It's actually a bit strange how I looked forward to
reading this book when it showed up in a package the
other day. I mean I have only seen the movie version
which was OK (I would love to see a non-Tim-Burton
DARK SHADOW movie) and I have never seen the TV series. But, I
do know some about the history of the TV series (thanks
to the internet) and that wonderful cover intrigued me
not to mention the description of the book. I have a
thing for time-slips and here we have a woman that has
traveled not once, but twice back in time.
In the beginning of the book is Victoria Winters trapped
in the past, with a man she loves, but with a life that
she has realized is not for her. But, tragic
circumstances will soon return her to her own timeline
and there she has to deal with the mystery of the missing
Collins family. They have simply vanished, but Elizabeth
Collins has willed the house to Victoria if she can prove
her identity. Or else will it be sold and condos will be
built on the land. But, she discovers that there is one
Collins left, Barnabas. Will he help her with her quest
of finding the rest of the family and will she discover
the truth about her identity?
One thing I reflected over when I read the book was how
Lara Parker managed to
tell the reader about the Collins family by making
Victoria search for her past. Doing so offers new readers a
better understanding of the family, but it doesn't
feel like an information dump since it's Victoria way of
trying to find a way to prove her identity. That means
that new readers -- or readers that need to brush up their
knowledge -- can read this book without any problems. I
really liked that, it made reading the book so much
easier despite not having seen the TV series.
HEIRESS OF COLLINWOOD is an intriguing book, a
real page-turner as I discovered when I tried to close
the book last night, but kept on reading an hour more.
The story may not be that mysterious, it was pretty easy
to figure out who is good and who is bad, and I was not
surprised by the revelation of what had happened with the
Collins family. However, the book was enthralling to
read. It pulls the reader in and doesn't let go until the
book is finished. I hope more books will be published
because I quite liked this one!
Dark Shadows: Heiress of Collinwood is the continuing the
story of the classic TV show, Dark Shadows by series star,
Lara Parker.
“My name is Victoria Winters, and my journey continues . . . .”
An orphan with no knowledge of her origins, Victoria Winters
first came to the great house of Collinwood as a Governess.
It didn’t take long for the Collins family’s many buried
secrets, haunted history, and rivalries with evil forces to
catch up to Victoria and cast the newcomer adrift in time,
trapped between life and death.
At last returned to the present, Victoria is called back to
Collinwood by a mysterious letter. Hoping to fill in the
gaps of her memories by meeting with the people who knew her
best, Victoria returns to the aging mansion. However, she
soon discovers that the entire Collins family is
missing—except for Barnabas Collins, a vampire whose own
dark curse is well known. Victoria discovers that she has
been named sole heir to the estate, if only she can prove
her own identity.
Beset by danger and dire warnings, Victoria must discover
what dread fate has befallen Collinwood, even as she finally
uncovers a shocking truth long hidden in the shadows . . .