Part of this past weekend was spent writing a new Dusty Bookcase column for the next issue of Canadian Notes & Queries. This time out I'm reviewing a book by W.E.D. Ross, Canada's most prolific novelist. The man is known to have written at least 358 novels, most of which were published under pseudonyms like Rose Dana, Rose Williams, Ruth Dorset, Olin Ross, and Jane Rossiter. As "Marilyn Ross" he penned thirty-two Dark Shadows tie-ins, including:
The book I reviewed for CNQ is not Barabas, Quentin and Dr. Jekyll's Son, but it is one of W.E.D. Ross novels below.
In the spirit of the season, I'm giving away a copy of my new book, The Dusty Bookcase, to a lucky person who guesses correctly the title that is the subject of my next column. Send me the title via email – the address is in my Blogger profile – and, if correct, I'll enter your name in a draw. The contest closes Sunday at midnight. The winner will be announced next Monday.
Bon chance!
Related posts:
Yet again I learn something new. I have a stack of Marilyn Ross/ Dark Shadows novels. I never realised that they were written by a Canadian.
ReplyDeleteI regret that I discovered the fact too late. Those Dark Shadows books were always on display at the United Cigar Stores of my youth.
DeleteI'm tempted to say LUST PLANET, but I think you put that in as a red herring. I'll go with ARCTIC NURSE...possibly set in the Northwest Territories?
ReplyDeleteArctic Nurse isn't the one, John, though your reasoning makes perfect sense. Ross also wrote a novel titled Down East Nurse. I know nothing about it, but like to think the setting is Cape Breton.
DeleteCare to try again? If so, email me your guess.
Well I'll go sit in the corner for not following instructions, then after my penance I'll send you my second guess. Thanks for indulging me.
ReplyDeleteBrian, this is too easy: it's a trick question. The first sentence will read, "I was going to review "____ Nurse for this month's CNQ, but decided, after two dreary pages, to reread some Grant Allen instead." Then, in 800 words of astute commentary to follow, there is one cryptic reference to "Bilingual Today, French Tomorrow" followed a Glassco-inspired limerick about Ezra Levant.
ReplyDeleteDo I win?
Would that you were right, James, but I'm not so clever. That said, I do wish I'd read Allen instead of Ross.
Delete