This one wasn't really for me, but I'm still very thankful to the publisher, Christopher Golden, and Netgalley for granting me advanced digital access before publication day.

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect going into The House of Last Resort. Then it went dark, and I loved every minute of it. The mystery of old Italy combined with the secrets of the Catholic church and ancient catacombs? It literally has all the elements of a great horror story, which is exactly what I've come to expect from the fiendishly clever mind of Christopher Golden.

Tommy and Kate and their house of horrors won’t be leaving my mind anytime soon. Christopher Golden works magic in this thrilling account of a bad house. Five stars!

My dream would be to live in Italy. In this gorgeous Italian town many homes were abandoned. The mayor wants to rebuild so he offers these homes to anyone who wants them for one Euro, but there’s a catch. The new owners must live there for 5 years. As the kids say seems a little Sus. I’m not sure I’d take that bargain and after reading this one I definitely wouldn’t! I did really enjoy this one with the gorgeous settings and the horror vibes.
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Thank you @stmartinspress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you are old enough to remember The Exorcist and loved it, then this book is for you! Young couple Tommy and Kate move to Sicily as his grandparents live there and they got the deal of the century as old houses were selling for 1 euro each! They are delighted but then a little frightened as a few earthquakes plague the town; little damage has been done so they are still giddy with the excitement of unpacking and decorating. When they discover the rich history of Sicily and tour the old catacombs, they come up with the idea of turning them into a tourist attraction and maybe convincing some friends back home to move there. But then Tommy's grandfather dies and all hell (literally) breaks loose! Be forewarned this book is not for the squeamish, as it's creepy but overall a great story!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book took me a while to get through because it was creepy enough that I couldn’t read it late at night (my go to reading time). I love a haunted house story and I was not expecting the demon angle. Nothing is quite as scary to me as possession and exorcisms. This is quite the atmospheric spooky read.

“𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺, 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴.”

Wow, I did not know what to expect with this book! While I'm not usually a big fan of the demon trope this one kind of surprised me, in a good way! I really enjoyed the way it was written and how this ended.

Tommy and Kate Puglisi have finally realized their dream and bought a one euro house in Italy. Tommy is so excited to settle in his family’s home town of Becchina, where his Nonno and Nonna still live. He can picture the days spent with Kate exploring the countryside and fixing up their beautiful house.

Kate is equally as excited! This feels like a romantic adventure and a place they can put down roots. That is until they find out the name of their home…The House of Last Resort. While she doesn’t believe in superstitions she can’t shake the noises coming from the annex at night, the way Tommy’s grandpa has been behaving, and the strange sitings of rats in their home.

Soon they’ll realize what’s really going, and while they figure it out something in the catacombs of Becchina lurks.

Becchina, a small Italian town, is dying. Its youth move to the cities as fast as they can. Its elders are dying of old age. To counter this trend, the town’s mayor is selling abandoned villas for only a single euro. It is a deal that Kate cannot pass up. The grandparents of Kate’s husband, Tommy, still live in the town. Kate and Tommy buy a beautiful villa on a hill overlooking the town. They are happily renovating it when they start seeing and hearing some disturbing things. What is causing the banging doors and eerie shadows at night? How can they get rid of those large, yellow-eyed rats that seem to infest some areas of their house? Most importantly, why is their home known as The House of Last Resort?

I love genre mashups. And this one is unique. It’s part romance, part family drama, part flipping primer, and part horror tale (and two kinds of horror at that). My only issue is that each part is revealed sequentially rather that merged into a stew. The horror feeling of dread is very subtle until the last third of the book. The flipping part only lasts for the first fifty pages. I am worried that if you only like one of the genres, you will be bored for the rest of the book, which makes The House of Last Resort very difficult to recommend. I enjoyed it but I like all the represented genres. Because of its patchy feel, I can only give it 3 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

I don't read much horror, but when it was offered, I decided to take a chance on reading this one. After reading (and then skimming) pages, I decided I'm still not a horror reader - at least about books featuring possession and exorcism anyway.
While obviously not the target audience for this book, I'm sure it will appeal to many readers who enjoy the genre.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

The House of Last Resort on paper has the perfect premise- A couple move to a small Italian town after they were offered an impossible deal on a house. But their fresh new start takes a sinister turn when things start going bump in the night. Maybe it’s because I was so fascinated with those deals that were going around for young people to move to rural places in Europe to boost their economy. But to me I thought there was no possible way I wouldn’t be into this book. And then I wasn’t into it. I can’t really put my finger on why this wasn’t working for me, but I feel like it’s way too slow of a burn until it ramps all the way up in the last third. I do find it funny that the central couple are Americans who instantly try and figure out how to make the town (and themselves) money when they unearth an ancient catacomb. Very American move. I think I just didn’t gel with the protagonists, so it didn’t really have a chance after that. Just wasn’t my cup of tea, but I would probably read more from this author going forward.

I posted my review on 1/31 on my instagram- @boozehoundbookclub

I am relatively new to the horror genre, so I went in with an open mind and overall, THE HOUSE OF LAST RESORT was a fun read with a rich setting. I’m actually going to Italy in a few months, so it was fun to picture myself there (although not in this story).

This book started strong for me. I was intrigued by the premise and the characters and I was invested in their why behind moving to Italy. The deal was great for them! However, the story started to get a little slow for me at about 20%. I was expecting much more suspense and excitement given the premise of the book and the genre. The ending is great, but I wish there would have been more oompf to boost the middle.

I’ve heard this author has some great books, so I look forward to reading more from him. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for my early copy

I read and watch a lot of horror so it is really hard to creep me out, but this book had me sleeping with the lights on. Without giving too much away (because where's the fun in giving away twists?) this book creeped me out the second the couple pulls up to their new home. It was also very refreshing to have a couple depicting a strong relationship with good communication and actual love for one another. I think that's what made this a 5 star read for me. I was so invested in the couple and their relationship I was more terrified that something was going to happen to one of them than in the incredibly scary things happening in the house. Make sure you give yourself enough time to get this read in one sitting because you won't want to put it down.

I have to say... this has by far been my best "reading week" and I owe it all to Christopher Golden, and The House of Last Resort.

I liked the title, instantly I thought of a spooky haunted house, throw in the stunner of a cover and I knew without a doubt the content would equally blow me away.

I wasn't wrong...

I mean come on, I've been around the block a time or two and given my book cover snobbery and addiction to Christopher Golden (All Hallows. - enough said) , I really do know how to pick em'!!

Equal parts thriller to horror, this book was dropped MANY times.

I hung on every word, each turn of the page became an addiction I couldn't consume fast enough.

I was scared, I felt true fear....

I felt it all.

Check out this teaser:

The next high concept horror novel from New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden.

Across Italy there are many half-empty towns, nearly abandoned by those who migrate to the coast or to cities. The beautiful, crumbling hilltop town of Becchina is among them, but its mayor has taken drastic measures to rebuild―selling abandoned homes to anyone in the world for a single Euro, as long as the buyer promises to live there for at least five years.

It’s a no-brainer for American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi. Both work remotely, and Becchina is the home of Tommy’s grandparents, his closest living relatives. It feels like a romantic adventure, an opportunity the young couple would be crazy not to seize. But from the moment they move in, they both feel a shadow has fallen on them. Tommy’s grandmother is furious, even a little frightened, when she realizes which house they’ve bought.

There are rooms in an annex at the back of the house that they didn’t know were there. The place makes strange noises at night, locked doors are suddenly open, and when they go to a family gathering, they’re certain people are whispering about them, and about their house, which one neighbor refers to as The House of Last Resort. Soon, they learn that the home was owned for generations by the Church, but the real secret, and the true dread, is unlocked when they finally learn what the priests were doing in this house for all those long years…and how many people died in the strange chapel inside. While down in the catacombs beneath Becchina…something stirs.

⭐️⭐️.5

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙔𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧.

I’m so bummed I didn’t love this book. I had such high hopes as I have read two books by this author and enjoyed them.

This book had the most interesting concept with a couple buying an Italian mansion for a cheap price in a remote Italian village. The house is filled with history and secrets, I had so much hope I was going to love this one.

This was a slow burn and took me a while to get into. I liked the creepy elements and the eerie setting, but it didn’t really read like a horror book - in my opinion.

I felt like the story kept dragging and got repetitive. There was also so much inner dialogue I didn’t care for at all. Also, the ending was such a letdown. It didn’t seem climatic or interesting in any way, it felt very predictable.

Overall, I’m so upset I didn’t end up enjoying this book. I have enjoyed this author in the past so I was expecting this to be another hit. Unfortunately, I was let down by the slowness and repetition. It had an interesting concept, but the story wasn’t for me.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

The House of Last Resort tells the story of Tommy and Kate as they buy an Italian mansion for 1 euro and uproot their lives to settle in a small Sicilian town. Will this new life be all it’s cracked up to be or will secrets prove to be too big to get past?

The plot and themes of this book were perfect. I freaking loved the premise and ideas behind the book. My biggest let down was the pacing. The actual horror aspects didn’t start until 92% into the book. I really needed them to start at 60%. I was left wanting so much more about the actual horror aspects when they started. I still really loved the story because I loved the characters and the plot points were so interesting. I just needed more!

The House of Last Resort (ARC)
Christopher Golden
4.25⭐️

Pub Date: 1/30/2024

I was very intrigued by this. I thought it was a Thriller but I was completely thrown off by the fact that it actually is a Horror. It was so subtle though. The House being shunned by the locals made me think that it's more local superstition and there was something logical behind it. But the details came in more as the story went on. The tiny revelations were given out strategically. There were details that I wasn't particularly interested in, like how there was a lot of cleaning the house, but to be fair, the main characters did just move in. So I get it. But the plot was captivating throughout with the scenes of the church and catacombs. I was definitely spooked. It was well thought out. There's an open ending but I really enjoyed it. I was going through it so fast that I didn't even realize that I was getting close to the end. This was a good horror book to start my year with.

Book Review
The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden

Tropes
Horror/thriller
Exorcism
Foreign country
Catholicism
Catacombs
Remote village
Married couple seeking new adventures in the “old world”
Family drama- estrangement
Home reno adventures

Thoughts
Extremely Slow to start followed by crazy fast pace- with an awful lot of storyline etc happening towards the end- very much like the way a horror screen play/movie would be- was it intentional? Maybe? I wasnt very attached to the characters (as in- doesnt matter to me who dies) and like a good horror you wonder- who is going to die first? At some point midway through I was just like move it along already….

If you like religion based horror then this book is perfect for you! It would make an excellent film but as a book it didnt live up to my expectations after reading Goldens last.

Thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

A house for only one euro? How could you resist? That’s the premise of Christopher Golden’s latest book: The House of Last Resort. Across Italy many towns are half empty, the younger generation having moved away. In order to encourage people to move in a program has been set up, you can buy a house for one euro if you’re willing to maintain residence for five years. For Tommy and Kate, a couple from America, who already both work remotely it sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime. A chance to slow down and enjoy a simpler life. And on the plus side they’ll be near Tommy’s grandparents.

Heck, it sounds like something I wouldn’t mind doing myself. (And yes I checked it out and this actually a thing, though I’m not sure how easy it would be to go about actually doing.) Of course it’s not long before you can tell things aren’t going to be all sunshine and puppy dogs, especially when we witness Tommy’s grandmother’s reaction to the house they’ve chosen to move into, which isn’t the one they’d originally planned on. No, this house is much bigger, and it comes with some rather dark secrets. I don’t want to go too deep into the story to avoid spoilers, but the first half to two-thirds of the book is a creepy slow burn, and I mean that in a good way. Little bits of information are doled out while there is plenty of mysteries left in the shadows, ratcheting up the tension before kicking into a higher gear and delivering a satisfying ending. I’d like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The House of Last Resort.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RP3C1DGKWF4KB/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

The House of Last Resort is brilliantly crafted horror that had me GLUED to the page from the very first chapter to my out-loud gasp upon the wild conclusion.

What @christopher_golden has created here is a haunting, atmospheric, intense plot that builds with slowly creeping diabolical madness page after page, as the lead characters find themselves living in a house that was once owned by the Catholic Church - a house with an elusive and secretive past and a haunting present.

The pacing and reveals made this a book that feels impossible to set down, as you both desperately want to see what will happen next but also, want to read the book with your eyes closed because it is mesmerizingly scary AF. I am not even going to HINT at what this book serves up because truly, horror is best enjoyed knowing nothing and expecting the worst.

What I will say is that this book is out today and thriller and horror lovers alike should not be missing this read. This will be a top 2024 read for me, no question, and OMGGGGGG do I hope this gets adapted to screen because I’d watch the hell out of this.

Many thanks to @stmartinspress for the copy of this one and rounding out my January reading with a terrifying and nightmare inducing bang.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
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Swipe for Synopsis.
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This was my first book by Golden and was super excited to read it, I mean this cover and that synopsis just screams thrilling horror, am I right? This was good, but I just wanted more.
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Listen I loved how Golden wrote this story, I literally felt like I myself had moved to Becchina, everything depicted was so vivid I could see it all. The dialogue was a bit meh, but nothing that really irked me. The characters - ehhh they were okay; easy to either love or hate - that will be up to the readers digression.
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What got me is this one is EXTREMELY slow. Seriously, it’s so slow that literally nothing really happens until the 70% mark. Sure there were a few creepy things that happened in that first 70%, but nothing that is really spoken of again and nothing that really evolves into anything. I kept on reading because I loved the atmosphere and the whole idea of the catacombs and the history of the house (though I wish we got more of this and less of the house restoration and a few other things but thats neither here nor there). But let me just say - that last 30% though - grab yourself a stiff drink and a some o2 because you are going to need it! Whew, that last 30% screamed horror and it was SO GOOD. I loved it. I was panting, my heart racing, my eyes flying across the pages - I NEEDED TO KNOW what was going to happen and man how he ended it - pure perfection. I just wish the whole story maintained this thrilling and suspenseful pace and my rating would have been way closer to 5 stars.
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I am definitely recommending this one for that ending alone. I am super excited to read Golden’s backlist now. The House Of Last Resort releases today - 1/30! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Christopher Golden and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.