The house of last resort A novel

Review by Booklist Review

Ghosts, demons, and crumbling catacombs make Golden's latest (after All Hallows, 2023) a spooky read that will compel readers to think twice before buying old real estate. Tommy and Kate move to a charming, almost-abandoned town in Sicily in search of new beginnings and a closer relationship to Tommy's estranged grandparents. After accepting a once-in-a-lifetime deal on a beautiful house under the mayor's incentive to bring fresh blood to Becchina, they begin to notice suspiciously nervous locals, ever-increasing earthquakes, and strange noises in the middle of the night. Despite their attempts to make the most of their new surroundings, there's a menacing force buried beneath a hidden past, but what is it and what does their home have to do with it? This new take on the exorcism tale adds spirits, desiccated corpses, and disgusting rats to the mix, making every page drip with terrifying imagery. It's a great choice for avid horror fans, especially audiences looking for a fast-paced and detailed scary story similar to works by Thomas Olde Heuvelt and Jennifer McMahon.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

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. (Jan.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Library Journal Review

Best seller Golden (All Hallows) is back with another masterclass in horror, this time featuring a young Boston couple, Tommy and Kate, who leave the rat race behind to claim a crumbling mansion for only one euro on the island of Sicily, in the same small town where Tommy's grandparents live. On their first day there, an earthquake rumbles, Kate is pretty sure she's seen a ghost, and Tommy's grandmother's visit ends with her upset that they bought the notorious home known as "the House of Last Resort." With a creepy omniscient point of view, Golden weaves a tense tale, carefully detailing the history of the place and its characters. The tone builds from uneasy to sinister at a relentless pace, culminating with Tommy and Kate in a desperate race for their souls and battling centuries of secrets buried deep beneath their new home, including some that rock the foundation of Tommy's own family. VERDICT Golden is already a library favorite, and his latest will be eagerly devoured. This title would make a great suggestion for fans of The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni or Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

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