| Lara Parker did a wonderful job portraying the | | | | visits her house and discovers a workman who |
| witch Angelique on the gothic soap opera "Dark | | | | has been the victim of a vampire attack |
| Shadows," but she's also an accomplished writer. | | | | Barnabas takes it on himself to protect her and |
| This is the second book in her series. | | | | the group of hippies she allows to live on her land. |
| Dark Shadows: The Salem Branch brings back all | | | | He finds it difficult to help them in his human form |
| the characters fans grew to love when the show | | | | and he laments the loss of his power. |
| ran in the sixties and seventies. Parker captures | | | | Parker laces her story with supernatural elements, |
| their essence with well written prose. It should | | | | witchcraft, time travel, romance and betrayal. She |
| satisfy those who thirst for more tales of the | | | | does a credible job alternating between 1971 and |
| vampire Barnabas. The book can also be enjoyed | | | | 1692. The scenes of witchcraft and references to |
| by those who are not familiar with the show but | | | | the trials in Salem are well researched. Her |
| enjoy paranormal stories. | | | | characterization is good. Readers see Barnabas' |
| After years of trying to rid himself of his curse, | | | | struggles from his viewpoint as he tries to deal |
| vampire Barnabas Collins is cured by the family | | | | with being human and missing his immortality. |
| physician, Dr. Julia Hoffman. He's residing in | | | | While the writing is vivid and descriptive, I found |
| Collinsport, Maine and trying to live a normal life as | | | | the plot sometimes weak and implausible, |
| a human, and enjoy his engagement to Julia. | | | | especially the scenes dealing with the hippies. |
| A strange woman, Antoinette, buys the old Collins | | | | Barnabas getting high was a bit off character for |
| house and begins to restore it. She moved to | | | | me to believe. And I didn't feel the mystery and |
| town to be near her daughter, Jacqueline, who is | | | | gothic atmosphere of the TV show. Despite its |
| in a nearby psychiatric hospital, suffering | | | | flaws it's an entertaining read, especially for fans |
| flashbacks of a previous life as Miranda du Val, a | | | | of the TV show "Dark Shadows." |
| witch, burned at the stake in Salem. | | | | Publisher: Tor Books (July 2006) |
| Antoinette looks like Angelique, the spurned witch | | | | ISBN: 978-0765304575 |
| who cursed Barnabas and made him a vampire, | | | | Pages: 288 |
| and yet he's attracted to her. He finds unsettling | | | | Price: $13. |
| connections between her and his family. When he | | | | |