's a calm, quiet cover while Clattering Hoofs shows a group of cowboys riding to possibly find our hero. We can almost see the horses moving and stirring up dust. Kass did a few westerns, so it's a treat to find them. If you know of others, please leave a comment.

Mary Jo Putney: The Would-Be Widow

July 1988 is the publication date for The Would-Be Widow by Mary Jo Putney. Jocelyn Kendal needed to marry in order not to lose a legacy, but when the duke she loved wouldn't marry, she struck a bargain with a dying man. This book by Putney is a prequel to The Controversial Countess.

Allan Kass creates a elegant lady and dashing military hero for the cover of this book. She has a pensive look as she arranges the flowers and he seems to be reassuring her. Note the line of miniatures paintings behind them which are probably family members.

Mary Jo Putney: The Rogue and the Runaway

The Rogue and the Runaway was published by Signet in July 1990 for author Mary Jo Putney. Maxima Collins, an American, was unused to the rigid rules of London and ran away from it all--straight into the arms of Lord Robert Andreville! This book has characters from A Controversial Countess.

Allan Kass gives us a heroine who we know at first glance doesn't fit into regency society by her Indian looking looks, dark straight hair, and turquoise jewelry. The hero is as opposite her as can be and Kass gives us that difference subtly while showing them standing in a library of a great house.  

Mary Jo Putney: The Controversial Countess

The Controversial Countess was published by Signet in January 1989. Mary Jo Putney writes a story about Countess Magda Janos who is the toast of Paris but compelled by the Duke of Candover to pretend to be his mistress in a game of intrigue.

Allan Kass illustrates a romantic cover of our couple. She looks as if she's about to move away from him and not quite sure of his motives. The hero is silently strong as he detains the heroine. There is a definite air of mystery in this portrait.