Classic Gothics Collection Series by Jennifer Blake, Patricia Maxwell

STRANGER AT PLANTATION INN: A Jennifer Blake Classic! Romantic gothic suspense set in the Deep South in the late 1800s. Lillian Newton isn't the only stranger at Plantation Inn. The heavy rains that had flooded the river and forced her to seek refuge at the old stage-stop had driven others to the sanctuary as well. At first, Lillian pays scant attention to the rest of the group... moreSTRANGER AT PLANTATION INN: A Jennifer Blake Classic! Romantic gothic suspense set in the Deep South in the late 1800s. Lillian Newton isn't the only stranger at Plantation Inn. The heavy rains that had flooded the river and forced her to seek refuge at the old stage-stop had driven others to the sanctuary as well. At first, Lillian pays scant attention to the rest of the group. Soon, however, rumors of an escaped killer -- an outlaw whose vicious deeds have terrorized the countryside -- spread a chill blanket of unease over the charming old house. Then inexplicable things begin to happen: the stalking shadow glimpsed through the trees, the cat whose throat has been cut, the mysterious crying of an infant... Lillian is suddenly suspicious of everyone. Especially the handsome young Frenchman, Jean Marsh, whose arrogant manner arouses a curious inner fury she can't define. The killer is one of them. Of that she's certain. But which one? And how long before he strikes again? less

Claire is too innocent to suspect that her marriage is a cruel farce, believing instead that the dangerous accidents that keep appearing in her path are just that?accidents. She wedded Justin Leroux suddenly and silently. He was the tall dark stranger of her girlhood dreams, and had finally come to take her away. She returns with him to Sans Songe, the Leroux family plantation in Louisiana. A near-fatal accident on the road to the plantation does not bode well for her future there... moreClaire is too innocent to suspect that her marriage is a cruel farce, believing instead that the dangerous accidents that keep appearing in her path are just that?accidents. She wedded Justin Leroux suddenly and silently. He was the tall dark stranger of her girlhood dreams, and had finally come to take her away. She returns with him to Sans Songe, the Leroux family plantation in Louisiana. A near-fatal accident on the road to the plantation does not bode well for her future there. And indeed, many nasty surprises await her at the plantation itself. Voodoo magic, poisoned food, and a murder mystery force Claire into a stalemate. She is helpless within the bosom of her frigid and isolating new family, while her husband has yet to come to her bed. He may even be hoping for her destruction, as she is drawn into an ever more tangled web of passion and intrigue... less

For the sake of her nephew, Elizabeth has assumed the identity of her dead sister Ellen Marie. She arrives at the grand Louisiana plantation of Ellen Marie's late husband, wearing the traditional black widow's weeds and carrying her infant nephew, Joseph. She is determined that the boy will reach maturity and inherit his rightful fortune. Luckily, the family at Oak Shade does not suspect that they are harboring an imposter in their midst... moreFor the sake of her nephew, Elizabeth has assumed the identity of her dead sister Ellen Marie. She arrives at the grand Louisiana plantation of Ellen Marie's late husband, wearing the traditional black widow's weeds and carrying her infant nephew, Joseph. She is determined that the boy will reach maturity and inherit his rightful fortune. Luckily, the family at Oak Shade does not suspect that they are harboring an imposter in their midst. However, they are less than welcoming, treating her with frosty politeness. More disturbing are the unusual accidents that seem to be following in her wake, as if planned for her. And now, the dark creole Bernard Delacroix seems to be seeing through her assumed persona, right into her soul. What he also sees is that the "widow" is desperate for his attentions. less

Amelia's dreams of a loving family shatter when she arrives at Mirror House, a home haunted by the past. Struggling to unearth the secrets of her family, Amelia's safety is in a mysterious man's embrace.

PRIDE BEFORE A FALL Lovely Margaret Steward is a proud and spirited young lady--too proud to accept the unwilling hospitality of her only living relative. But in strait-laced New Orleans early in the 19th century, there were few means for a respectable young woman to make her own way in the world--which is why Margaret comes as governess to the forbidding Villars mansion. Given into her charge is a child seemingly possessed by satanic evil... morePRIDE BEFORE A FALL Lovely Margaret Steward is a proud and spirited young lady--too proud to accept the unwilling hospitality of her only living relative. But in strait-laced New Orleans early in the 19th century, there were few means for a respectable young woman to make her own way in the world--which is why Margaret comes as governess to the forbidding Villars mansion. Given into her charge is a child seemingly possessed by satanic evil. Invading her dreams is the darkly handsome, fierce-tempered man who employs her. And closing in on her are hate and fear and mystery, as the dark abyss of a sinister past opens to receive her. less

Shortly after the end of the Civil War, lovely Amanda Trent arrives at her cousin's Louisiana plantation to find Amelia dead by mysterious circumstances. Amelia's widower, Jason Monteigne, harbors a darkness in his heart. But Jason isn't the only one on the war-torn grounds with secrets. When inexplicable things start to happen, Amanda fears the home is haunted and that she's being guided from beyond into a dead woman's life, a dead woman's romance -- and, quite possibly, a dead woman's grave... moreShortly after the end of the Civil War, lovely Amanda Trent arrives at her cousin's Louisiana plantation to find Amelia dead by mysterious circumstances. Amelia's widower, Jason Monteigne, harbors a darkness in his heart. But Jason isn't the only one on the war-torn grounds with secrets. When inexplicable things start to happen, Amanda fears the home is haunted and that she's being guided from beyond into a dead woman's life, a dead woman's romance -- and, quite possibly, a dead woman's grave... Ensnared in a web of mystery, passion and hidden desire, Amanda vows to unravel the truth about her cousin's death, and to discover what it is that haunts Jason's every waking moment. less

A young girl has been murdered, her body in perpetual slumber among the surrounding trees. The act seems random and unexplainable. Explain the dead lizard impaled on her pillow as a warning. Anne Tarrington is an up and coming hotshot journalist who's never seen anything like it. Not yet. She's about to see more than she bargained for, more than even her inquiring mind can fathom... moreA young girl has been murdered, her body in perpetual slumber among the surrounding trees. The act seems random and unexplainable. Explain the dead lizard impaled on her pillow as a warning. Anne Tarrington is an up and coming hotshot journalist who's never seen anything like it. Not yet. She's about to see more than she bargained for, more than even her inquiring mind can fathom. Hot on the trail of the killer, she follows a path of Voodoo mysticism and witchery to a solemn Louisiana plantation where suddenly all hell breaks loose. Someone is channeling the forces of evil, but who? Could it be Nico, the obtuse Greek poet? Maybe Lena, with her expertise in the ways of Voodoo? Even Miranda, Anne's old friend who has had her soul mangled by a horrendous past? Perhaps it's Steven with his dark evil eyes that seem to will Anne into forbidden acts? Just when the forces of darkness seem ready to overtake Anne in her quest for the truth, the mysterious ritual of Indian Mound enables her to find the answers, but only by confronting the heart of Evil itself! less