The Salem Branch (Dark Shadows) (Paperback)

by Lara Parker (Author) "THE BENTLEY THROBBED down the dark road through a long corridor of overhanging trees..." (more)
Key Phrases: Judah Zachery, Miranda du Val, Amadeus Collins (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Parker continues a series based on the hit 1960s and 1970s supernatural soap opera, Dark Shadows, in which she costarred as the witch Angelique, heroine of the series opener, Angelique's Descent (1998), and erstwhile lover and foe of vampire Barnabas Collins. When this novel opens, Barnabas has been cured of his vampirism by his fiancee, Dr. Julia Hoffman, but feels like a shadow of his former self. His cousin Roger has sold the remains of the family estate, the Old House, to a woman named Antoinette, who so resembles Angelique that Barnabas is drawn to her. On a late night visit to the Old House, Barnabas discovers a fatally wounded workman, clearly the victim of a vampire attack. Barnabas insinuates himself into Antoinette's life to protect her and the hippies she allows to camp out on the property from the seeming threat. In the process, he discovers a shocking link between his family and Antoinette's. Fans of the show will find much to love in this yarn steeped in its mythology. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

In Dark Shadows: The Salem Branch Barnabas Collins, the vampire hero of the series, has recently become a human again through the efforts of his devoted descendent Dr. Julia Hoffman and is living in current day Collinsport, Maine trying to adjust to normal life. Although engaged to marry Dr. Hoffman, he falls in love with a mysterious woman named Antoinette who has bought the ruins of “the old house” on the Collins estate and is restoring it while living with a band of hippies in the woods. Antoinette settled in the area because her daughter is being treated in a nearby mental hospital. Her daughter suffers from flashbacks to her previous incarnation as Miranda du Val who was burned as a witch in the Salem witch trials. One of the judges who condemned her to death was a Collins—Barnabas’s ancestor. Barnabas is desperate to win Antoinette’s love and to protect her and her daughter from the new vampire that he suspects is attacking the inhabitants of Collinsport.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (July 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765304570
• ISBN-13: 978-0765304575
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #325,698 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Silly, September 25, 2006

By	C. hoffman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Barnabas dropping acid and getting high from pot laden brownies, come on! I am a hugh DS fan but this was just too off character for me.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hoping for better..., June 5, 2007

By	Howard Hopkins "Author of Night Demons & The... (Old Orchard Beach, ME USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While I am a huge Dark Shadows (both old and revival) and Lara Parker fan I had a tough time getting through this novel. Her writing style is often poetic and splendid (no denying her vast talent), but for someone who lived the show I found the portrayal of Barnabas and the other denizens of Collinsport markedly skewed. The entire plotline seemed weak compared to some of the excellent arcs on the show and her previous DS novel. A big diappointment for me. But taste is subjective, so other DS fans may enjoy it more.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your usual "My name is Victoria Winters" DS fare, June 2, 2007

By	Stephen Richmond "Librarian/Teacher/Reader an... (Newton, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A great read from Angelique herself. Lara Parker is becoming a stronger novelist in this her second novel. While at times her pacing and chronology seem a tad awkward and clunky, her prose is vivid, alive with all the passion and eroticism you'd expect from the woman who played Angelique in her various incarnations. The use of the early '70s Love Children is so fun and so right for this milieu. Barnabas the Human is still as charming; in fact, moreso as he struggles to deal with human limitations. The maturing of David Collins is also handled with sensitivity and humor, minding all that he's been through at so young an age. It's just a delight to encounter all these beloved characters again. This book could serve as an introduction to the world of DS including the DVD collections of the shows, all the Marilyn Ross novels, the comics, Lara Parker's first novel, ANGELIQUE'S DESCENT, and Rainey and Massie's DREAMS OF THE DARK. Fans of course, already know all that and this will just be a new pleasure.