The House of Last Resort
A Novel
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3.5 • 29 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The next high concept horror novel from New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden.
Across Italy there are many half-empty towns, nearly abandoned by those who migrate to the coast or to cities. The beautiful, crumbling hilltop town of Becchina is among them, but its mayor has taken drastic measures to rebuild—selling abandoned homes to anyone in the world for a single Euro, as long as the buyer promises to live there for at least five years.
It’s a no-brainer for American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi. Both work remotely, and Becchina is the home of Tommy’s grandparents, his closest living relatives. It feels like a romantic adventure, an opportunity the young couple would be crazy not to seize. But from the moment they move in, they both feel a shadow has fallen on them. Tommy’s grandmother is furious, even a little frightened, when she realizes which house they’ve bought.
There are rooms in an annex at the back of the house that they didn’t know were there. The place makes strange noises at night, locked doors are suddenly open, and when they go to a family gathering, they’re certain people are whispering about them, and about their house, which one neighbor refers to as The House of Last Resort. Soon, they learn that the home was owned for generations by the Church, but the real secret, and the true dread, is unlocked when they finally learn what the priests were doing in this house for all those long years…and how many people died in the strange chapel inside. While down in the catacombs beneath Becchina…something stirs.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Golden (All Hallows) returns to top form in this creative haunted-house thriller set in the small Sicilian town of Becchina. A municipal initiative to attract new blood to what has begun to resemble a ghost town offers newcomers the property of their choice in exchange for a single euro and a promise that they will spend money on renovations and stay for at least five years. Among the first to seize the opportunity are Americans Tommy and Kate Puglisi, drawn by the fact that Tommy's grandparents are from Becchina and live there still. The move proves questionable from the moment the couple arrives at their new home, however. They're badly rattled by a powerful earthquake, and Tommy's grandmother is upset at their choice of house for reasons she doesn't explain, though she is adamant that it's not suitable for children. Soon, the couple start hearing strange noises and learn that the property, once owned by the church, and known as the "House of Last Resort," has a dark history. Golden evokes chills without relying on cliches and makes suspending disbelief easy through skillful characterizations of the leads. Horror fans should check this out.
Customer Reviews
Interesting idea but not well executed
The concept was kind of cool but this was not a well-written book. The writing style kind of reminded me of Nancy Drew or some junior high mystery book. Just a lot of really boring descriptions of naive hipsters drinking coffee in Sicily. And the main characters were really not very likable. They were just so self-absorbed and foolish that by the end I was rooting for the demon who had more personality than anyone else in the book.