If I didn’t like rats before I surely don’t like them now. Tommy and Kate travel to remote parts of Europe and unwillingly move into a house that the Vatican held exorcisms and buried the unsuccessful people in catacombs below their new home. A house of last resort. A good possession slash ghost story novel that keeps you guessing. Loved the story line and the characters. Another bestseller.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

A young, optimistic American couple, Tommy and Kate, relocate to the Sicilian town where Tommy's grandparents live. To attract new residents, the mayor is offering abandoned home for 1 Euro if the buyer is willing to make the town their home. After arriving, they are greeted with an earthquake and anger from Tommy's grandmother who is upset that they have bought that particular house. As they work on renovating the home and discovering more about their new town, Tommy and Kate discover that their home was once owned by the Vatican and was known as the House of Last Resort. The history of the house and the town is slowly revealed by Golden as he also increases the sense of unease and dread. Tommy and Kate are in a battle against centuries of secrets for their very souls.
Readers will love this latest by Golden. It's a nice crossover title that will appeal to thriller fans who are open to horror. Recommended to fans of Danielle Trussoni's The Ancestor or even fans of La Hacienda by Isabel Cañas who liked the haunted house aspect of the book.

If the rat scene in Orwell's 1984 scared you, this novel probably isn't for you. If you won't watch The Exorcist, this novel probably isn't for you. If you're a grandmillenial stuck embroiled in capitalism and fantasizing about packing up and moving to a small Italian village for a change of pace (and probably need your mind changed about this fantasy) add this to your list immediately. This terrifyingly spooky novel is about Tommy and Kate, a young American couple who decide to move to the Italian village that is home to much of Tommy's family. They purchase and begin to renovate a beautiful old home, which they quickly realize has some surprises in store. This one actively kept me up at night.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden is a gripping horror novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Golden's unique take on possessions sets this book apart from others in the genre, providing readers with a fresh perspective on a well-trodden topic. The story follows a group of individuals who are drawn to an isolated and mysterious mansion, known as the House of Last Resort. Soon after their arrival, strange and terrifying things begin to happen, causing them to question their own sanity and the true nature of the house.

I have always been a fan of Golden’s stories and was not disappointed with this one one bit.

Overall, The House of Last Resort is a fantastic read that will thrill and delight horror fans. The novel is a definite 5/5 stars and is highly recommended to anyone looking for a spooky and thrilling read.

I realized quickly with this one that the writing was not working for me. I think it could be a decent read, but I don't feel like I need to read the rest to find out. I was hoping for a little more with this one, but what can you do. I may try to check out other new releases from this author in the future.

The House of Last Resort checks many boxes for me: haunted house, exotic locale, exorcism/possession... I went into reading this anticipating that I would like it, and it didn't disappoint. A highlight for me was the relationship between the protagonist couple - it was refreshing to see characters be self-aware and genuinely work at maintaining a healthy dynamic. My biggest criticism is that the story feels somewhat bloated. While I think the plot points were all there and made sense -- I feel like a lot could be cut or sped up and still maintain the integrity of the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This was my first book by Christopher Golden and it fell a little flat. I was pretty intrigued at the beginning but not loving the oddly detached writing style, and once the horror got going I wasn't even scared - it just felt all a bit ridiculous. It is a very cool concept, but it just didn't work for me.

I don't know what it is about Christopher Golden - I get really excited for each read only for them to end up in the middle of the road for me (Ararat, All Hallows, etc.)

I liked the premise - couple takes advantage of a cheap housing deal to support repopulation/rejuvenation of a remote village in Sicily only to find the house the purchased was more than it seemed. Overall, it kept my interest - even if it was slightly underwhelming and felt like the pacing was a bit off.

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.

Solid 4.5 stars
This is a great horror story, grabbed me and totally gave me the creeps. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a good but bizarre book. Well written and slightly creepy. Kate and Tom decide to move to a mostly vacant town in Italy and be closer to his grandparents. Lots of family secrets in here that are eventually revealed. I did not expect a lot of the events at the end and the parts certain characters played either.
It was an interesting horror read with a slightly strange ending.
I loved the setting of the mostly vacant town with the old church and catacombs. The house added to the atmosphere as well.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance readers copy of this book. My reviews never contain spoilers and are freely given.
Taking a cue from current programs to revitalize small towns in Italy, Christopher Golden turns the prospect into a perfect nightmare scenario. Kate and Tom (whose grandparents live in a small town in Sicily) purchase a home for one euro, agreeing to invest in refurbishment of the property. They soon find that the home is called the House of Last Resort and the reason becomes abundantly clear as the tale progresses. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an early copy of The House of Last Resort. Below you'll find my honest review.

I'm actually really disappointed at this one. The first 90% of the book was amazing: slow burn, perfect pace of reveals, lingering questions, horror elements building up over the course of the book. The last 10% though? I just wasn't satisfied. I can't really say much because I want to avoid spoilers, but the ending fell flat for me. All that build-up, all that emotional carnage, and the payoff just wasn't there for me.

Like I said, I did love most of the book, so I'll only take away a star for not nailing the ending (in my opinion - others might really like it). And I'm definitely interested in reading more of Christopher Golden's works.

Four stars, recommended for fans of horror.

When options op up in the town where his aging grandparents live, Tommy and Kate jumped at the chance to buy a gorgeous Italian villa for one Euro. Becchina is a beautiful change of pace from hectic Boston, and the couple are thrilled to start this European chapter of their lives. That is, until they discover that their new house has a dark past. And maybe ghosts? They find some disturbing decor in the hidden annex of the house, including a secret entrance into the ancient catacombs of the city, and things will pretty much only get worse from there.

Read this if you:
🧛 love classic horror movies
🍝 ever considered that 1 Euro Italian house deal
🐀 are freaked out by rats (not TOO freaked out though)

Full disclosure, I didn't read the synopsis of this book so I had NO idea where it was headed, and boy was it a great ride! It's a pretty dark book despite the light, happy beginning, and this is done so gradually that you hardly notice. There were a handful of times where I wanted to speed things up, but they were brief and I sort of understand why Christopher Golden made us linger in these specific places now that I'm done with the book.

I definitely recommend this read if you're into suspenseful horror, and the ending was literal perfection. My favorite moment of the book. Thank you to Christopher Golden, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy!

To me this felt very young adult in nature and I had a really hard time getting into it. The pacing was a bit off as well and I don't think it really needed to be as long as it ended up being.

Remember those news stories, "fabulous locale seeking fresh blood, offering properties for $1"? Of course they need renovations, but the usual requirements involve taking residence and staying for a while? Tommy and Kate did that, in a 1-euro property in a tiny town in Italy. Tommy's dad left, but most of his relatives are still there, in Becchina, and the couple wonders if they can convince some of their friends to move abroad, too.

However. Their initial experiences, so full of promise, aren't panning out. There are stories about the house. There are secrets Tommy never learned about why his dad left. The realtor is a little shady, and why is there a whole section of the house they weren't told about? Perhaps the largest question, one to ponder while touring the town's extensive catacombs--why was their house called the House of Last Resort?

This is a great exploration of a Bad Real Estate "What-If?" prompt, and is a wild ride (earthquakes!) made better by the strong central relationship between the couple. They have so much riding on this new start, and even though Tommy's family is here, they're relying on each other. Golden's always a solid bet, but this is probably his best so far.

Kinda conflicted on this one! I enjoyed the beginning and was drawn in quickly but it got a little boring in the middle and then the end was a bit out there for me. Overall I did enjoy it but not as much as I hoped.

Tommy and Kate decide to leave their lives in the US behind. Tommy’s grandparents live in Becchina, Sicily and the mayor is offering an amazing deal. For one euro, and investing money in fixing up the house, it will be their home. All they also have to agree to do is live there for at least five years. They have a chance at a much different life, and they decide to take the plunge. Tommy’s grandparents are not getting any younger and he would love to spend more time with them before they die.
But from the moment his grandmother sees the house they bought, her reaction is not what they expected. Turns out this house has a long history, and the things that happened there were, shall we say not good.
Soon they learn what happened in their dream home, and it might turn into the biggest mistake of their lives. Evil lurks within these walls, and Tommy and Kate might not make it out the same as when they arrived (or maybe not at all). I had some issues rooting for both Kate and Tommy, but I was a definite fan of the oh so creepy House of Last Resort.

When Tommy and Kate take a deal to move to Tommy’s family’s ancestral hometown in Sicily, buying an abandoned home for 1 euro in exchange for investing in the home and the town, they think they’ve hit the lottery. But shortly after moving in, they both feel like things are slightly “off” in their beautiful new home. And then the townspeople begin whispering about the house behind their backs, never quite revealing what they know about a strange group of rooms the couple finds at the back of the house. As Tommy and Kate try to unravel the mystery, they turn to Tommy’s family, who may hold the key to the mystery which could affect their entire lives.

This book really hooked me from the beginning: we’ve all heard of these incredible deals to help revitalize aging towns, so couple that with a creepy house with history involving the dark side of tge Church and I’m 100% in. Sign. Me. Up. And this book delivers on its promises. It starts out slowly building the tension, almost Hitchcock-like. Because of course, these things aren’t going to just beat in the face. Then things ramp up, culminating in an episode that is very rattling and a no-way-back.

It’s all fascinating and scary and claustrophobic. It makes you feel like “what would I do if I just moved halfway around the world and this happened?!” And….yeah…..it’s also pretty terrifying. It lived up to my expectations going in for a good creepy Old World read.

And the ending. Oh-ho the ending. It was something else that just I did not see coming, but fit so well into the book and the storyline. I can’t say much more. It was so perfect. That last line was perfect. Bravo, Mr. Golden.

So yeah, if you’re looking for a nice creepy read this winter, this is a fantastic option. I highly recommend it. And I’ll be reading more from Christopher Golden in the future.

Christopher Golden is a master at exploring the human relationship placed within a tight, usually horrific, environment. His latest, The House of Last Resort (Jan 2024), is one part familial drama, one part haunted house escapade framed within a falling-into-eternal-sleep Sicilian village. Golden, as a special reward for his fans, even throws in an exorcism or two. The House of Last Resort is a perfect beach read. Until it isn’t. Then it becomes a race to the finish while ensuring every light is on in the house to chase away the shadows.

But those remaining shadows? Golden knows how to hide things in them.

Set in the winding cobblestones of an ancient Sicilian town with Mount Etna looming on the horizon like Mordor, newlyweds Kate and Tommy return to the Old World to seek a new life. The house they found is a fix-me-upper, but so is everything in Becchina. There, they quickly get accustomed to a more relaxed way of life full of espresso, gelato, and vino. And kudos to Golden for his own little Italian tourism pitch; I’m more-than-ready to return. However, the couple soon realizes that the Old World traditions of superstition and folklore are more tangible than those in America. Their house, for instance, has a haunted legacy of its own.

But that’s all the stuff of primeval legends and old housewives and elderly priests. Right?

Golden hints and teases at what secrets their house holds. A nightmare here. A dusty apparition there. During it all, he comfortably builds up the characters of Tommy and Kate. Yes, they are young, impatient, and occasionally downright rude, but they are also interesting enough to become stars of their own tale. In doing so, they are elevated into becoming much more than mere - and overly cliche - fodder for when the killings start. And that anticipated action? Rest assured, it all kicks in as the earth rumbles. And then it kicks again as hell is unleashed.

Golden’s balancing act between the common ordinary and the grotesque fantastical is not always level throughout his writings. The families of Parmenter Road in All Hallows and the archaeological teams in Ararat, for instance, quickly become grating and the action too tardy. Whereas in both Red Hands and Road of Bones, the human and the monstrous shared a memorable narrative space. Yes, the creepy action in The House of Last Resort does not get all spider-walky until the twilight of the pages. But that ending?

Che bello!

Grazie, Signore Golden. Encore!


And grazie to NetGalley and the fine team at St. Martin's Press. I remain a Christopher Golden fan and am thankful to have received this advance reader’s copy. Ciao.