The House of Last Resort: A Novel

In the beautiful, crumbling hilltop town of Becchina, the economy is dying and there are many abandoned homes, but its mayor has taken drastic measures to rebuild—selling those 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 where Tommy’s grandparents, his closest living relatives, live. 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 show more 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 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.....

This was SO good. It was one of those books that slowly got creepier and creepier, until BAM! Also, can I just say, I hate rats. I don't care what anyone says, no they are not just large mice, and I dare anyone who reads this book to say otherwise. The ending on the book was perfect and sent chills up my spine. It couldn't have ended better. If you are a fan of horror/thrillers, then you definitely need to add this to your TBR list. show less

An American couple buys a house in Italy for a single Euro, but the house has a dark past and something sinister stirs beneath the surface.
Our young couple, Tommy and Kate Puglisi, move to a virtual ghost town in Sicily to be near Tommy's relatives and to start over. They've made the decision to give everything in their life up and just go for the adventure. The mayor, of our little town is looking to revitalize the town of Becchina. He's selling abandoned properties at a just single Euro...but there are conditions that the buyer has to meet. The buyers have to occupy the dwelling and agree to live there for at least five years and make restorations to the property. Sounds simple, doesn't it?? Just wait!

We can't be too surprised that show more Tommy and Kate are impulsive enough to buy in to everything. They even try to talk their friends into joining them, but they refuse. Their all alone in this venture, but off they go. Of course, we know what it means when something is "too good to be true"! don’t

Tommy’s grandparents have lived in Becchina forever, and Tommy used to visit them with his parents, but due to a family disagreement between Tommy's father and his grandfather, he hadn’t been back in several decades. Of course there was several good reasons for this. One would think that Tommy’s grandmother would have been over-joyed that they had done this, but for some reason, she wasn't just angry...she was furious. She wasn't angry that they had moved to Sicily but that they bought THAT particular house, referred to by the locals as "The House of Last Resort." It seems it had a reputation going back nearly a century as the final option for a cure for those people that were possessed by demons. Of course, no one thought to mention this at the time of the sale. We then find out that Tommy has a larger stake in this particular house than anyone knows.

The house is filled with catacombs, tunnels, rats, strange old rooms, and a war is going on between the good spirits and the evil spirits, and the weird townspeople. This story will have you on the edge of your chair.

Wait until you find out what the priests had been doing in this house all those long years…and how many people died in the strange chapel inside. Meanwhile, while the humans try to settle in, and sort things out.... down in the catacombs beneath Becchina…something stirs. show less

This is very similar to Diavola, like nearly the same plot but written by a completely different person.
I liked the plot, though the character writing was a lot of telling and no showing. There was a lot of "they did this sort of banter because they were so in love and best friends" or whatever rather than just letting the dialogue speak for itself. This was still a fast, fun, and eerie book.

A young married couple decide to leave America for what they perceive to be a better life in Sicily. They buy an old mansion in the town of Becchina which turns out to have a sordid past which nobody deems wise to tell them. The story goes downhill from there. I developed no sympathy for the main characters in this book, and the author has an odd writing style of which I am not a fan.

Tommy’s grandparents live in a small town in Italy. This town is basically dying. The mayor has offered a great deal to people willing to move to this small town and put down roots. Tommy and his wife, Kate jump on this offer. Little do they know this house has a terrible past!

Tommy and Kate definitely have their hands full with this house. Oh boy! The exorcisms and the catacombs…GEEZ! I could just picture this in my mind. And yes, Kate is right. There are quite a few things about this town that would make a great tourist attraction…the history and the spookiness just add to the mystique! This is definitely an attraction I would want to see!

The only reason this is not a 5 star read, there is something that just doesn’t sit well show more with me on the writing. And I am not sure what it is. I think it is the conversations. They just don’t seem to fit the characters well. BUT, The intensity is definitely there! I swear, there are places where I gasped and could not stop reading because I just had to know what was about to happen!

I have read another book by this author, Road of Bones. And I can’t decide which one I liked better. I loved the paranormal suspense and the settings in both. So, you read them both and let me know.

Need a good suspense with a wicked house and a few exorcisms…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. show less

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 show more 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. show less

Tommy and Kate have started a new life in a hill town in Sicily, where Tommy's grandparents live after having driven out Tommy's father years ago. Little do they know that their beautiful new house served the Church for centuries as the last resort of exorcism for those possessed by demons; still less do they know that those demons are real - and haven't all gone…. A scary tale indeed, but it doesn’t quite hold together for me, maybe simply because I’m not Catholic so some of the more esoteric bits were over my head.