The House of Last Resort: A Novel (Hardcover)
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.
“Christopher Golden is one of those rare writers with range and consistency. I’ll follow him anywhere. From its eerie, exotic setting to its claustrophobic creepiness, The House of Last Resort delivers!” - Michael Koryta, NYT bestselling author
"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." -Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor
“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.” -Daniel Kraus, author of Whalefall
"Golden has never been better. The hot streak that started with Road of Bones blazes out of control through this stellar, terrifying, and richly layered haunted house story." - Gretchen Felker-Martin, author of Manhunt and Cuckoo
"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." -Catriona Ward, author of Looking Glass Sound
"Golden evokes chills without relying on clichés and makes suspending disbelief easy through skillful characterizations of the leads. Horror fans should check this out." - Publishers Weekly