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The House of Last Resort
The next high concept horror novel from NYT 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.
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.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2024
About the author
Christopher Golden
699 books2,586 followersCHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of such novels as Road of Bones, Ararat, Snowblind, Of Saints and Shadows, and Red Hands. With Mike Mignola, he is the co-creator of the Outerverse comic book universe, including such series as Baltimore, Joe Golem: Occult Detective, and Lady Baltimore. As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies Seize the Night, Dark Cities, and The New Dead, among others, and he has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and a network television pilot. Golden co-hosts the podcast Defenders Dialogue with horror author Brian Keene. In 2015 he founded the popular Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. He was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. For the Bram Stoker Awards, Golden has been nominated ten times in eight different categories. His original novels have been published in more than fifteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at www.christophergolden.com
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July 8, 2024
I'm just out here chilling on minority opinion island...
...trying to figure out how best to write my review of The House of Last Resort.
Even though this was the latest release from Christopher Golden, an author I have really enjoyed in the past, I was a little hesitant going into this one. While I hadn't read any reviews, that overall rating of 3.3 was glaring me in the face.
I was concerned. Did Golden have a flop?
I still haven't read a lot of the reviews, so I am not exactly sure what the issue is, but I have read this one and I really, really enjoyed it!
This went into a surprising Religious Horror direction, which I love. It felt Literary in it's build-up and I loved the culturally-rich setting. I feel like this would make an incredible movie. It was so vibrant.
In this novel, we're following American couple, Tommy and Kate Puglisi, who move to the small hilltop town of Becchina, in Italy.
Becchina is dwindling, with the population aging out and young people moving away. In an effort to revitalize the area, the mayor starts a program to sell abandoned homes to anyone for a single Euro, as long as the buyer promises to live there for at least five years.
Tommy and Kate jump at the chance. Tommy has family there and they're excited about the change in lifestyle and ability to get to spend more time with his family.
Upon arrival, the house isn't quite giving them the warm, romantic vibes they expected though. It's giving a more haunted, demonic feel than they would have signed up for.
And why do all the locals whisper about this place?
We follow Tommy and Kate as they attempt to settle in, make their new house a home and become involved with the local community.
Strange things are happening at the house though that they can't explain. They've discovered rooms they didn't know were there and the more they dig into the history of the house, the more nervous they become.
They ultimately learn that their home was owned by the church for generations and there are dark, dangerous secrets hiding behind every corner, and perhaps even under their feet. With a history like that, will this place ever be able to become a comfortable family home?
As mentioned above, I really enjoyed this. I have always vibed with Golden's writing. It's engaging.
Granted, not every moment is smash-bang in your face, it has a lot of quiet, more subtle moments, but all the more for the build, I say. I love a slow burn, as long as the payoff is worth it and IMO, this one is.
Once I started this book, I was definitely consumed by the story. I read 43% in my first sitting. I barely came up for air. I ended up finishing it in a day.
I loved the atmosphere and the feeling of the historic town and property. I was intrigued by the mystery of the house and as a lover of Religious Horror, I was happy to see it take a turn in that direction. The whole feeling of that place was beautifully depicted by Golden.
I would recommend this to Horror fans, or people who enjoy a slow burn set amongst a creepy, mysterious atmosphere. Also, haunted house fans, this is a unique take in the subgenre, so you should definitely check it out.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me a copy to read and review. I always look forward to picking up Golden's latest work.
This one was definitely a win for me!
...trying to figure out how best to write my review of The House of Last Resort.
Even though this was the latest release from Christopher Golden, an author I have really enjoyed in the past, I was a little hesitant going into this one. While I hadn't read any reviews, that overall rating of 3.3 was glaring me in the face.
I was concerned. Did Golden have a flop?
I still haven't read a lot of the reviews, so I am not exactly sure what the issue is, but I have read this one and I really, really enjoyed it!
This went into a surprising Religious Horror direction, which I love. It felt Literary in it's build-up and I loved the culturally-rich setting. I feel like this would make an incredible movie. It was so vibrant.
In this novel, we're following American couple, Tommy and Kate Puglisi, who move to the small hilltop town of Becchina, in Italy.
Becchina is dwindling, with the population aging out and young people moving away. In an effort to revitalize the area, the mayor starts a program to sell abandoned homes to anyone for a single Euro, as long as the buyer promises to live there for at least five years.
Tommy and Kate jump at the chance. Tommy has family there and they're excited about the change in lifestyle and ability to get to spend more time with his family.
Upon arrival, the house isn't quite giving them the warm, romantic vibes they expected though. It's giving a more haunted, demonic feel than they would have signed up for.
And why do all the locals whisper about this place?
We follow Tommy and Kate as they attempt to settle in, make their new house a home and become involved with the local community.
Strange things are happening at the house though that they can't explain. They've discovered rooms they didn't know were there and the more they dig into the history of the house, the more nervous they become.
They ultimately learn that their home was owned by the church for generations and there are dark, dangerous secrets hiding behind every corner, and perhaps even under their feet. With a history like that, will this place ever be able to become a comfortable family home?
As mentioned above, I really enjoyed this. I have always vibed with Golden's writing. It's engaging.
Granted, not every moment is smash-bang in your face, it has a lot of quiet, more subtle moments, but all the more for the build, I say. I love a slow burn, as long as the payoff is worth it and IMO, this one is.
Once I started this book, I was definitely consumed by the story. I read 43% in my first sitting. I barely came up for air. I ended up finishing it in a day.
I loved the atmosphere and the feeling of the historic town and property. I was intrigued by the mystery of the house and as a lover of Religious Horror, I was happy to see it take a turn in that direction. The whole feeling of that place was beautifully depicted by Golden.
I would recommend this to Horror fans, or people who enjoy a slow burn set amongst a creepy, mysterious atmosphere. Also, haunted house fans, this is a unique take in the subgenre, so you should definitely check it out.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me a copy to read and review. I always look forward to picking up Golden's latest work.
This one was definitely a win for me!
January 17, 2024
My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Christopher Golden and Netgalley.
Well, honestly I've never been at a loss to describe a Golden book. Yet, here I am.
I can't fault Christopher too much. Truth is that the thought of demons seems a bit ridiculous. I've never been a fan of this trope, and the few times I was? Well, that was because they scared the ever loving shit outta me! This? This was not Lisa Noell having any type of shit scared outta her. This was mostly just me being annoyed as all hell that I was spending this much time reading a book that I hated, written by a man whose books I've always loved! So, there ya' have it.
Love the author. Hated the story!
Still, me hating is still a worthy read. 2 1/2 stars, rounded up.
Update:Yeah, the more I think about this tale, the more I actively hate it. So, this is me giving it a demotion! 2 stars.
Well, honestly I've never been at a loss to describe a Golden book. Yet, here I am.
I can't fault Christopher too much. Truth is that the thought of demons seems a bit ridiculous. I've never been a fan of this trope, and the few times I was? Well, that was because they scared the ever loving shit outta me! This? This was not Lisa Noell having any type of shit scared outta her. This was mostly just me being annoyed as all hell that I was spending this much time reading a book that I hated, written by a man whose books I've always loved! So, there ya' have it.
Love the author. Hated the story!
Still, me hating is still a worthy read. 2 1/2 stars, rounded up.
Update:Yeah, the more I think about this tale, the more I actively hate it. So, this is me giving it a demotion! 2 stars.
May 4, 2024
If someone offered you an old, dignified home and all its furnishings for one Euro, would you move overseas to take it? That's what Tommy and Kate did. Will it prove to be a good move? You'll have to read this to find out!
This book had me trying to imagine what it would be like to move to a foreign country and immersing yourself in that country's day to day living. For Tommy and Kate, this means being closer to what little family Tommy has, and it also means being surrounded by all kinds of religious artifacts and having to participate regularly in church. But most of all, it means accepting the history of their new house, and it's not a good one. This is a horror novel, after all.
There are scary old rooms in the new house-one of which looked almost like a church and another where the door seems to lock or unlock at will. I wonder what those rooms were used for originally? Tommy and Kate even discovered some local catacombs and want to open them to tourists. When they discover that the locals refer to the house as "The House of Last Resort" they start to worry and rightfully so. This is a horror novel, after all.
I'm finding it difficult to talk about this book without spoiling anything, so I won't say anything more about the plot. This was a slow burn at first but then, the tension slowly starts to build before some of the mysteries are revealed and the real fun starts.
There are some things I would have liked to know about the house and its history-a deeper dive, so to speak, but I never did get that. I'm not sure if I would have liked that more than the veil of mystery that I did get? I guess I'll never know! The entire concept of a house like this fascinates me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, especially the denouement. Oftentimes, haunted house tales fall short when it comes to WHY the house is haunted. This is usually where most haunted house stories fall apart, as far as I'm concerned, but not with this one. I loved the idea and would have loved to know even more about the house's history, but as it stands? This is still a great story and I recommend it!
Available everywhere on January 30th!
*Thank you to Christopher Golden for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
This book had me trying to imagine what it would be like to move to a foreign country and immersing yourself in that country's day to day living. For Tommy and Kate, this means being closer to what little family Tommy has, and it also means being surrounded by all kinds of religious artifacts and having to participate regularly in church. But most of all, it means accepting the history of their new house, and it's not a good one. This is a horror novel, after all.
There are scary old rooms in the new house-one of which looked almost like a church and another where the door seems to lock or unlock at will. I wonder what those rooms were used for originally? Tommy and Kate even discovered some local catacombs and want to open them to tourists. When they discover that the locals refer to the house as "The House of Last Resort" they start to worry and rightfully so. This is a horror novel, after all.
I'm finding it difficult to talk about this book without spoiling anything, so I won't say anything more about the plot. This was a slow burn at first but then, the tension slowly starts to build before some of the mysteries are revealed and the real fun starts.
There are some things I would have liked to know about the house and its history-a deeper dive, so to speak, but I never did get that. I'm not sure if I would have liked that more than the veil of mystery that I did get? I guess I'll never know! The entire concept of a house like this fascinates me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, especially the denouement. Oftentimes, haunted house tales fall short when it comes to WHY the house is haunted. This is usually where most haunted house stories fall apart, as far as I'm concerned, but not with this one. I loved the idea and would have loved to know even more about the house's history, but as it stands? This is still a great story and I recommend it!
Available everywhere on January 30th!
*Thank you to Christopher Golden for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
September 20, 2023
I low-key swore off Christopher Golden's books after having read
Soulless
and
Road of Bones
(they both had fantastic premises but ultimately fell a bit flat for me), but The House of Last Resort sounded right up my alley (a haunted house and Italy and Catholic Church shenanigans – yes, please!) and so I had to give his writing one more shot. And, well, I'm happy to report that this book was pretty dang good. I mean, I'm still slightly traumatized by the ending, but that seems pretty par for the course as far as Golden's books are concerned.
So, yeah, the setting. Amazeballs. I loved the descriptions of Sicily and I may or may not have spent last night Googling “one euro houses in Italy” and “is it hard for Americans to get permanent residency in Italy?” I mean, I'm definitely rethinking that idea now that I've read the book in its entirety (and also because it sounds complicated AF to move to Italy long-term as a non-European – any Italians out there interested in a sham marriage?*), but the setting is really fabulous.
I do have to say, however, that I was tremendously annoyed by the main characters, Tommy and Kate, and their “American savior” complexes. Who moves to a new location and immediately thinks “I know better how to fix this place than the people whose families have been here for generations!” At least get your boxes unpacked before you start making plans for restoring the ancient catacombs, sheesh.
This book is a rather slow burn up until the last 30% or so, but there were still parts that were properly creepy. That scene with Kate and Nonno when they're alone together? Heck, yes, that's exactly what I came here looking for!
And the ending? Well, thanks Mr. Golden, I'll be sending you my therapy bill. At least I mostly saw it coming and had time to prepare myself.
Final rating: 3.85 stars, rounded up. If you like haunted house stories set in exotic locations, The House of Last Resort is worth a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
*I'm just joking, really. Please don't send me creepy PMs.
So, yeah, the setting. Amazeballs. I loved the descriptions of Sicily and I may or may not have spent last night Googling “one euro houses in Italy” and “is it hard for Americans to get permanent residency in Italy?” I mean, I'm definitely rethinking that idea now that I've read the book in its entirety (and also because it sounds complicated AF to move to Italy long-term as a non-European – any Italians out there interested in a sham marriage?*), but the setting is really fabulous.
I do have to say, however, that I was tremendously annoyed by the main characters, Tommy and Kate, and their “American savior” complexes. Who moves to a new location and immediately thinks “I know better how to fix this place than the people whose families have been here for generations!” At least get your boxes unpacked before you start making plans for restoring the ancient catacombs, sheesh.
This book is a rather slow burn up until the last 30% or so, but there were still parts that were properly creepy. That scene with Kate and Nonno when they're alone together? Heck, yes, that's exactly what I came here looking for!
And the ending? Well, thanks Mr. Golden, I'll be sending you my therapy bill. At least I mostly saw it coming and had time to prepare myself.
Final rating: 3.85 stars, rounded up. If you like haunted house stories set in exotic locations, The House of Last Resort is worth a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
*I'm just joking, really. Please don't send me creepy PMs.
April 11, 2024
A forty-minute drive from the volcanic Mount Etna, Becchina should have been alive.--------------------------------------
Instead, it was the corpse of a town that didn’t even realize it was already dead.
A low scritching noise caught his attention, and he swung the flashlight beam down to the right, where the natural tunnel and the man-made wall formed a dark and jagged corner. Tiny, putrid-yellow eyes glittered in the shadows.A deal that is too good to believe. Ownership of an abandoned hilltop house in a Sicilian town (Becchina, a made-up town, - buh-kee-na) for a single euro, as long as you agree to live there for five years and invest 50K euros fixing it up. What could possibly go wrong? Tommy and Kate Puglisi see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A chance for a much better future than they could ever afford in Boston.
“Jesus Christ!” Tommy hissed, jerking backward in revulsion as the flashlight beam illuminated the foot-long rat crouched in that corner.
Silent, twitching, the rat stared brazenly up at him, unafraid. It watched him with apparent disdain, as if to let Tommy know that he was the intruder here, not the rat.
Christopher Golden - Image from MichelleRLane.com
The world seemed to be unraveling every day. American culture seemed to be rotting from the inside out, manipulated by an amoral oligarchy whose worst enemy was young people who didn’t want to play their game, and Kate and Tommy were happy to be counted in that category. The irony had not been lost on them, that the nineteenth and twentieth centuries had been defined by people leaving the so-called Old World to seek their fortunes in the New World, and now she and Tommy were doing the opposite, seeking new life in the Old World. But they both believed that earlier generations had it right—a slower life, a smaller circle, a focus on home.That Tommy's family had come from Becchina gave it an additional draw, a chance to spend time with his grandparents, whom he loved and very much wanted to see lot of in their final years. The importance of that is magnified by the fact that both of Tommy’s parents are dead. Tommy and Kate are on extended time off from work, so can attend to getting things fixed up before returning to their jobs, remote jobs, which allows them the freedom to live anywhere. And they do not yet have children.
Of course the house comes with some unadvertised extras. The book opens with:
The rats are like fingers.Uh oh. Squatters. Toss in being within commuting distance of Mount Etna to shake things up. Oh, and that lady down the hill who is always staring daggers at them whenever they pass by. And the family, who is warm and welcoming but not altogether forthright about the history of the town or the house. On the other hand, there is a group of other new arrivals, lured by the same opportunity. They call themselves The Imports. It’s fun seeing Tommy reconnect with famiglia. He and Kate slowly get to know the town and some of its residents, make friends, and come up with a plan to boost the local economy. Can-do Yanks in action.
No. That’s not right. Fingers can reach out, can grasp and extend. The rats are not like fingers at all. They are periscopes, like those on submarines, each able to give its captain only a limited view of the world above. From their place below, among the dead, the lost ones can see only as far as the rats can see. But they are patient, and so they wait. And they let the rats run.
But things keep happening. Kate thinks she sees someone in the house, but did she really? A tremor arrives soon after they do. There is a part of the house that the R/E agent somehow managed to overlook when showing the place. A door that was locked, but then is mysteriously open. Golden makes generous use of Gothic fiction features (see abbreviated list in EXTRA STUFF) to give you chills.
Tommy and Kate are actually a happy couple. Many horror books use spectral events as manifestations of underlying relationship problems. Not the case here. This is also not a case in which better-off sorts gentrify an old area, forcing out the locals. Instead, they are trying to save, replenish, and reconstruct, infusing new life into a withered, crumbling, forgotten town. The houses The Imports bought were already abandoned. The newbies are looking to build up not just the houses they occupy but the community as well. So, the dark forces here are not cutouts for obvious social criticism. They are pretty much straight up malignancy coming at you in sundry ways. One way is our visceral reaction to vermin.
The rats that feature in the opening lines persist throughout, gaining in their power to induce fear and loathing. It was a specific choice. In the Book Nook interview, Golden talks about how he believes we mortals have a race-memory fear of rats, the result of plagues that wiped large portions of humanity from the planet multiple times, akin to the natural fear most of us have of snakes, from the days when they were in our immediate environment and posed a mortal threat. Rats give us the creeps.
What you get in The House of Last Resort is a likable pair in peril, with a plentiful supply of scary, a cauldron of creepy, and a shipload of shivers. If you think your basement is a mess, you have no idea. There are nifty twists, some local color and action aplenty to keep you turning the pages. Depending on your susceptibility to such books, you may get a sleepless night or two out of this one. A fun read, a pure entertainment, uncluttered by larger sociopolitical concerns, a fabulous summer read. But probably a bad idea to take this along if you plan to visit Sicily.
A voice crying out. Tommy frowned, wondering if that had been a dream or if it had been what woke him.
The wind gusted, rattling the window in its frame. He listened to see if the cry would come again but heard nothing beyond the sighs and creaks of the old house.
Review posted - 04/05/24
Publication date – 01/30/24
I received an ARE of The House of Last Resort from St. Martin’s Press in return for a fair review, and some DNA samples. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.
This review will soon be cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to Golden’s personal, FB, Instagram, and Twitter pages
Profile
Golden is a monster of an author who got started, and found success, very early. He has a gazillion publications to his credit and an army-size host of teleplay credits from his years writing for Buffy with Joss Whedon, and plenty more. And then there are the comics. You may have heard of Hell Boy, among those. Here is a list of what he has published, from Fiction DB. I personally think he has elves, or more likely, goblins, chained to computers in his basement helping him crank out such volume.
My reviews of Golden’s two prior books
----------2022 - Road of Bones
----------2023 - All Hallows
Interviews
-----Paul Semel - Exclusive Interview: “The House Of Last Resort” Author Christopher Golden
----- WYSO - Book Nook - ’The House of Last Resort,’ by Christopher Golden by Vick Mickunas – audio – 50:04
Checklist – Partial Characteristics of the Gothic Novel
See my review of While You Sleep for more of this sort
Setting - castle or old mansion - oh, Yeah
Secret passages or tea doors - of course
Atmosphere of mystery or suspense - fuh shoo-uh
Ancient prophecy or legend - sort of
Omens, portents, visions - tremors, hints from neighbors and family
Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events - ghost sightings?
High, overwrought emotion - you betcha
Women in distress - actually not so much. Both Tommy and Kate are beset
Women threatened by powerful, tyrannical male - see above
February 13, 2024
3.5⭐️
Tommaso “Tommy” Puglisi and his wife Kate respond to an advertisement for One-Euro real estate in the fictional town of Becchina in Sicily. Happy to leave the stressful life in the USA behind for what they hope would be a quiet and slower-paced lifestyle among Tommy’s family on his late father’s side, they invest in an old decrepit mansion they hope to restore. Unbeknownst to them, their new home has a history and was known to the locals as “La casa dell’ultima risorsa” or “the house of the last resort.” Soon after moving in, Kate and Tommy begin to sense something not quite right in the house and their friends and family would rather keep their knowledge of the house’s history to themselves. But after they discover a hidden chapel behind a corridor, the frequency of eerie occurrences in their home begins to increase. As the narrative progresses we follow the young couple as they begin to uncover the secrets buried underneath their new home and it is only a matter of time before they are fighting for their lives against evil forces that have been laying dormant, closer to home that they had ever imagined.
The House of the Last Resort by Christopher Golden is an intriguing, atmospheric read. To be honest, this is not a genre that I dabble in, but the premise sparked my interest. I loved the setting – the decrepit houses and the catacombs, the old village, the descriptions of the food, community and the locale complete with its frequent tremors. The backstory of the house was certainly interesting. However, I thought the pacing of the narrative was a tad too slow and found character development lacking in depth. The author briefly touches upon the mindset of fellow “Imports” like Kate and Tommy and though we get to meet several characters who have recently made Becchina their home, we do not get to explore their motivations beyond a point. Neither Tommy nor Kate are particularly interesting characters and though Tommy’s family history plays a key role in the story, even that aspect is not discussed in detail and I had expected more after the long-drawn but suspenseful buildup. The supernatural/horror elements were quite tame given the genre, but I’m not complaining. Overall, though I really liked the premise, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the execution. However, other readers have enjoyed this novel more than I did.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The House of the Last Resort was published on January 30, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
Tommaso “Tommy” Puglisi and his wife Kate respond to an advertisement for One-Euro real estate in the fictional town of Becchina in Sicily. Happy to leave the stressful life in the USA behind for what they hope would be a quiet and slower-paced lifestyle among Tommy’s family on his late father’s side, they invest in an old decrepit mansion they hope to restore. Unbeknownst to them, their new home has a history and was known to the locals as “La casa dell’ultima risorsa” or “the house of the last resort.” Soon after moving in, Kate and Tommy begin to sense something not quite right in the house and their friends and family would rather keep their knowledge of the house’s history to themselves. But after they discover a hidden chapel behind a corridor, the frequency of eerie occurrences in their home begins to increase. As the narrative progresses we follow the young couple as they begin to uncover the secrets buried underneath their new home and it is only a matter of time before they are fighting for their lives against evil forces that have been laying dormant, closer to home that they had ever imagined.
The House of the Last Resort by Christopher Golden is an intriguing, atmospheric read. To be honest, this is not a genre that I dabble in, but the premise sparked my interest. I loved the setting – the decrepit houses and the catacombs, the old village, the descriptions of the food, community and the locale complete with its frequent tremors. The backstory of the house was certainly interesting. However, I thought the pacing of the narrative was a tad too slow and found character development lacking in depth. The author briefly touches upon the mindset of fellow “Imports” like Kate and Tommy and though we get to meet several characters who have recently made Becchina their home, we do not get to explore their motivations beyond a point. Neither Tommy nor Kate are particularly interesting characters and though Tommy’s family history plays a key role in the story, even that aspect is not discussed in detail and I had expected more after the long-drawn but suspenseful buildup. The supernatural/horror elements were quite tame given the genre, but I’m not complaining. Overall, though I really liked the premise, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the execution. However, other readers have enjoyed this novel more than I did.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The House of the Last Resort was published on January 30, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
January 21, 2024
[TW: Language, death of parent, dementia, gaslighting, toxic parent relationships, use of c-word, death of family, gory scenes, blood]
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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.
Release Date: January 30th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 304
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Love a good house on the hill cover
2. Some creepy scenes
What I Didn't Like:
1. Dialog between characters is so cheesy
2. Don't like Tommy and Kate
3. Plot holes
4. Boring
5. Certain parts they would just ramble about the same stuff that didn't matter
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
--------BOOK ONE: SEPTEMBER ABOVE--------
The book starts off oddly criticizing people for not being able to just move to another country. It was weird. People don't move for lots of reasons; family, jobs, etc...
This whole time though I kept wondering what do these two do for money because I'm 30 pages in and it still hasn't been mentioned.
Confused with why the author threw in that Kate has body dysmorphia. It seemed so out of place.
I hate how the author kept saying it was a generational thing that didn't want to stay in one place and work. That is not even true. Why say that it's a whole group of people born within like 12 years that feel that way. I know tons of people that like and enjoy setting down roots in one location. Why not just have the characters say that it was how they felt rather than a whole group on hundreds of thousands of people. It just kept annoying me. Almost like the couple were so judgy of other people who can't experience what they are doing.
Tommy tells Nonna she can speak Italian when they come to her house, but earlier in the morning when she came to his house he was yelling at her to speak English. Which one is it dude?
They hear a door slam shut but she decides to just put on her tank top and doesn't put pants on, even forgoing her thong (rolls eyes) and then Winnie Poohs it around the house when they are worried someone is in the house. Why?? What??
Oh and Tommy saying he's going to check out the sound and the fuse box, but doesn't bring a flashlight. How was he going to see anything? Tommy then proceeds to make fun of Kate for having her phones flashlight but that's not ridiculous.
So Kate is a piece of shit. She has body dysmorphia, is jealous of Franca, and all the while Tommy is amazing and has zero negative things about himself.
Kate and Tommy remind me of those people that started to diet and they have to tell everyone about how much better they are. I found it completely annoying how they kept pushing moving to Sicily on their friends.
Why is generation used to much in this book?
Katie sleeps in a thong - 3 times mentioned. You know because thongs are so comfortable to sleep in.
Okay so now they want to take over the whole tourist catacombs thing and not get paid for it. Quit their jobs (still what are their jobs?) They all just assume that this town that is struggling has the money to fix the catacombs enough to make them safe.
Kate has to the most agreeable person. They don't have arguments. He mentions doing something and she says of course.
The introduction of sleepwalking in a book is so weird. I just read about this in which the character started sleepwalking in a new house.
{RANT} I am sorry but I absolutely hate Tommy and Kate. They go about complaining about how their friends were never going to move to Italy and they knew it all along because they didn't have the guts. Honestly what is the selling point to this town? Because it's a ghost town that's dying off and the mayor is selling off the houses for super cheap. But what is the privilege that they think their friends can just quit their jobs and move their families to this dying town to live. I just don't get where these characters minds are. They sound so entitled it's sickening. I was absolutely annoyed with them and if they were my friends with their high and mighty attitude I'd kick them to the curb. Just because they have the privilege and the "jobs" to move to another country doesn't mean that everybody else has that privilege. Not only that but it's not like he moved to some town where he didn't even know anyone, his family lives there. So it's not like he's starting fresh like he didn't know anybody there he already has a leg up because he's been there, and his grandparents live there. He's asking people to move there who don't know anyone there and have never been there. {END RANT} Sorry I know it's just a book but these characters I've run into people that think like this.
I didn't understand the point of the grandmother being upset with them moving into The House of Last Resort, but then getting mad when Marcello tried to explain to them the history. Why was she so upset that she made it clear that she was but then not want them to know why it was a bad place?
Why Kate is even having a reaction to finding out that exorcism were performed in the house. She starts off the book saying she doesn't even believe in ghosts or anything Supernatural so why is she so bothered by learning this information.
After learning about the house they then decide that they're going to have it become a tourist spot with the catacombs, but that makes little sense since they tore out everything that made the house the exorcism spot so they would have to make it look that way again I guess.
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Super happy that Kate stood up Tommy and told him exactly what happened.
--------BOOK TWO: OCTOBER BELOW--------
So we just jump right into them doing the work on the catacombs. Belinda (Kate's friend) calls and their conversation bothered me. Not once does Kate ask her anything and it's just Belinda asking Kate question after question. I know we have to move the plot forward but books that have surface level friendship feel so pointless and boring. While I applaud the author for having a Black character why make it a trivial friend we'll most likely never hear from again? She then tells Belinda that there are Black people in her town and if she moved there she wouldn't have to have the same issues she faces in America. How removed is Kate that she thinks that a Black person moving to a small old fashion town in Europe would be less racist. Kate reminds me of the person that says they can't be racist because they have Black friends.
We spend way too many pages going over and over Tommy's grandfather dying. They just keep talking about when he is going to die, back to Kate not wanting to see him, and then he does and we talk about it some more.
Nothing happens. The scary parts (two close togetherl) happened around 100 pages. So you're just stuck reading about things that don't even matter.
The grandma saw a rat come out of her husband and now she thinks he is possessed. So they are going to bury him in the catacombs. We get this whole backstory on how when he was 12 he was one of the people who was possessed and they brought him to the house to try to get him an exorcism. And like this whole scenario isn't weird enough they have to bury his grandpa in their house under the floorboards. Which this whole scene was really confusing when they were describing why this had to happen. I'm not sure why he has to be buried there. He can't just be buried in the catacombs. They said the people in the catacombs are even people that were possessed. Can the people that were exorcised not be buried with people that are exorcised? Why not put the grandfather in a box that traps the demon it can't get out to attack Tommy?
When the comtracter redid the annex how did she not notice there were stairs there?
I guess his knee and ribs aren't hurting that badly. He's just able to get up and walk down all these stairs with the dumbest reasoning ever. His theory is that if he goes up the stairs he more likely to be crushed in another tremor than if he goes underground. That makes zero sense.
So Franca is working with the demon and the demon, Alberith. Alberith can only jump from bloodline to bloodline. Seems like a dumb way to continue as a demon because what if that person can't have kids or never does then you just go back to hell and have to wait on a new body. I wonder if you're in hell you would know who to take next. Also what is wrong with a fresh start anyways?
Franca explains the whole thing to him and he asks if she will let Kate go to which she replies "probably." Um no. I don't understand why they don't even try to fight back. There are two of them and yes she has a knife but getting a knife out of a persons hand isn't that difficult. He has zero guarantee that she will really let Kate go because honestly why would she? So he is like okay I'll trust this random lady that lied to us to get me here and hope this time she isn't lying.
Of course in Kate fashion she has Patrick help her but only after getting Tommy out of the tombs does she even tell Patrick that his husband is injured. She even tells him he'll be fine but that's far from the truth, because she said that Rohaan was messed up and hit his head badly when they first crashed. Patrick then chooses to stay and help her and Tommy rather than tend to his own husband who is injured. No. No. No one would do that!
Have I mentioned how much I hate Kate? She gets mad at Don Pino because he didn't keep them away from buying the house or warning them. They didn't care. They heard about the house shortly (two weeks after moving in) but they didn't care and just wanted it to be a tourist spot. She the gets mad again at the priest when he tells her he's not an exorcism priests and he doesn't know the prayer needed. Oh and suddenly now the priest knows the prayer. Okay?
No happy ending for Tommy and Kate. I am not bothered by this. They are horrible.
Final Thoughts:
I suppose when I read about what this book was I assumed that it was a book that dealt with a house that had a history that no one wanted to even come into the house, but that's not what this was. The grandmother puts up a fuss in the beginning and then they work on the house like it's nothing.
I was so bored. Nothing happens in this book and it's all just talking and talking. There are a few "jump scares" but for the most part it's just people talking about the house and things that could happen. You actually hear more about things that have happened then read about them happening in the now of the book. I struggled to finish this book. I almost dnfed so many times but then I got 215 pages into the book before I just skimmed the ending.
I left this book with lots of questions. If Franca knew the demon wanted Tommy why wouldn't they have just worked for her to kill the grandfather faster so he could get to Tommy? Why just keep waiting as his body fell apart? Why not just take his body when Tommy was young and visiting? Who opened the door to the Annex? Did Franca open the door? Why couldn't the rats get out once the door was opened? Couldn't the rats just chew through the side of the house - they're rats and rats can chew through a lot of stuff.
This book is perfect if you don't like reading about anything happening but enjoy knowing things happened. Unfortunately for me I like being shown not told about it. The ending finally gives you some stuff that happens, but it takes so long to get to a point where anything happens.
Things that went no where;
-Kate's body dysmorphia (it's never mentioned again)
-Kate's sleepwalking
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this digital arc copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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.
Release Date: January 30th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 304
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Love a good house on the hill cover
2. Some creepy scenes
What I Didn't Like:
1. Dialog between characters is so cheesy
2. Don't like Tommy and Kate
3. Plot holes
4. Boring
5. Certain parts they would just ramble about the same stuff that didn't matter
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
--------BOOK ONE: SEPTEMBER ABOVE--------
The book starts off oddly criticizing people for not being able to just move to another country. It was weird. People don't move for lots of reasons; family, jobs, etc...
This whole time though I kept wondering what do these two do for money because I'm 30 pages in and it still hasn't been mentioned.
Confused with why the author threw in that Kate has body dysmorphia. It seemed so out of place.
I hate how the author kept saying it was a generational thing that didn't want to stay in one place and work. That is not even true. Why say that it's a whole group of people born within like 12 years that feel that way. I know tons of people that like and enjoy setting down roots in one location. Why not just have the characters say that it was how they felt rather than a whole group on hundreds of thousands of people. It just kept annoying me. Almost like the couple were so judgy of other people who can't experience what they are doing.
Tommy tells Nonna she can speak Italian when they come to her house, but earlier in the morning when she came to his house he was yelling at her to speak English. Which one is it dude?
They hear a door slam shut but she decides to just put on her tank top and doesn't put pants on, even forgoing her thong (rolls eyes) and then Winnie Poohs it around the house when they are worried someone is in the house. Why?? What??
Oh and Tommy saying he's going to check out the sound and the fuse box, but doesn't bring a flashlight. How was he going to see anything? Tommy then proceeds to make fun of Kate for having her phones flashlight but that's not ridiculous.
So Kate is a piece of shit. She has body dysmorphia, is jealous of Franca, and all the while Tommy is amazing and has zero negative things about himself.
Kate and Tommy remind me of those people that started to diet and they have to tell everyone about how much better they are. I found it completely annoying how they kept pushing moving to Sicily on their friends.
Why is generation used to much in this book?
Katie sleeps in a thong - 3 times mentioned. You know because thongs are so comfortable to sleep in.
Okay so now they want to take over the whole tourist catacombs thing and not get paid for it. Quit their jobs (still what are their jobs?) They all just assume that this town that is struggling has the money to fix the catacombs enough to make them safe.
Kate has to the most agreeable person. They don't have arguments. He mentions doing something and she says of course.
The introduction of sleepwalking in a book is so weird. I just read about this in which the character started sleepwalking in a new house.
{RANT} I am sorry but I absolutely hate Tommy and Kate. They go about complaining about how their friends were never going to move to Italy and they knew it all along because they didn't have the guts. Honestly what is the selling point to this town? Because it's a ghost town that's dying off and the mayor is selling off the houses for super cheap. But what is the privilege that they think their friends can just quit their jobs and move their families to this dying town to live. I just don't get where these characters minds are. They sound so entitled it's sickening. I was absolutely annoyed with them and if they were my friends with their high and mighty attitude I'd kick them to the curb. Just because they have the privilege and the "jobs" to move to another country doesn't mean that everybody else has that privilege. Not only that but it's not like he moved to some town where he didn't even know anyone, his family lives there. So it's not like he's starting fresh like he didn't know anybody there he already has a leg up because he's been there, and his grandparents live there. He's asking people to move there who don't know anyone there and have never been there. {END RANT} Sorry I know it's just a book but these characters I've run into people that think like this.
I didn't understand the point of the grandmother being upset with them moving into The House of Last Resort, but then getting mad when Marcello tried to explain to them the history. Why was she so upset that she made it clear that she was but then not want them to know why it was a bad place?
Why Kate is even having a reaction to finding out that exorcism were performed in the house. She starts off the book saying she doesn't even believe in ghosts or anything Supernatural so why is she so bothered by learning this information.
After learning about the house they then decide that they're going to have it become a tourist spot with the catacombs, but that makes little sense since they tore out everything that made the house the exorcism spot so they would have to make it look that way again I guess.
Super happy that Kate stood up Tommy and told him exactly what happened.
--------BOOK TWO: OCTOBER BELOW--------
So we just jump right into them doing the work on the catacombs. Belinda (Kate's friend) calls and their conversation bothered me. Not once does Kate ask her anything and it's just Belinda asking Kate question after question. I know we have to move the plot forward but books that have surface level friendship feel so pointless and boring. While I applaud the author for having a Black character why make it a trivial friend we'll most likely never hear from again? She then tells Belinda that there are Black people in her town and if she moved there she wouldn't have to have the same issues she faces in America. How removed is Kate that she thinks that a Black person moving to a small old fashion town in Europe would be less racist. Kate reminds me of the person that says they can't be racist because they have Black friends.
We spend way too many pages going over and over Tommy's grandfather dying. They just keep talking about when he is going to die, back to Kate not wanting to see him, and then he does and we talk about it some more.
Nothing happens. The scary parts (two close togetherl) happened around 100 pages. So you're just stuck reading about things that don't even matter.
The grandma saw a rat come out of her husband and now she thinks he is possessed. So they are going to bury him in the catacombs. We get this whole backstory on how when he was 12 he was one of the people who was possessed and they brought him to the house to try to get him an exorcism. And like this whole scenario isn't weird enough they have to bury his grandpa in their house under the floorboards. Which this whole scene was really confusing when they were describing why this had to happen. I'm not sure why he has to be buried there. He can't just be buried in the catacombs. They said the people in the catacombs are even people that were possessed. Can the people that were exorcised not be buried with people that are exorcised? Why not put the grandfather in a box that traps the demon it can't get out to attack Tommy?
When the comtracter redid the annex how did she not notice there were stairs there?
I guess his knee and ribs aren't hurting that badly. He's just able to get up and walk down all these stairs with the dumbest reasoning ever. His theory is that if he goes up the stairs he more likely to be crushed in another tremor than if he goes underground. That makes zero sense.
So Franca is working with the demon and the demon, Alberith. Alberith can only jump from bloodline to bloodline. Seems like a dumb way to continue as a demon because what if that person can't have kids or never does then you just go back to hell and have to wait on a new body. I wonder if you're in hell you would know who to take next. Also what is wrong with a fresh start anyways?
Franca explains the whole thing to him and he asks if she will let Kate go to which she replies "probably." Um no. I don't understand why they don't even try to fight back. There are two of them and yes she has a knife but getting a knife out of a persons hand isn't that difficult. He has zero guarantee that she will really let Kate go because honestly why would she? So he is like okay I'll trust this random lady that lied to us to get me here and hope this time she isn't lying.
Of course in Kate fashion she has Patrick help her but only after getting Tommy out of the tombs does she even tell Patrick that his husband is injured. She even tells him he'll be fine but that's far from the truth, because she said that Rohaan was messed up and hit his head badly when they first crashed. Patrick then chooses to stay and help her and Tommy rather than tend to his own husband who is injured. No. No. No one would do that!
Have I mentioned how much I hate Kate? She gets mad at Don Pino because he didn't keep them away from buying the house or warning them. They didn't care. They heard about the house shortly (two weeks after moving in) but they didn't care and just wanted it to be a tourist spot. She the gets mad again at the priest when he tells her he's not an exorcism priests and he doesn't know the prayer needed. Oh and suddenly now the priest knows the prayer. Okay?
No happy ending for Tommy and Kate. I am not bothered by this. They are horrible.
Final Thoughts:
I suppose when I read about what this book was I assumed that it was a book that dealt with a house that had a history that no one wanted to even come into the house, but that's not what this was. The grandmother puts up a fuss in the beginning and then they work on the house like it's nothing.
I was so bored. Nothing happens in this book and it's all just talking and talking. There are a few "jump scares" but for the most part it's just people talking about the house and things that could happen. You actually hear more about things that have happened then read about them happening in the now of the book. I struggled to finish this book. I almost dnfed so many times but then I got 215 pages into the book before I just skimmed the ending.
I left this book with lots of questions. If Franca knew the demon wanted Tommy why wouldn't they have just worked for her to kill the grandfather faster so he could get to Tommy? Why just keep waiting as his body fell apart? Why not just take his body when Tommy was young and visiting? Who opened the door to the Annex? Did Franca open the door? Why couldn't the rats get out once the door was opened? Couldn't the rats just chew through the side of the house - they're rats and rats can chew through a lot of stuff.
This book is perfect if you don't like reading about anything happening but enjoy knowing things happened. Unfortunately for me I like being shown not told about it. The ending finally gives you some stuff that happens, but it takes so long to get to a point where anything happens.
Things that went no where;
-Kate's body dysmorphia (it's never mentioned again)
-Kate's sleepwalking
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this digital arc copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 7, 2024
Tommy and Kate Puglisi make a life changing decision to move to Becchina, a small village in Sicily when they learn certain houses are being offered for one-euro in hope to repopulate the almost ghost towns and help them thrive again. Tommy's loving, paternal grandparents live over there and they are all he has left of his family and Kate and he want to make something special of their lives so they up and move without knowing much of the language or how superstition plays a huge part in many old Sicilian's history so the couple may not be accepted as easily as they originally thought.
The house needs work but is otherwise breathtaking and huge! Over fifteen glorious rooms to renovate. Kate is over the moon although Tommy feels a bit of trepidation yet doesn't understand why. Neither Kate or Tommy are religious although respectful to others but are shocked when they learn that a priest had lived in their house for over forty years. Soon they find out the horrible history of their new home and are devastated by the news which doesn't help their mental states when doors slam, whispers or shadows moving in the corners and rats appearing and disappearing as if they want Tommy's attention. Kate sleep walks and talks about a priest in her sleep. As the couple struggles to keep their new lives together, unknown to both of them a real nightmare has been waiting for them and people will die unless Tommy and Kate find the light to lead them out of the darkness that has wanted and waited for Tommy for many, many years.
This was an interesting, dark and entertaining story based around the power and. strength of love, faith, superstitions and certain beliefs and rituals of the Roman Catholic church. The book was a nice, slow-burn built around the strong and everlasting love of a naive young couple who have their whole lives ahead of them and are at the peak of their happiness which is tested when they encounter happenings that occur only in horror books and nightmares and they try to handle the events themselves.
The characters were very intriguing and entertaining especially with the language barrier and different customs. Christopher Golden really captured the atmosphere and essence of this small fictional town in Sicily. The writing describing the cultural architecture of the old homes and the very creepy catacombs was so darn good and I could visualize the village and it's culture so vividly that I felt as if I was an invisible observer keeping step to step with Tommy and Kate from page one until the very end of the book.
The last thirty percent of this book was worth waiting for when it becomes super dark, creepy and very frightening. The book was so sweet and calm for so long that I never expected the story to become so scary that I couldn't read it anymore in the middle of the night!
I enjoyed all of 'Christopher Golden's' books that I've read so far, some more than others so I definitely recommend this novel. Hopefully in the future, books similar in nature to the outstanding "Road Of Bones" will be written again or have a sequel? I just found that book to be an unforgettable horror novel in every way!
I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy ad any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 EERIE AND NIGHTMARISH 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
The house needs work but is otherwise breathtaking and huge! Over fifteen glorious rooms to renovate. Kate is over the moon although Tommy feels a bit of trepidation yet doesn't understand why. Neither Kate or Tommy are religious although respectful to others but are shocked when they learn that a priest had lived in their house for over forty years. Soon they find out the horrible history of their new home and are devastated by the news which doesn't help their mental states when doors slam, whispers or shadows moving in the corners and rats appearing and disappearing as if they want Tommy's attention. Kate sleep walks and talks about a priest in her sleep. As the couple struggles to keep their new lives together, unknown to both of them a real nightmare has been waiting for them and people will die unless Tommy and Kate find the light to lead them out of the darkness that has wanted and waited for Tommy for many, many years.
This was an interesting, dark and entertaining story based around the power and. strength of love, faith, superstitions and certain beliefs and rituals of the Roman Catholic church. The book was a nice, slow-burn built around the strong and everlasting love of a naive young couple who have their whole lives ahead of them and are at the peak of their happiness which is tested when they encounter happenings that occur only in horror books and nightmares and they try to handle the events themselves.
The characters were very intriguing and entertaining especially with the language barrier and different customs. Christopher Golden really captured the atmosphere and essence of this small fictional town in Sicily. The writing describing the cultural architecture of the old homes and the very creepy catacombs was so darn good and I could visualize the village and it's culture so vividly that I felt as if I was an invisible observer keeping step to step with Tommy and Kate from page one until the very end of the book.
The last thirty percent of this book was worth waiting for when it becomes super dark, creepy and very frightening. The book was so sweet and calm for so long that I never expected the story to become so scary that I couldn't read it anymore in the middle of the night!
I enjoyed all of 'Christopher Golden's' books that I've read so far, some more than others so I definitely recommend this novel. Hopefully in the future, books similar in nature to the outstanding "Road Of Bones" will be written again or have a sequel? I just found that book to be an unforgettable horror novel in every way!
I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy ad any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 4 EERIE AND NIGHTMARISH 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
March 20, 2024
2.5 Stars
I am known to be tough on haunted house books and once again I find these kinds of stories to feel tired and repetitive.
The Italian setting appealed to me in concept but in execution this story didn't provide me with a sense of the place. I wanted to feel transported through this narrative, but it left me cold. The story isn't very long, but I found it a slow, unsatisfying ride. I wish I enjoyed it more.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I am known to be tough on haunted house books and once again I find these kinds of stories to feel tired and repetitive.
The Italian setting appealed to me in concept but in execution this story didn't provide me with a sense of the place. I wanted to feel transported through this narrative, but it left me cold. The story isn't very long, but I found it a slow, unsatisfying ride. I wish I enjoyed it more.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
November 15, 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Horror
The House of Last Resort follows the story of an American couple named Tommy and Kate Puglisi who purchase a dilapidated property in the Italian town of Becchina for the price of one euro. In an effort to breathe new life into the waning village, the municipality is making this bargain available to anyone who is prepared to settle there permanently for a period of at least five years and invest in repairs.
Tommy and Kate are thrilled to embark on this new journey together, but they are shocked to learn that the house they bought has a sinister past. It was previously owned by the Church, and there are persistent allegations that exorcisms and other occult rites were performed there in its heyday. Tommy and Kate begin to sense a malicious presence in the house at the same time as they begin to hear strange noises and experience occurrences that cannot be explained.
I won't go into more detail about the plot since I believe that readers get the most out of these kinds of stories when they find them on their own. The setting of the book in Sicily was one of my favorite aspects of it, and I believe the author did an excellent job bringing the setting to life through his vivid descriptions
Despite the fact that the story itself is intriguing, I was unable to connect with it as much as I hoped for. Having previously read and thoroughly loved the author's prior work, "Road of Bones," I am able to say that the atmosphere in this particular tale was lacking for me. I have the impression that quite a bit of improvement might be made to the atmosphere, and I believe the author is capable of doing so because the book that he had written before was really atmospheric.
Another problem of this story is that it takes quite some time to get going once it finally does. I prefer terrifying tales that go quickly over those that build suspense over time. All of these characteristics, however, are subjective and depend on the individual taste of the reader. If you find the synopsis interesting, you should give it a shot because there's a chance you'll enjoy it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Genre: Horror
The House of Last Resort follows the story of an American couple named Tommy and Kate Puglisi who purchase a dilapidated property in the Italian town of Becchina for the price of one euro. In an effort to breathe new life into the waning village, the municipality is making this bargain available to anyone who is prepared to settle there permanently for a period of at least five years and invest in repairs.
Tommy and Kate are thrilled to embark on this new journey together, but they are shocked to learn that the house they bought has a sinister past. It was previously owned by the Church, and there are persistent allegations that exorcisms and other occult rites were performed there in its heyday. Tommy and Kate begin to sense a malicious presence in the house at the same time as they begin to hear strange noises and experience occurrences that cannot be explained.
I won't go into more detail about the plot since I believe that readers get the most out of these kinds of stories when they find them on their own. The setting of the book in Sicily was one of my favorite aspects of it, and I believe the author did an excellent job bringing the setting to life through his vivid descriptions
Despite the fact that the story itself is intriguing, I was unable to connect with it as much as I hoped for. Having previously read and thoroughly loved the author's prior work, "Road of Bones," I am able to say that the atmosphere in this particular tale was lacking for me. I have the impression that quite a bit of improvement might be made to the atmosphere, and I believe the author is capable of doing so because the book that he had written before was really atmospheric.
Another problem of this story is that it takes quite some time to get going once it finally does. I prefer terrifying tales that go quickly over those that build suspense over time. All of these characteristics, however, are subjective and depend on the individual taste of the reader. If you find the synopsis interesting, you should give it a shot because there's a chance you'll enjoy it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
February 28, 2024
Ugh.. This was so meh.. Started off good with good characters, but then went downhill real fast😑
December 17, 2023
Tommy and Kate move to Italy from the US. They get a great deal on The House of Last Resort. Unbeknownst to them the church used to do major exorcisms there. Creepy stuff starts happening and they begin to worry.
This was an exciting read that had me on the edge of my seat. Thanks NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC that will be released January 30, 2024!
This was an exciting read that had me on the edge of my seat. Thanks NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC that will be released January 30, 2024!
May 30, 2024
This has been my least favorite book of this authors. And it is 100% due to the whole demons and
storyline that smacked me in the face for the last quarter of the book. I was enjoying this so much. I liked the characters, loved the town and the storyline of all of these people moving here to fix it up. I was having a great time reading about that. But there just had to be exorcisms. I have just never and will never enjoy reading books or watching movies about that kind of stuff. It's been done and done and done. I was really hoping this book was going in another direction, but was so disappointed once the demon came out to play. And that bit of the story felt so rushed. Maybe if there had been a few more chapters going into more detail. I still wouldn't have liked it but maybe it could've had a more solid ending. I don't know, I am a fan of this author and will continue to read his work, but this one just wasn't for me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
storyline that smacked me in the face for the last quarter of the book. I was enjoying this so much. I liked the characters, loved the town and the storyline of all of these people moving here to fix it up. I was having a great time reading about that. But there just had to be exorcisms. I have just never and will never enjoy reading books or watching movies about that kind of stuff. It's been done and done and done. I was really hoping this book was going in another direction, but was so disappointed once the demon came out to play. And that bit of the story felt so rushed. Maybe if there had been a few more chapters going into more detail. I still wouldn't have liked it but maybe it could've had a more solid ending. I don't know, I am a fan of this author and will continue to read his work, but this one just wasn't for me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 30, 2024
Happy publication day!
3.5 stars rounded down for this one. This was definitely not what I expected! Maybe that’s a good thing? I’m not sure.
Kate and Tommy must have some kind of high-profile remote careers, because they decide to move to Sicily on whim. Sure the houses are marketed at 1 euro a piece to encourage growth and the restoring of prosperity to a town on the brink of disappearing from the map, but still. That’s wild. Once they move into this big 15 room house, they realize something creepy is going on when they discover a locked portion containing mysterious rooms. And Tommy’s grandmother really does not approve of this house in particular. She knows what’s up.
There was just so much going on. Things started hitting the fan at about half way, and it just kept getting crazier from there. I also found that the ending wasn’t very surprising after I found out what was going down.
I haven’t read Golden before (apparently I’m just reading a bunch of new-to-me authors right now), but I enjoyed his writing style. I thought the novel was pretty fast-paced and entertaining. However, the characters were honesty quite annoying at times and not very consistent. I know a story like this isn’t supposed to necessarily be believable (based on the nature of the content), but this book was layered with one utterly unbelievable thing after another making it almost ridiculous. So, I’m not sure how I feel about this.
I’m planning on reading All Hallows around Halloween, maybe that one will redeem this author a bit for me!
A great thank you goes out to Christopher Golden, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars rounded down for this one. This was definitely not what I expected! Maybe that’s a good thing? I’m not sure.
Kate and Tommy must have some kind of high-profile remote careers, because they decide to move to Sicily on whim. Sure the houses are marketed at 1 euro a piece to encourage growth and the restoring of prosperity to a town on the brink of disappearing from the map, but still. That’s wild. Once they move into this big 15 room house, they realize something creepy is going on when they discover a locked portion containing mysterious rooms. And Tommy’s grandmother really does not approve of this house in particular. She knows what’s up.
There was just so much going on. Things started hitting the fan at about half way, and it just kept getting crazier from there. I also found that the ending wasn’t very surprising after I found out what was going down.
I haven’t read Golden before (apparently I’m just reading a bunch of new-to-me authors right now), but I enjoyed his writing style. I thought the novel was pretty fast-paced and entertaining. However, the characters were honesty quite annoying at times and not very consistent. I know a story like this isn’t supposed to necessarily be believable (based on the nature of the content), but this book was layered with one utterly unbelievable thing after another making it almost ridiculous. So, I’m not sure how I feel about this.
I’m planning on reading All Hallows around Halloween, maybe that one will redeem this author a bit for me!
A great thank you goes out to Christopher Golden, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 28, 2024
Thank you to the author Christopher Golden, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of THE HOUSE OF LAST RESORT. All views are mine.
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. It's a slow build, but it gets abruptly creepy at about the 20% mark. I love this kind of step-up in tension in suspense and horror.
2. The house, where a priest once lived and before that was once a chapel owned by the Catholic church, is one of the main characters in the book. I love stories about strange houses, and this is a good one. The house seems to mirror the
3. I love the amorphous antagonist in this book. Haunted House or all of hell or only human nature?
4. I love how this book always swivels away from traditional or what may be considered "true" evil, like devils and demons, toward a more human face of evil, life grief, capitalism, or xenophobia. It creates a sord of internal dualism in the story that smarts as the reader tries to decide where they stand.
5. The trope vs. trope battle is pretty great. It's also very subtle, so a brilliant example of metahorror.
6. This book has so many unexpected turns, it's delightful! Including that wonderful last line!
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
No complaints.
Rating: 👹👹👹👹.5 / 5 new roommates
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Jan 22 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley, SMPI
Read this book if you like:
👻 horror books
🏚 haunted house stories
🌅 new beginnings horror trope
⛪️ demon/possession stories
😵 family curses
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. It's a slow build, but it gets abruptly creepy at about the 20% mark. I love this kind of step-up in tension in suspense and horror.
2. The house, where a priest once lived and before that was once a chapel owned by the Catholic church, is one of the main characters in the book. I love stories about strange houses, and this is a good one. The house seems to mirror the
3. I love the amorphous antagonist in this book. Haunted House or all of hell or only human nature?
4. I love how this book always swivels away from traditional or what may be considered "true" evil, like devils and demons, toward a more human face of evil, life grief, capitalism, or xenophobia. It creates a sord of internal dualism in the story that smarts as the reader tries to decide where they stand.
5. The trope vs. trope battle is pretty great. It's also very subtle, so a brilliant example of metahorror.
6. This book has so many unexpected turns, it's delightful! Including that wonderful last line!
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
No complaints.
Rating: 👹👹👹👹.5 / 5 new roommates
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Jan 22 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley, SMPI
Read this book if you like:
👻 horror books
🏚 haunted house stories
🌅 new beginnings horror trope
⛪️ demon/possession stories
😵 family curses
January 28, 2024
This story is told in third person and follows Tommy and Kate. This is my fourth read by this author and my favorite so far. It had a great haunted house vibe including creepy rats, mysterious house, suspicious locals, secret rooms, creaky and cobwebby everything, plus local catacombs. I enjoyed the young couple and their reasons for uprooting their lives in America to buy a house in Sicily. Tommy had a complicated relationship with his paternal family. His father was estranged for unknown reasons, and he’s excited to be near them and get to know them better.
When they went on the tour of the local catacombs and started making plans to help the mayor with their publicity for tourism, I was utterly fascinated. The committee that formed to assist with tourism included an interesting group of people they called the “Imports”, all couples, like Tommy and Kate, that had moved to Becchina for the house deal though some had found it difficult to assimilate and left.
The closed-lip nature of Tommy’s family was a little frustrating, especially when it comes to the house. Kate has some rather crazy encounters with Tommy’s grandfather that no one else witnessed. It almost felt like she was being gaslighted at times, but when the purpose for which the Catholic Church used this house in the past was revealed, I was all in. The ending had me on the edge of my seat.
Recommended to haunted house horror lovers.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy provided for an honest review.
When they went on the tour of the local catacombs and started making plans to help the mayor with their publicity for tourism, I was utterly fascinated. The committee that formed to assist with tourism included an interesting group of people they called the “Imports”, all couples, like Tommy and Kate, that had moved to Becchina for the house deal though some had found it difficult to assimilate and left.
The closed-lip nature of Tommy’s family was a little frustrating, especially when it comes to the house. Kate has some rather crazy encounters with Tommy’s grandfather that no one else witnessed. It almost felt like she was being gaslighted at times, but when the purpose for which the Catholic Church used this house in the past was revealed, I was all in. The ending had me on the edge of my seat.
Recommended to haunted house horror lovers.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy provided for an honest review.
January 1, 2024
This is in part, a love story between Tommy and Kate, a mystery of what caused the rift between Tommy's father and grandfather, and the unraveling of dark family secrets.
Tommy and Kate seize an opportunity to own a beautiful house in Italy for practically no money, all they have to do is fix it up. It's a huge change for them from living in the United States, but Tommy has family there and they hope with a little time and effort they can convince some of their friends to follow in their footsteps to revive the economy in the half empty town.
When Tommy's grandmother sees which home they've chosen she is angry and fearful but won't say why.
Bumps in the night and slamming doors lead the couple to entertain the idea that their house may be haunted, but it took longer than I would have liked for the reveal of why their home is known as the House of Last Resort.
The pace was slow for the first part of the book. There were some odd occurrences but nothing really scary happened until close to the halfway mark when a shocking event led to the exposure of family secrets, Something happened at this point that just plain scared the bejeezers out of me.
The final third of the book is terrifying and the conclusion is a knock out.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press.
Tommy and Kate seize an opportunity to own a beautiful house in Italy for practically no money, all they have to do is fix it up. It's a huge change for them from living in the United States, but Tommy has family there and they hope with a little time and effort they can convince some of their friends to follow in their footsteps to revive the economy in the half empty town.
When Tommy's grandmother sees which home they've chosen she is angry and fearful but won't say why.
Bumps in the night and slamming doors lead the couple to entertain the idea that their house may be haunted, but it took longer than I would have liked for the reveal of why their home is known as the House of Last Resort.
The pace was slow for the first part of the book. There were some odd occurrences but nothing really scary happened until close to the halfway mark when a shocking event led to the exposure of family secrets, Something happened at this point that just plain scared the bejeezers out of me.
The final third of the book is terrifying and the conclusion is a knock out.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press.
February 7, 2024
I don't want to say too much about the plot of The House of Last Resort, because I found the reveals to be the most rewarding part of the reading experience. So, briefly, this novel is about a young American couple who seize once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to move to Sicily, but their new home has a dark past that begins to threaten their present.
Christopher Golden is one of my go-to horror writers, but his latest offering left me feeling somewhat ambivalent. Although the plot has a lot of promise, some pacing and characterization issues made The House of Last Resort a less compelling read than it could have been.
I loved the setting: the sun-drenched island of Sicily, where the constant threat of earthquakes is at odds with the peaceful Mediterranean lifestyle. Golden imbues the town of Becchina with rich atmosphere; I almost felt like I was strolling down its narrow cobbled streets myself, inhaling the smell of bread from a sidewalk bakery and flowers from the window boxes on every row house. (It should be noted that Italy is number one on my vacation destinations list, so it doesn't take much to get me there mentally, but Golden still does a great job of setting the scene.) He contrasts the brighter parts of Becchina with its more sinister aspects: an aging population and dying tourist trade, a malevolent home with an ominous moniker, and crumbling, closed-off catacombs underneath a Catholic church. In short, it's the perfect setting for a horror novel and I was here for it.
Unfortunately, while the horror elements are unsettling, it takes a while to get to them. Golden spends the first half of the book developing the characters and their relationships, and while I do think the relationship dynamics were interesting and thoughtful (particularly the relationship between Tommy and his grandfather), I didn't necessarily love the characters themselves; I found them to be bland and one-dimensional. The third act is stellar, with some surprising reveals and bold narrative choices, but even when bad things started happening to the characters, the effect was lessened because I didn't connect with them. I also think Golden could've gone a bit farther with certain horror aspects to make this a truly frightening read. Without being too specific, the horror trope at the center of this book is the only one in the genre that ever truly scares me -- but here it didn't frighten me at all, much to my disappointment.
The House of Last Resort had lots of potential, and while overall it was entertaining enough, I finished it feeling like there was a better book lurking somewhere inside its pages. Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary reading opportunity.
Christopher Golden is one of my go-to horror writers, but his latest offering left me feeling somewhat ambivalent. Although the plot has a lot of promise, some pacing and characterization issues made The House of Last Resort a less compelling read than it could have been.
I loved the setting: the sun-drenched island of Sicily, where the constant threat of earthquakes is at odds with the peaceful Mediterranean lifestyle. Golden imbues the town of Becchina with rich atmosphere; I almost felt like I was strolling down its narrow cobbled streets myself, inhaling the smell of bread from a sidewalk bakery and flowers from the window boxes on every row house. (It should be noted that Italy is number one on my vacation destinations list, so it doesn't take much to get me there mentally, but Golden still does a great job of setting the scene.) He contrasts the brighter parts of Becchina with its more sinister aspects: an aging population and dying tourist trade, a malevolent home with an ominous moniker, and crumbling, closed-off catacombs underneath a Catholic church. In short, it's the perfect setting for a horror novel and I was here for it.
Unfortunately, while the horror elements are unsettling, it takes a while to get to them. Golden spends the first half of the book developing the characters and their relationships, and while I do think the relationship dynamics were interesting and thoughtful (particularly the relationship between Tommy and his grandfather), I didn't necessarily love the characters themselves; I found them to be bland and one-dimensional. The third act is stellar, with some surprising reveals and bold narrative choices, but even when bad things started happening to the characters, the effect was lessened because I didn't connect with them. I also think Golden could've gone a bit farther with certain horror aspects to make this a truly frightening read. Without being too specific, the horror trope at the center of this book is the only one in the genre that ever truly scares me -- but here it didn't frighten me at all, much to my disappointment.
The House of Last Resort had lots of potential, and while overall it was entertaining enough, I finished it feeling like there was a better book lurking somewhere inside its pages. Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary reading opportunity.
June 2, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up to 4!
February 7, 2024
DNF at 20%. So boring, so poorly written. “Show, don’t tell” should’ve been implemented from page 1. Main characters very annoying and unrealistic. Way too much “they shared a kiss” blah blah blah, like just unpack your house already
July 8, 2024
DNF @ 25%, sped-read the rest
yikes, maybe more thoughts later, maybe not, bc they would prob be mean
[1.5 stars]
yikes, maybe more thoughts later, maybe not, bc they would prob be mean
[1.5 stars]
February 5, 2024
Forget the plot for a moment.
The writing is pedestrian. The dialogues are artificial and painful to read, like the author is uncomfortable with dialogues between a young couple. The characters Tommy and Kate are flat. I don't know this author, but if this is what gets picked up by an agent such as Morhaim, gets published as a hard cover and becomes a best-seller, I despair. Of course, 'genre' writing does not have to be literary, but this book sounds like it has been written by a fifteen year-old. Check this out:
"I still have no idea how the movers' truck is going to get to the house."
"Magic?" Tommy said. "Maybe they use a hot air balloon."
She poked him in the side.
"Hey! Don't poke the driver!"
'Hot air balloon, my butt!"
Tommy snikered.
Painful, and we're only at page 6...
And the pain continues for many, many pages...
Just a couple of examples before my head explodes with anger and frustration.
P.51: "A frown creased her forehead." Ouch. What happened to "She frowned"?? Can a frown crease anything else? An armpit perhaps? A big toe? Sloppy writing from an author who wants to "stuff" the book and sound "writy" (i.e. look at how pretty I can write!). Come on, man.
Two "deeper darkness" 4 short paragraphs apart (pp. 55-56).
This book sure feels like a first draft written in a hurry.
By the way, author, at page 31, the Italian word for the word banana is "banana" Do your research.
Enough.
Impossible not to feel great anger that this thing got picked up, published, and attracted a glowing review in the New York Times...
The writing is pedestrian. The dialogues are artificial and painful to read, like the author is uncomfortable with dialogues between a young couple. The characters Tommy and Kate are flat. I don't know this author, but if this is what gets picked up by an agent such as Morhaim, gets published as a hard cover and becomes a best-seller, I despair. Of course, 'genre' writing does not have to be literary, but this book sounds like it has been written by a fifteen year-old. Check this out:
"I still have no idea how the movers' truck is going to get to the house."
"Magic?" Tommy said. "Maybe they use a hot air balloon."
She poked him in the side.
"Hey! Don't poke the driver!"
'Hot air balloon, my butt!"
Tommy snikered.
Painful, and we're only at page 6...
And the pain continues for many, many pages...
Just a couple of examples before my head explodes with anger and frustration.
P.51: "A frown creased her forehead." Ouch. What happened to "She frowned"?? Can a frown crease anything else? An armpit perhaps? A big toe? Sloppy writing from an author who wants to "stuff" the book and sound "writy" (i.e. look at how pretty I can write!). Come on, man.
Two "deeper darkness" 4 short paragraphs apart (pp. 55-56).
This book sure feels like a first draft written in a hurry.
By the way, author, at page 31, the Italian word for the word banana is "banana" Do your research.
Enough.
Impossible not to feel great anger that this thing got picked up, published, and attracted a glowing review in the New York Times...
March 18, 2024
Just, no.
I’ve never been so bored while reading a “horror” novel.
I actively disliked (hated?) the main characters.
Lots of nothing going on, with a sluggish pace that wouldn’t keep up with a sloth.
Who takes days to finally explore the house they bought? Furthermore, who even buys a house without actually seeing the whole thing?
What woman hears noises during the night, somewhere in her huge mansion, while the power is out, and decides to investigate while wearing only her thong and carrying only her cell phone for the flashlight app?
And don’t even get me started on the catacombs.
Ridiculous dialogue. Ridiculous characters. Ridiculous everything.
DNF at 34%
*I received an eARC from the publisher, via NetGalley.*
I’ve never been so bored while reading a “horror” novel.
I actively disliked (hated?) the main characters.
Lots of nothing going on, with a sluggish pace that wouldn’t keep up with a sloth.
Who takes days to finally explore the house they bought? Furthermore, who even buys a house without actually seeing the whole thing?
What woman hears noises during the night, somewhere in her huge mansion, while the power is out, and decides to investigate while wearing only her thong and carrying only her cell phone for the flashlight app?
And don’t even get me started on the catacombs.
Ridiculous dialogue. Ridiculous characters. Ridiculous everything.
DNF at 34%
*I received an eARC from the publisher, via NetGalley.*
April 23, 2024
Christopher Golden is a recent fav thriller author and this latest haunted house story set in Sicily was creepy AF and I was totally here for it! Great on audio with an excellent backstory, super atmospheric and perfect for fans of authors like Jennifer McMahon or Simone St. James. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This would make an EXCELLENT Spooky season read for all the horror lovers out there!
October 6, 2023
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 30, 2024
“All Hallows” by author Christopher Golden was a five-star, heart-pounding, goosebump-inducing read for me so I immediately jumped at the chance to read his newest novel, “The House of Last Resort”.
The mayor of Becchina, a small, half-abandoned town in Italy, has offered an incentive to those outside of Italy who are willing to come to the town and try and jumpstart the tourist industry. Most homes for sale are selling for only a single Euro, as long as the owners agree to renovate and to stay put. Newlyweds Katie and Tommy see an offer they can’t refuse and find themselves purchasing a large estate in the town, close to Tommy’s aging grandparents who he hasn’t seen in years, since his father refused to ever return to the country after a fight with Tommy’s grandfather. Tommy is hoping to rekindle his relationship with his grandparents, find out what caused the rift in the first place and start a life with his new bride. But all is not what it seems as the house Tommy and Katie bought has been labeled “The House of Last Resort” by locals, and its spooky history has the couple regretting their decision but when Tommy is personally drawn into the dark past, neither he nor his wife will be able to leave.
Golden’s “Resort” has all the makings of a spooky read- a haunted house in a nearly-abandoned town with a past of demons and exorcisms gone terribly wrong. The premise intrigued me right off the bat, and the house’s history with failed exorcisms was supremely clever and unique.
Both Tommy and Katie tell the story, although it is obvious that Tommy is the protagonist, with his family connections to the town and its dark history. Although there is nothing specific I can pinpoint that brought me to this conclusion, I wasn’t a huge fan of the couple. They were young millennial newlyweds, which isn’t offensive on its own, but I did not connect with them in any way. Golden’s plot and spooky setting had me turning the pages, but I didn’t really care about the character’s outcomes.
I loved the house and the history that came with it! Demons, ghosts, possessions? Don’t mind if I do. This novel had a moderately satisfying ending, but it wasn’t one hundred percent conclusive, so Golden did leave some room for readers to imagine the outcome. That being said, if Golden returns to this plot, I want to see more of a prequel, with the history and the past residents of the house being explored. “The House of Last Resort” is a super spooky read for the fall and I hope it hits the same with readers when it’s released in January!
Expected publication date: Jan. 30, 2024
“All Hallows” by author Christopher Golden was a five-star, heart-pounding, goosebump-inducing read for me so I immediately jumped at the chance to read his newest novel, “The House of Last Resort”.
The mayor of Becchina, a small, half-abandoned town in Italy, has offered an incentive to those outside of Italy who are willing to come to the town and try and jumpstart the tourist industry. Most homes for sale are selling for only a single Euro, as long as the owners agree to renovate and to stay put. Newlyweds Katie and Tommy see an offer they can’t refuse and find themselves purchasing a large estate in the town, close to Tommy’s aging grandparents who he hasn’t seen in years, since his father refused to ever return to the country after a fight with Tommy’s grandfather. Tommy is hoping to rekindle his relationship with his grandparents, find out what caused the rift in the first place and start a life with his new bride. But all is not what it seems as the house Tommy and Katie bought has been labeled “The House of Last Resort” by locals, and its spooky history has the couple regretting their decision but when Tommy is personally drawn into the dark past, neither he nor his wife will be able to leave.
Golden’s “Resort” has all the makings of a spooky read- a haunted house in a nearly-abandoned town with a past of demons and exorcisms gone terribly wrong. The premise intrigued me right off the bat, and the house’s history with failed exorcisms was supremely clever and unique.
Both Tommy and Katie tell the story, although it is obvious that Tommy is the protagonist, with his family connections to the town and its dark history. Although there is nothing specific I can pinpoint that brought me to this conclusion, I wasn’t a huge fan of the couple. They were young millennial newlyweds, which isn’t offensive on its own, but I did not connect with them in any way. Golden’s plot and spooky setting had me turning the pages, but I didn’t really care about the character’s outcomes.
I loved the house and the history that came with it! Demons, ghosts, possessions? Don’t mind if I do. This novel had a moderately satisfying ending, but it wasn’t one hundred percent conclusive, so Golden did leave some room for readers to imagine the outcome. That being said, if Golden returns to this plot, I want to see more of a prequel, with the history and the past residents of the house being explored. “The House of Last Resort” is a super spooky read for the fall and I hope it hits the same with readers when it’s released in January!
May 23, 2024
3 stars
Wrapped up with an extremely effective last act, but that doesn't make up for the tedium leading up to it, I'm conflicted with The House of Last Resort, because on one end it's extremely atmospheric — the earthquake-prone, historic European small town setting provides a lot of contextual nuances. However, its critical undoings are the character and plot, which are thinly-drawn and unfocused; the absence of an emotional connection really hinders my overall engagement beyond scenes of horror and tension (which are expertly crafted).
For a story pivoting itself around the committed love between its protagonists, at no point do I actually 'feel' it; switching between two POVs, each character constantly proclaims their feeling through extended internal monologues. The overuse of telling, instead of showing, renders the emotional journey hollow and superficial. In a domino effect, not able to relate to the protagonists also impacts greatly in instances when readers need to tolerate some dumb character decisions for 'horror story reason' (so many things could've been Googled ahead of time, and the novel never provides a convincing reason why they chose to remain in the house).
(On a side note, it irks me how often the characters talk to themselves in this book — as if the author fears without this additional commentary, the readers would not grasp the 'point' of the situation. But in practice it is extremely immersion-breaking.)
The House of Last Resort should've been a short story, even though I love the how chilling and 'un-Hollywood' it concludes, in retrospect the lengthy human story is passively told and superficial, and the horror aspect is allocated to a very dull plot line (too much focus on restoration). While it has the vibe nailed down (reminds me of the horror film The Sentinel from the 70s), overall it doesn't quite scratch my horror itch until the very end.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
Wrapped up with an extremely effective last act, but that doesn't make up for the tedium leading up to it, I'm conflicted with The House of Last Resort, because on one end it's extremely atmospheric — the earthquake-prone, historic European small town setting provides a lot of contextual nuances. However, its critical undoings are the character and plot, which are thinly-drawn and unfocused; the absence of an emotional connection really hinders my overall engagement beyond scenes of horror and tension (which are expertly crafted).
For a story pivoting itself around the committed love between its protagonists, at no point do I actually 'feel' it; switching between two POVs, each character constantly proclaims their feeling through extended internal monologues. The overuse of telling, instead of showing, renders the emotional journey hollow and superficial. In a domino effect, not able to relate to the protagonists also impacts greatly in instances when readers need to tolerate some dumb character decisions for 'horror story reason' (so many things could've been Googled ahead of time, and the novel never provides a convincing reason why they chose to remain in the house).
(On a side note, it irks me how often the characters talk to themselves in this book — as if the author fears without this additional commentary, the readers would not grasp the 'point' of the situation. But in practice it is extremely immersion-breaking.)
The House of Last Resort should've been a short story, even though I love the how chilling and 'un-Hollywood' it concludes, in retrospect the lengthy human story is passively told and superficial, and the horror aspect is allocated to a very dull plot line (too much focus on restoration). While it has the vibe nailed down (reminds me of the horror film The Sentinel from the 70s), overall it doesn't quite scratch my horror itch until the very end.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
December 11, 2023
*Huge thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a digital ARC of this one!*
I’m always up for ‘foreign location’ horror. I know that sounds funny, but horror set in Europe has centuries and centuries of history to utilize. If we look at horror set in Canada (where I’m from) we ultimately look back in time and end up with a history of… open plains and mountains. Which don’t get me wrong is also amazing, but not the same as when you’re going to read about a story based around religious mystery, which is the case with Golden’s newest release, ‘The House of Last Resort.’
Going in, I was intrigued with the set up, which I’ll go over in a minute, but also with the line in the synopsis discussing what it is they’ll find. And boy, did they find something that’ll have horror fans excited.
What I liked: The story follows husband and wife, Tommy and Kate. Tommy’s family is from a small Italian town, but after a falling out many years ago between his dad and grandpa, he’s not been back in years. That all changes when an opportunity arises. The town’s government is offering houses for $1, trying to entice foreigners to move in and help revitalize the town and the economy. There are stipulations – those who buy homes have to remain for a certain amount of time and agree to renovate the houses – but the thought of this exciting adventure is too much for Tommy and Kate to pass up, so they jump on it and move.
Once there, Golden wastes no time in starting to subtly share some ‘oddities.’ There’s a door in the house that they can’t open. Sounds happen. Presences are felt. An old woman down the road seems off. And when Tommy’s grandmother comes to see the house, she won’t step foot inside, visibly upset that this is the house they’ve purchased.
The creeps continue, even as Tommy and Kate settle into their new place and meet some other foreigners who’ve moved to the town. Soon, Kate finds the door is open, even though they didn’t get a key for it. And inside they find an entire section of the house that they weren’t even aware was there.
From here, Golden gives us a dread-infused look at the history of the house, and not long after, even more shocking events occur that ultimately test what it is that Tommy and Kate are willing to believe.
It’s hard to truly go into the details – because of the spoiler aspects – but we get some great revelations about the church’s involvement in the house, what its role was and ultimately what horrors happened within and below.
The final quarter of the book is a sprint, with the realtor becoming involved once again and the true nature of why many wanted Tommy to return to this small town. It sets off a string of events that all culminate in an ending that was spot on perfect, based on how Golden had set things up.
What I didn’t like: This is gonna be tough, as I want to remain spoiler free, but I think the thing that I noticed most was that nothing was ever fully expanded upon. Every time we learn new bits, the book continues on and we don’t get an exploration of it. When we find out what’s behind the door, it was amazing. They explore it, we get some great descriptions of the rooms and the walls etc… and then Tommy and Kate renovate it.
When we find out the truth behind what the house was used for, we get a horrified reaction from Tommy and Kate and then… we just move on. Don’t get me wrong, the pacing of the book was amazing, and I was hooked from the beginning, but we just kept trucking along.
Same with when they visit the catacombs below and look into it becoming a tourist location. Odd things are noted, strangeness abounds… and then they just start building.
And I will say, while I really liked the culmination of what happens and how the ending occurs, some folks may find it to be far too predictable, which would be fair.
Why you should buy this: At the end of the day, I think the thing to really keep in mind with this is that this is a big-press horror novel. So, while it gets dark and tensions rise, it’ll never go super extreme and most of the action remains surface-level without any real brutality or extremeness.
Saying that, if you’re looking for a fast-paced, highly-engaging religious horror novel where you want to root for Tommy and Kate and see them overcome both the fish-out-of-water aspect of moving to a different country, while also overcoming the horrors within their house, look no further. Golden’s a master at writing these immediately accessible characters and once again shows why he’s one of the leaders of the big publishing horror movement.
I’m always up for ‘foreign location’ horror. I know that sounds funny, but horror set in Europe has centuries and centuries of history to utilize. If we look at horror set in Canada (where I’m from) we ultimately look back in time and end up with a history of… open plains and mountains. Which don’t get me wrong is also amazing, but not the same as when you’re going to read about a story based around religious mystery, which is the case with Golden’s newest release, ‘The House of Last Resort.’
Going in, I was intrigued with the set up, which I’ll go over in a minute, but also with the line in the synopsis discussing what it is they’ll find. And boy, did they find something that’ll have horror fans excited.
What I liked: The story follows husband and wife, Tommy and Kate. Tommy’s family is from a small Italian town, but after a falling out many years ago between his dad and grandpa, he’s not been back in years. That all changes when an opportunity arises. The town’s government is offering houses for $1, trying to entice foreigners to move in and help revitalize the town and the economy. There are stipulations – those who buy homes have to remain for a certain amount of time and agree to renovate the houses – but the thought of this exciting adventure is too much for Tommy and Kate to pass up, so they jump on it and move.
Once there, Golden wastes no time in starting to subtly share some ‘oddities.’ There’s a door in the house that they can’t open. Sounds happen. Presences are felt. An old woman down the road seems off. And when Tommy’s grandmother comes to see the house, she won’t step foot inside, visibly upset that this is the house they’ve purchased.
The creeps continue, even as Tommy and Kate settle into their new place and meet some other foreigners who’ve moved to the town. Soon, Kate finds the door is open, even though they didn’t get a key for it. And inside they find an entire section of the house that they weren’t even aware was there.
From here, Golden gives us a dread-infused look at the history of the house, and not long after, even more shocking events occur that ultimately test what it is that Tommy and Kate are willing to believe.
It’s hard to truly go into the details – because of the spoiler aspects – but we get some great revelations about the church’s involvement in the house, what its role was and ultimately what horrors happened within and below.
The final quarter of the book is a sprint, with the realtor becoming involved once again and the true nature of why many wanted Tommy to return to this small town. It sets off a string of events that all culminate in an ending that was spot on perfect, based on how Golden had set things up.
What I didn’t like: This is gonna be tough, as I want to remain spoiler free, but I think the thing that I noticed most was that nothing was ever fully expanded upon. Every time we learn new bits, the book continues on and we don’t get an exploration of it. When we find out what’s behind the door, it was amazing. They explore it, we get some great descriptions of the rooms and the walls etc… and then Tommy and Kate renovate it.
When we find out the truth behind what the house was used for, we get a horrified reaction from Tommy and Kate and then… we just move on. Don’t get me wrong, the pacing of the book was amazing, and I was hooked from the beginning, but we just kept trucking along.
Same with when they visit the catacombs below and look into it becoming a tourist location. Odd things are noted, strangeness abounds… and then they just start building.
And I will say, while I really liked the culmination of what happens and how the ending occurs, some folks may find it to be far too predictable, which would be fair.
Why you should buy this: At the end of the day, I think the thing to really keep in mind with this is that this is a big-press horror novel. So, while it gets dark and tensions rise, it’ll never go super extreme and most of the action remains surface-level without any real brutality or extremeness.
Saying that, if you’re looking for a fast-paced, highly-engaging religious horror novel where you want to root for Tommy and Kate and see them overcome both the fish-out-of-water aspect of moving to a different country, while also overcoming the horrors within their house, look no further. Golden’s a master at writing these immediately accessible characters and once again shows why he’s one of the leaders of the big publishing horror movement.
January 9, 2024
2.5 STARS - I was pulled into this book based on its enticing blurb. A couple takes advantage of a too good to be true deal and buys an Italian mansion for one Euro in a remote Italian village. The only caveat is that they must live in the house for five years and renovate it. But the home has its own secrets and a dark history.
Golden provides a beautiful yet haunting setting in the small Italian town. There is a sense of foreboding, and the sinister atmosphere was my favourite part of the book, but the story takes quite awhile to get into the house's secrets. One plot point that that irked me is how Americans Kate and Tom move to the small town to get away from the busyness of American culture only to immediately want to turn the quaint town into a tourist destination without talking to the locals.
This is a very slow burn read with creepy elements (that felt a bit absurd at times), but not nearly as scary as what I (a self-proclaimed wuss) imagined a horror book would be. And while the ending had high energy, the tension was often disjointed, and the plot lagged in the middle with a lot of internal dialogue which caused me to put down the book a few times. I think this book would fare better as a short story.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 22, 2024
Man it took me awhile to review this book but in my opinion it was good yes it was slow at times some repeative stuff but it actually terrified me! What I wanted more was the backstory of the husbands grandparents and why certain things were happening I forgot his name sorry it's been a minute but wow that ending! That really did scare me I mean I'm not sure why the reviews are so low but it was good some parts were lacking but all in all very good!
September 2, 2023
Holy cats, that ending!
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