There are many nearly empty towns in Italy, abandoned by people moving from the coast to the cities, or from inland closer to the water. The hilltop town of Becchina is among these lost towns. The mayor has come up with a rather drastic measure to rebuild: Anyone in the world can buy one of these homes for a single Euro, as long as they agree to remain there for five years.
For American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi, this is the deal of the century. Since Becchina is the home of Tommy’s closest relatives, they decide to take the plunge, feeling a romantic adventure in the air. But from the second they move in, they feel a strange presence has fallen upon them. And Tommy’s relatives are angry, even a little scared, when they learn which house the Puglisi’s have chosen.
Rooms in an annex they didn’t know were there. Strange noises at all hours. Locked doors that suddenly open. When they attend family gatherings, others whisper about them, and their house. One neighbor even calls their home The House of Last Resort. Even stranger, the home was owned by the Church for generations. When the young couple learn what the priests were actually doing in their home for all those years, and how many have died in the chapel inside, they realize the terrible mistake they’ve made.
While down in the catacombs beneath Becchina…something stirs.
Why we’re excited about this book:
Christopher Golden is one of those writers who really doesn’t need an introduction. For those unfamiliar, Golden is the author of Road of Bones, All Hallows, Ararat, Snowblind, Red Hands, and is also the creator (with Mike Mignola) of the Baltimore series from Dark Horse, and has written tie-in novels for the Alien, Predator, and Sons of Anarchy franchises, among others. With his latest, Golden presents us with a young couple who learn their steal-of-a-deal new house is full of the worst kind of evil secrets. Alma Katsu (The Hunger, The Fervor) says: “The king of horror thrillers does it again. With this thoroughly modern exorcism story, Golden will make you believe in the existence of true evil.”, and Daniel Kraus (Bent Heavens, Whalefall) calls The House of Last Resort: “An absolute ripper of a fire-and-brimstone, capital-H Horror novel. I tore through it so fast my fingertips bled. Which probably summoned the book’s demons.” Catriona Ward (Looking Glass Sound) says: “Dark, eerie, full of dread, each page exudes menace—I couldn’t put it down. Part of me remains in The House of Last Resort long after I closed the book.”
Releasing from St. Martin’s Press 30 January 2024, The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden is available for pre-order now.
BOB PASTORELLA