The Devil's Mansion

Robert Burkhardt and his wife Eve authored stories and novels in the early 20th century. Jointly, they used pseudonyms like Adam Bliss, Rob Eden, and Rex Jardin to pen mysteries and crime fiction. Originally, Robert worked as a Hollywood publicist and a newspaper columnist before becoming a full-time novelist with his wife. At least four of their novels were adapted into film adaptations in the 1930s. My only experience with the authors is The Devil's Mansion, originally published in 1931 by Walter J. Black. My version is the 1966 Paperback Library reprint, which oddly mentions nothing about the earlier publication. The cover art is by George Ziel.

In the opening chapter, a man named Rodman is driving his roadster through a violent storm in the Western Canadian Rockies. He was misdirected out of Montrose on his way to a meeting and became stranded in a ditch when his car skidded out of control. This is the perfect setup for Rodman to find an old Victorian-style mansion in the woods. 

Walking up to the front door, Rodman is met by a mute woman who urgently insists that Rodman immediately leave. But the poor weather conditions provoke Rodman to barge through the front door, a poor choice compromised by a vicious attack dog and a strange old woman wearing a live chameleon around her neck. Despite Rodman's best attempts to seek shelter for the night, the old woman and dog force Rodman back into the harsh conditions. He eventually meets up with a mechanic, and they rescue his car. Due to the damages Rodman is stuck in this weird little town for a few days. 

Switching gears, Rodman and the mechanic help a young woman named Janet. She's just been hired by the old woman to stay in the mansion as a caretaker. Rodman, based on his fears of the old woman and dog, urges Janet to return to the bus stop and forget this mansion ever existed. But she's vigilant and wants to work, so Rodman and the mechanic give her a lift to the mansion. On the way over, the mechanic informs Janet of the mysterious history of the mansion and the former resident. Apparently, a young woman went missing there a few months before Janet's arrival.

The bulk of the book takes place from the perspective of Janet. We are privy to her thoughts and actions as she adjusts to her new life in this terrible place. The old woman instructs Janet that she's now a prisoner in the home. She can never leave, an order reinforced by the killer Cujo-like hound of Hell. The mute woman helps Janet with some cautionary advice and explains that she is a prisoner as well. But who's the warden? It's hinted throughout – and the book's title – that Satan himself lives within the mansion. When Janet tries to explore – limited by the dog – she hears voices coming from various rooms, macabre piano music at night, and a woman's face peering out of an attic window.

Needless to say, The Devil's Mansion is downright spooky and unsettling. Despite its 1931 original publication, the authors take some liberties with descriptions of violent altercations in the home, possible incest, and some chilling domestic abuse that recalled the best of V.C. Andrews. For 160 pages, this novel may have been the best gothic-suspense book I've ever read. Then we receive the grand reveal from the authors, the identity of who – or what – is ruling this terrifying structure. I guess that the writers simply ran out of time, had to meet a deadline, and came up with one of the laziest, most uninspired reveals in fiction history. I couldn't believe how this book ended. For that very reason, I can't recommend reading this. Color me extremely disappointed.