The Resort

The Resort follows the Thurman family as they check into the Reata, an isolated resort in the Arizona desert. What begins as a relaxing vacation takes a dark turn when they notice strange occurrences and unsettling behavior from the staff and fellow guests. David and Petula Thurman, along with their teenage children, become entangled in the resort's mysteries while uncovering its history. The Reata's amenities and activities mask something sinister beneath its luxury facade, putting the family in escalating danger. The sprawling resort property becomes a character in itself, with its extensive grounds, hidden areas, and peculiar rules that must be followed. Native American lore and the desert's isolation play key roles in building tension throughout the narrative. The Resort examines the vulnerability of families on vacation and questions the nature of hospitality, control, and ancient powers in modern settings. The novel taps into primal fears about being trapped in seemingly safe spaces that transform into nightmares.

Readers describe The Resort as an unsettling horror novel that starts strong but loses momentum. Many found the first half gripping, with believable character reactions and mounting tension at the desert resort setting. Liked: - Fast-paced opening chapters - Creepy atmosphere and building dread - Effective use of desert isolation - Clear, straightforward writing style Disliked: - Rushed and unsatisfying ending - Plot threads left unresolved - Too many random supernatural elements - Graphic violence that felt gratuitous - Characters making illogical decisions "The ending felt like the author ran out of steam," noted one Amazon reviewer. Multiple readers mentioned abandoning the book around the halfway point when the plot "went off the rails." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 3.9/5 (180+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.5/5 (90+ ratings) The book ranks in the middle range of Little's works according to reader ratings across platforms.

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🏨 The Resort was published in 2004 and marked Bentley Little's first foray into exploring the dark side of hospitality and tourism. 🖋️ Bentley Little has been nicknamed "The Horror Poet of Arizona" due to his frequent use of Southwestern settings and his ability to find terror in ordinary desert locations. 🏖️ The book's fictional Reata resort is based on several real luxury desert resorts in Arizona, where guests have reported strange occurrences and unexplained phenomena. 📚 Stephen King has praised Bentley Little's work, specifically calling him "The horror poet laureate of the suburbs" and recommending The Resort to his fans. 🌵 The novel incorporates elements of Native American mythology and desert folklore, particularly the evil spirits and cursed lands that feature prominently in Southwestern tribal stories.