Reviewed by Lianne on
Bellweather Rhapsody was a fascinating read. It takes a few chapters to set up the story, but the novel is a melange of different stories: the murder that took place in the hotel back in the 1980s with the consequences reverberating into the contemporary day, a mystery involving the disappearance of the daughter of a famous musician, and a teenage coming-of-age drama. To some readers it might seem a little oddly-paced–the beginning starts off rather slow, with the mystery not coming to the full-front as immediate as some may wish–but I enjoyed the gradual build-up of the story, getting to know the characters, and why they had gathered in Bellweather Hotel.
The characters lie at the heart of the story. I really felt for the characters, their stories were fleshed out. On the surface they say seem like the typical so-and-so character but as the reader gets to know these characters, it becomes clear that there’s a lot going on underneath the surface. These stories and conflicts makes the characters more complex, and I enjoyed the way that the author handled their stories as well as the character interactions overall. No one is perfect here, and their respective drama and motivations were interesting to watch unfold.
As a result, I felt the mystery came in second in this novel, which was fine by me because the respective character journeys and interactions were very interesting. I thought the author did a wonderful job in finding a voice to these characters, expressing their hopes and disappointments, their pain and their angst. It got pretty nutty towards the end, but I was so invested in these characters that it was nice to see where their respective journeys over the course of the weekend led them to in the end. I highly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a bit of mystery in their literary titles.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 5 June, 2014: Finished reading
- 5 June, 2014: Reviewed