Believe it or not there's a Psycho III that isn't titled Psycho III, and,no, I'm not referring to the 1986 horror sequel starring Anthony Perkins. Actually, I'm referring to Robert Bloch's third novel Psycho House.
Unlike the film franchise, which focused on the serial killer Norman Bates, author Robert Bloch killed off the character at the beginning of Psycho II (not the 1983 movie), so he pretty much ruined any chances of another sequel. However, that's not the case, as he published a third and final sequel, Psycho House, in 1990.
Psycho House centers around the fully-restored Bates Motel and "psycho" house being turned into a tourist attraction in Texas with animatronic copies of Norman Bates. Guess what happens shortly after the attraction opens?
Yep, a few murders occur that leads the public to believe either Norman Bates is alive or there's another copycat killer on the loose.
The story mostly focuses on Amy Haines, a nonfiction crime author who's researching her next novel, which is going to be about Norman Bates. Of course, as soon as she arrives at the Bate Motel attraction, the murders begin. With the help of Dr. Steiner (the psychiatrist from Psycho and Psycho II), Amy is determined to unmask the killer.
Final Thoughts
The Psycho House's feels like a made-for-SYFY movie and that's not a good thing! I'm not even for sure why Robert Bloch wanted to write another sequel. Norman Bates died in Psycho II so there was no need for a third book.
There are plenty of cliched moments but at least it's not predictable as Psycho II. At least I couldn't figure out who the killer was until he was finally revealed.
After reading the Psycho trilogy back-to-back, I'm a little confused to where the fictional Bates Motel is actually located. In the movies, its setting is in California but in the 1959 novel it's hinted to be in either Missouri or Kansas. However, Psycho House has Bates Motel attraction set in Texas!
Overall, Psycho House is fast-paced thriller that I enjoyed reading. However, it's not as good as the original 1959 classic and its lackluster 1982 sequel. I'm only recommending it to diehard Psycho fans.
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