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The House of Last Resort

Audiobook
0 of 2 copies available
0 of 2 copies available

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.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 27, 2023
      Golden (All Hallows) returns to top form in this creative haunted-house thriller set in the small Sicilian town of Becchina. A municipal initiative to attract new blood to what has begun to resemble a ghost town offers newcomers the property of their choice in exchange for a single euro and a promise that they will spend money on renovations and stay for at least five years. Among the first to seize the opportunity are Americans Tommy and Kate Puglisi, drawn by the fact that Tommy’s grandparents are from Becchina and live there still. The move proves questionable from the moment the couple arrives at their new home, however. They’re badly rattled by a powerful earthquake, and Tommy’s grandmother is upset at their choice of house for reasons she doesn’t explain, though she is adamant that it’s not suitable for children. Soon, the couple start hearing strange noises and learn that the property, once owned by the church, and known as the “House of Last Resort,” has a dark history. Golden evokes chills without relying on cliches and makes suspending disbelief easy through skillful characterizations of the leads. Horror fans should check this out.

    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2024

      Americans Tommy and Kate Puglisi work remotely and dream of escaping the U.S.'s intense social and political landscape. So when a house in Becchina, Italy, the town Tommy's grandparents call home, becomes available for a single euro, they jump in. Their excitement quickly sours, however, as Tommy's grandmother is angry and refuses to set foot in the elegant but crumbling home. Before they know it, the couple are plagued by frightening events and strange happenings. The troubles escalate when Kate discovers a secret annex, and things that should have been left alone begin to stir. Golden's (All Hallows) latest lulls listeners with a sunny start but quickly allows the horrors to unfold. Marnye Young and Noah Michael Levine narrate the young and hopeful couple, moving from optimism at a new, relaxed life to shock at the menace headed their way. Both narrators' performances work in tandem with the story, capturing the increasingly tense tone and communicating the couple's determination to survive. VERDICT Terrifying, uncomfortable, and unputdownable. Fans of Danielle Trussoni's The Ancestor will want to pick this up.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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