From the bestselling creator of Motivational Monsters comes a supernatural thriller of epic proportions, when in a seaside village tucked among Italian cliffs a blind, deaf, and terribly old man summons a monster not just of the sea, but of the soul.
- Book of the Year Finalist - Suspense, Foreword Magazine
- Book of the Year Finalist - Horror, Foreword Magazine
A mysterious, undelivered letter. A scandal rocks the church. Their brother dies a bizarre, gruesome death, and Giuseppe vows to protect his young sister Carmelina from the chaos engulfing their village. He is strong but overwhelmed, a broken soldier with his own demons to fight. Worse, Father Milani is replaced by a fiery outsider named Fabriano, whose obsessive desire to combat Leviathan challenges the faith of the entire Apuzzo family. Brother and sister, with the aid of their equally damaged but hopeful friends, must unravel the buried secrets and outsmart an evil as old as mankind itself before it destroys them all.
"A brilliant novel. He mixes horror, love story, and detailed descriptions of a beautiful historical setting with a perfect balance."
-Critical Blast
"Rumfoot's prose not only invokes fear and suspense, but also proves his steady and deliberate writing voice."
-Writer's Digest
"It's a story solidly based on psychological horror: as such, it provides a powerful blend of images and experiences that rely on well-developed protagonists and settings steeped in historical background and different acts of courage. Literary fans of the horror genre will find it an absorbing story that sacrifices light predictability for depth and solid development, making An Italian Haunting a standout."
-Midwest Book Review
"This is old-school horror like H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. It scared the bee-jeezus out of me."
-Revolution SF
"Rumfoot is devoted to remaining true to the core pillars of horror."
-Downtown Magazine
"A literary masterpiece filled with depth and intrigue, veiled in an atmosphere of darkness with barely a sliver of hope left, An Italian Haunting yanked me in, held me spellbound, then dropped me back into reality feeling changed, and not quite ready to leave, it is that good."
-Tome Tender (Amazon Top 500 Reviewer)
"Subtle terror. A suspenseful, interesting book. Recommended."
-Readfulthings (Amazon Top 500 Reviewer)
"The setting is highly visible and visceral. I felt as though I could see and feel everything very clearly in my mind's eye. I found the paper mill processes highly fascinating, and enjoyed seeing the sort of village that emerges in such a region. The characters have depth to them, and the plot is skillfully executed. By the end I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next!"
-Errant Dreams
What readers say...
"The descriptions in the book were fantastic, and made me feel like I was actually in 19th century Italy. The village of Amalfi came to life for me, along with its characters."
"An Italian Haunting is a gripping and spellbinding novel that grabs you from the opening chapter to the end. I found it terrifying in its realism and couldn't put it down. This is a story that's well-worth reading and I heartily recommend it."
"This story is a good, scary, Gothic style, keep the lights on all night, haunting story. Rumfoot started slow and built up the creepy sensation to a bursting point. The war hero trying desperately to save his younger sister from the evil. The young fisherman fighting to save the girl he loves. The priest who knows the secret but is unable to tell."
"Very well crafted. The characters are each unique and well fleshed out, each with their own story to tell. Their voices are rich and reach out to the reader in fine fashion."
