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An Unexplained Death: The True Story of a Body at the Belvedere
When the body of a missing man is discovered in the Belvedere, an apparent suicide, resident Mikita Brottman becomes obsessed with the mysterious circumstances of his death. The Belvedere used to be a hotel dating back to Baltimore's Golden Age but is now converted into flats, and as Brottman investigates the perplexing case of the dead man, she soon becomes caught up in the strange and violent secrets of the Belvedere's past. Her compulsions drive her to an investigation lasting over a decade. Utterly absorbing and unnerving, An Unexplained Death will lead you down the dark and winding corridors of the Belvedere and into the deadly impulses and obsessions of the human heart.
8 pages, Audiobook
First published November 8, 2018
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About the author
Mikita Brottman
33 books219 followersMikita Brottman (born 30 October 1966) is a British scholar, psychoanalyst, author and cultural critic known for her psychological readings of the dark and pathological elements of contemporary culture. She received a D.Phil in English Language and Literature from Oxford University, was a Visiting Professor of Comparative Literature at Indiana University, and was Chair of the program in Engaged Humanities with an emphasis in Depth Psychology at the Pacifica Graduate Institute from 2008 to 2010. She currently teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Brottman's articles and case studies have appeared in Film Quarterly, The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, New Literary History, and American Imago. She has written influentially on horror films, critical theory, reading, psychoanalysis, and the work of the American folklorist, Gershon Legman.
Brottman also writes for mainstream and counterculture journals and magazines. Her work has appeared in such diverse venues as The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Bad Subjects, The Fortean Times, Headpress, and Popmatters, where her column, "Sub Rosa", ran from January 2007 to July 2009. Her essays have also appeared in a number of books and anthologies.
She is the author of the cult film books Meat is Murder and Hollywood Hex, as well as books on psychoanalysis, critical theory and contemporary popular culture. Her most recent book, The Solitary Vice: Against Reading (Counterpoint, 2008) was selected as one of the Best Books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly, who said: "Sharp, whimsical and impassioned, Brottman's look at the pleasures and perils of compulsive reading is itself compulsively readable and will connect with any book lover."
Brottman's partner is the film critic David Sterritt.
(from Wikipedia)
Brottman also writes for mainstream and counterculture journals and magazines. Her work has appeared in such diverse venues as The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Bad Subjects, The Fortean Times, Headpress, and Popmatters, where her column, "Sub Rosa", ran from January 2007 to July 2009. Her essays have also appeared in a number of books and anthologies.
She is the author of the cult film books Meat is Murder and Hollywood Hex, as well as books on psychoanalysis, critical theory and contemporary popular culture. Her most recent book, The Solitary Vice: Against Reading (Counterpoint, 2008) was selected as one of the Best Books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly, who said: "Sharp, whimsical and impassioned, Brottman's look at the pleasures and perils of compulsive reading is itself compulsively readable and will connect with any book lover."
Brottman's partner is the film critic David Sterritt.
(from Wikipedia)
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October 21, 2018
An Unexplained Death: The True Story of a Body at the Belvedere
This is the story of missing man Rey Rivera, a very tall guy who’d been supposed to finish work on putting together a video project for his boss. He never even showed up for the rented production booth space to finalize it that he’d paid for. The author became interested when some missing posters were spotted around the area in New York, first a few and then many. They described Rivera and gave information on who to contact. Then in the story, the Belvedere is explored, a former gem of a hotel that has been turned into modern day apartments or condos of sorts for private residents, and some of the larger spaces were leased out to businesses too. Rivera’s body is eventually discovered at the Belvedere, nearly a week after he went missing, a supposed suicide by jumping off the roof. He apparently crashed through what used to be the roof of the pool before but had been turned into business space that had recently become vacated. Author Mikita Brottman happened to live in the Belvedere and spent nearly ten years on this project, apparently quite driven by the story and unsatisfied by the “undetermined” cause of death the coroner gave. She knew that the police wouldn’t investigate it because of that, and felt the man deserved more of an answer and that there was a good chance that he may have been murdered.
An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley, author Mikita Brottman, and the publisher for my fair review.
Henry Holt & Company 288 pages
Pub: date: Nov. 6th, 2018
The Author--
Mikita Brottman is a writer and a professor in the Department of Humanistic Studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art in downtown Baltimore. She is also a certified psychoanalyst and runs a true crime podcast called Forensic Transmissions. She lives in the old Belvedere Hotel in Mount Vernon, Baltimore, with her partner, David, and French bulldog, Oliver. @MikitaBrottman | mikitabrottman.com
My BookZone blog:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
This is the story of missing man Rey Rivera, a very tall guy who’d been supposed to finish work on putting together a video project for his boss. He never even showed up for the rented production booth space to finalize it that he’d paid for. The author became interested when some missing posters were spotted around the area in New York, first a few and then many. They described Rivera and gave information on who to contact. Then in the story, the Belvedere is explored, a former gem of a hotel that has been turned into modern day apartments or condos of sorts for private residents, and some of the larger spaces were leased out to businesses too. Rivera’s body is eventually discovered at the Belvedere, nearly a week after he went missing, a supposed suicide by jumping off the roof. He apparently crashed through what used to be the roof of the pool before but had been turned into business space that had recently become vacated. Author Mikita Brottman happened to live in the Belvedere and spent nearly ten years on this project, apparently quite driven by the story and unsatisfied by the “undetermined” cause of death the coroner gave. She knew that the police wouldn’t investigate it because of that, and felt the man deserved more of an answer and that there was a good chance that he may have been murdered.
An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley, author Mikita Brottman, and the publisher for my fair review.
Henry Holt & Company 288 pages
Pub: date: Nov. 6th, 2018
The Author--
Mikita Brottman is a writer and a professor in the Department of Humanistic Studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art in downtown Baltimore. She is also a certified psychoanalyst and runs a true crime podcast called Forensic Transmissions. She lives in the old Belvedere Hotel in Mount Vernon, Baltimore, with her partner, David, and French bulldog, Oliver. @MikitaBrottman | mikitabrottman.com
My BookZone blog:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
December 29, 2018
OMG, how could I have given this 4 stars.
Sincerely, this has to be pondered why I rounded it up. Could I tell the truth about this author? Hmmm! The writing is all over the place- at points poignant, at other points less than scattered. And the photos and drawings are ok but then at times, they get macabre. (Smiling photo after photo for a couple that have nothing to smile about or roof pictures.) Perhaps they are multiplied near the end- because the author wants you to view "evidence" for her concluding suppositions? Yes, we know he was "handsome", Mikita.
There IS such a thing as an over-examined life "self discovery" of continual analysis (of course I am the center of it "all" and everything in me must be revealed)- this author is a prime example of the "me" obsession. Among other obsessions. Anything from 1 star to 5 stars ratings could go/ fly righteously for this book. It truly may depend upon your own tolerance for Mikita id or ego "think". Because of my psych. training, this entertained me to a 4. But overall, much closer to a three. But if "topic" focus is a factor, it's barely 1.5 stars.
Be warned, the title is merely a tangent 20% of this copy length. It's a self-study of "personal reaction" by the author. About the author herself, this particular crime and widely upon the building in which she lives. Also all the gory historic details for the Belvedere in all of its lifespans. She has way, way too many educational degree initials after her name. And this reaction piece shows all of them.
She believes that she is "invisible" (one of those people who are not "pretty enough" to be noticed immediately or remembered for any length of time) and therefore this book is her "inspector/ detective" side (I'll show THEM and all those pretty girls!). Don't read further in this review unless you are a psychology major. No, at least a Psy. D. It's like a 250 page episode for the tv show "Intervention". Primarily centered on Mikita's sensibilities. (And her politics are never hidden either.) She rants about conspiracy theories and then goes into her own strong astronomy beliefs. And "animal saving" and her quest to "save the rats" that those terrible people (paid to do so) were killing in the alleys/lanes within her building's sections/levels, and dumpsters with pesticides. There is also long and detailed slum and "empty" city (ruined and discarded buildings for blocks) "views" too. Along with animal stories of usually horrid demise within the nicer, poorer, half empty or utterly abandoned structures.
Major, major creepy factor dominates throughout too. And it's not at all just merely for this titled crime in her building complex for which she spends a decade seeking "answers". But upon decomposition, body hiding and especially high jumpers "proofs" for suicide, accident or homicide autopsy decisions in general (with particular stories attached to each). With all the physics math that goes with it to determine speed and landing. I can absolutely understand all the 1 and 2 star ratings. Only my background kept me entertained to a 4. Like a cat watching a mouse hole!
Perhaps I will be attuned to my better nature and refrain from any longer review. Perhaps? Ewwww!
Sincerely, this has to be pondered why I rounded it up. Could I tell the truth about this author? Hmmm! The writing is all over the place- at points poignant, at other points less than scattered. And the photos and drawings are ok but then at times, they get macabre. (Smiling photo after photo for a couple that have nothing to smile about or roof pictures.) Perhaps they are multiplied near the end- because the author wants you to view "evidence" for her concluding suppositions? Yes, we know he was "handsome", Mikita.
There IS such a thing as an over-examined life "self discovery" of continual analysis (of course I am the center of it "all" and everything in me must be revealed)- this author is a prime example of the "me" obsession. Among other obsessions. Anything from 1 star to 5 stars ratings could go/ fly righteously for this book. It truly may depend upon your own tolerance for Mikita id or ego "think". Because of my psych. training, this entertained me to a 4. But overall, much closer to a three. But if "topic" focus is a factor, it's barely 1.5 stars.
Be warned, the title is merely a tangent 20% of this copy length. It's a self-study of "personal reaction" by the author. About the author herself, this particular crime and widely upon the building in which she lives. Also all the gory historic details for the Belvedere in all of its lifespans. She has way, way too many educational degree initials after her name. And this reaction piece shows all of them.
She believes that she is "invisible" (one of those people who are not "pretty enough" to be noticed immediately or remembered for any length of time) and therefore this book is her "inspector/ detective" side (I'll show THEM and all those pretty girls!). Don't read further in this review unless you are a psychology major. No, at least a Psy. D. It's like a 250 page episode for the tv show "Intervention". Primarily centered on Mikita's sensibilities. (And her politics are never hidden either.) She rants about conspiracy theories and then goes into her own strong astronomy beliefs. And "animal saving" and her quest to "save the rats" that those terrible people (paid to do so) were killing in the alleys/lanes within her building's sections/levels, and dumpsters with pesticides. There is also long and detailed slum and "empty" city (ruined and discarded buildings for blocks) "views" too. Along with animal stories of usually horrid demise within the nicer, poorer, half empty or utterly abandoned structures.
Major, major creepy factor dominates throughout too. And it's not at all just merely for this titled crime in her building complex for which she spends a decade seeking "answers". But upon decomposition, body hiding and especially high jumpers "proofs" for suicide, accident or homicide autopsy decisions in general (with particular stories attached to each). With all the physics math that goes with it to determine speed and landing. I can absolutely understand all the 1 and 2 star ratings. Only my background kept me entertained to a 4. Like a cat watching a mouse hole!
Perhaps I will be attuned to my better nature and refrain from any longer review. Perhaps? Ewwww!
October 16, 2018
Author, Mikita Brottman, lives in an apartment block which was once a hotel – the Belvedere. Taking her dog outside one morning, she comes across a poster for a missing man. Rey Rivera left his house one day, seemingly in a hurry, and didn’t return. When his body is found within the hotel , apparently a suicide, it leads Brottman to begin to investigate his death.
Although this sounds like a fairly straight forward true crime book, it is, in fact, anything but. Mikita Brottman tends to veer off the path, discussing everything from missing people posters, suicides that have previously taken place at the hotel, the ways that people kill themselves and endless other digressions during her musings on Ray Rivera. I think it is fair to say that readers will either be exasperated by this, or, like me, enjoy it very much.
Personally, I was perfectly happy to follow Brottman’s thoughts, as they jumped delightfully from one subject to another. Her investigation into Ray Rivera’s death lasted over a decade, as she looked into the company he worked for and the possibility that he was murdered. Like life though, this is not a linear telling of events, nor is it a straight forward true crime book, with easy answers.
This is rather like taking a long walk, along with a picnic lunch, idling along paths, meandering over hills and definitely taking no short cuts. Still, I found this a fascinating read, was very impressed by the author’s style and enjoyed her company very much. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Although this sounds like a fairly straight forward true crime book, it is, in fact, anything but. Mikita Brottman tends to veer off the path, discussing everything from missing people posters, suicides that have previously taken place at the hotel, the ways that people kill themselves and endless other digressions during her musings on Ray Rivera. I think it is fair to say that readers will either be exasperated by this, or, like me, enjoy it very much.
Personally, I was perfectly happy to follow Brottman’s thoughts, as they jumped delightfully from one subject to another. Her investigation into Ray Rivera’s death lasted over a decade, as she looked into the company he worked for and the possibility that he was murdered. Like life though, this is not a linear telling of events, nor is it a straight forward true crime book, with easy answers.
This is rather like taking a long walk, along with a picnic lunch, idling along paths, meandering over hills and definitely taking no short cuts. Still, I found this a fascinating read, was very impressed by the author’s style and enjoyed her company very much. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
June 24, 2018
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt Publishers for a chance to read this ARC. This publishes on Nov 6, 2018.
Oh my word, what a scrambled mess. Reading this book is akin to tearing every page from a book, letting them scatter to the floor, then picking them up randomly and sitting down to read what you have gathered.
This book has a good premise going in and you believe that you will be reading non-fiction about a mans suicide from a fall from the top of the Belvedere Hotel. Written by someone who is now an occupant of that building after it's change into condos. And there are parts of the book that do relate to that belief. But there are so many, many other portions of this book that miss the mark. Not only is the syntax, the spelling and punctuation, just horrible - much more so than you would ever expect in an ARC - appearing to be the first rough draft in relation to all it's errors - but the flow of the story is just not there. Not only chapter after chapter goes off in different surprising directions, but within chapters there is so much unrelated information, that you begin to lose the basis of what the book is supposed to be about. As I said previously, a scrambled mess.
There are portions of this book dedicated to the stated premise, the suicide of Rey Rivera, his possible reasoning, his stage in life when it happened, and his family after the act. However it is spread out over 12 chapters of so much misaligned information that it really gets lost in the flow. Possibly restructured, all the information given could lead you to an intelligent conclusion about Riveras actions that day, but as it is it just feels like a melting pot of conjecture, supposition and interpretation of what the author wants and feels it should be, and not very clearly set forth in a practical way.
Not a book I would recommend without a total make over.
Oh my word, what a scrambled mess. Reading this book is akin to tearing every page from a book, letting them scatter to the floor, then picking them up randomly and sitting down to read what you have gathered.
This book has a good premise going in and you believe that you will be reading non-fiction about a mans suicide from a fall from the top of the Belvedere Hotel. Written by someone who is now an occupant of that building after it's change into condos. And there are parts of the book that do relate to that belief. But there are so many, many other portions of this book that miss the mark. Not only is the syntax, the spelling and punctuation, just horrible - much more so than you would ever expect in an ARC - appearing to be the first rough draft in relation to all it's errors - but the flow of the story is just not there. Not only chapter after chapter goes off in different surprising directions, but within chapters there is so much unrelated information, that you begin to lose the basis of what the book is supposed to be about. As I said previously, a scrambled mess.
There are portions of this book dedicated to the stated premise, the suicide of Rey Rivera, his possible reasoning, his stage in life when it happened, and his family after the act. However it is spread out over 12 chapters of so much misaligned information that it really gets lost in the flow. Possibly restructured, all the information given could lead you to an intelligent conclusion about Riveras actions that day, but as it is it just feels like a melting pot of conjecture, supposition and interpretation of what the author wants and feels it should be, and not very clearly set forth in a practical way.
Not a book I would recommend without a total make over.
August 14, 2022
3.25 Stars — An absolute bonkers of a mystery, the Rey Rivers case is still one I often think about and catch myself alternating between suicide/murder giving insight that I’ll obviously never really be able to decide barring some further evidence from somewhere unlikely!
The author here has ultimately written a book that’s a decent read, but is clearly lacking in a bit of polish. However, Mikita Brottman deserves kudos for bringing this case to the light well before it took a starring role in the Unsolved Mysteries reboot on Netflix.
This book goes into much more detail about Rivera and potential dealing that could help explain how/why this indeed could be a murder and ties it into her own life as well. There’s also another key case that’s delved into and MB does a good job of incorporating the Belvedere’s somewhat eery history into the narrative as well.
The author here has ultimately written a book that’s a decent read, but is clearly lacking in a bit of polish. However, Mikita Brottman deserves kudos for bringing this case to the light well before it took a starring role in the Unsolved Mysteries reboot on Netflix.
This book goes into much more detail about Rivera and potential dealing that could help explain how/why this indeed could be a murder and ties it into her own life as well. There’s also another key case that’s delved into and MB does a good job of incorporating the Belvedere’s somewhat eery history into the narrative as well.
August 14, 2018
What an engrossing, expansive, compulsive book this is! Brottman combines an academic's endless curiosity with the capacity for research, no matter the set-backs. I'll say upfront that I wasn't completely convinced by the final 'solution' (for want of a better word) but that's ok because this is a book that is about the journey, not the destination. Looking at some of the negative reviews, it's this quality of diversions and sidelines that some reviewers disliked - personally I loved the unexpectedness, as Brottman follows her thoughts.
Her attention caught, almost randomly, by a missing person flyer, Brottman embarks on a quest that takes her into the lives of the people involved but also, more widely, into an exploration of suicide, of death and of the building, once a hotel, now an apartment block, in which she lives.
With references to Nietzsche alongside Poe and Conan Doyle, this is the story of an obsession - and Brottman is a writer who is honest, self-analytical and just so interesting that I'd follow her anywhere in literary terms. An oddly uncategorisable book which spills over genres - I loved it!
Many thanks to Canongate for an ARC via NetGalley.
Her attention caught, almost randomly, by a missing person flyer, Brottman embarks on a quest that takes her into the lives of the people involved but also, more widely, into an exploration of suicide, of death and of the building, once a hotel, now an apartment block, in which she lives.
With references to Nietzsche alongside Poe and Conan Doyle, this is the story of an obsession - and Brottman is a writer who is honest, self-analytical and just so interesting that I'd follow her anywhere in literary terms. An oddly uncategorisable book which spills over genres - I loved it!
Many thanks to Canongate for an ARC via NetGalley.
June 26, 2018
Thank to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
And honestly, I always feel so bad when I rate a book so low, but don’t think I could do any more than 1 star, just for the author’s effort.
From the title and the description, I expected this to be an in-depth look at the unexplained death of Rey Rivera. It started in that fashion, and then derailed completely. We begin with a brief introduction to Rey Rivera and the Belvedere, where the author lives and where Rey Rivera died. The author then leads us down the path of her psychoanalysis for insecurity as she feels she is invisible. I’m guessing it ties in as we are all invisible until something happens? Next, the author goes into quite a lot of detail about suicide with macabre ramblings that don’t connect to the story. We then move a bit deeper into Rey’s story, but there are so many open topics (suicide, accident, murder, the Masons, his business associates) that the author brings up, then just lets them sit while she moves to taking about walking her dog in a park, rabid bats and poisoned rats. And more suicides thrown in for good measure. I couldn’t follow her connections, the story about Rey was totally unsatisfying, and the book is just the author’s morbid curiosity about anything and everything put down on paper.
www.candysplanet.wordpress.com
And honestly, I always feel so bad when I rate a book so low, but don’t think I could do any more than 1 star, just for the author’s effort.
From the title and the description, I expected this to be an in-depth look at the unexplained death of Rey Rivera. It started in that fashion, and then derailed completely. We begin with a brief introduction to Rey Rivera and the Belvedere, where the author lives and where Rey Rivera died. The author then leads us down the path of her psychoanalysis for insecurity as she feels she is invisible. I’m guessing it ties in as we are all invisible until something happens? Next, the author goes into quite a lot of detail about suicide with macabre ramblings that don’t connect to the story. We then move a bit deeper into Rey’s story, but there are so many open topics (suicide, accident, murder, the Masons, his business associates) that the author brings up, then just lets them sit while she moves to taking about walking her dog in a park, rabid bats and poisoned rats. And more suicides thrown in for good measure. I couldn’t follow her connections, the story about Rey was totally unsatisfying, and the book is just the author’s morbid curiosity about anything and everything put down on paper.
www.candysplanet.wordpress.com
July 12, 2020
So this book throws a lot of information at you about backgrounds, hotel information, suicide information, different kinds of deaths in different places, but if you can see past all the information she actually comes up with a pretty good theory on the mysterious death of Ray Rivera, do I believe it ? I’m not sure because the logistics of how he got to where he was is not quite right also no one saw him he’s not in any video surveillance cameras? no one remembers seeing him? He was 6’5 260 pounds and very handsome , you would think someone would remember seeing him that night specially if he was in flipflops and house clothes I just can’t buy it. I still can’t believe he jumped from the top of the building with how far away the roof was from where he landed. Also if he fell through the roof how he ended up so injured. She never explains how she thinks he got to where he was . She comes up with a lot of theories but none of them makes sense I was hoping that she would have some information that I didn’t already know, but alas I still don’t think he committed suicide. Maybe some of you can tell me your theories.
February 9, 2019
I got 30% of the way through this, hit the phrase "I am not a gawker; I am a connoisseur." and I'm out.
This book is a disorganized ramble through the author's issues with being invisible, suicide in general and historically, and then the actual story of the body found at the belvedere where the author lived. It's disjointed, and weirdly self-focused and I just don't have time to wait for her to get to the point.
Abandoned.
This book is a disorganized ramble through the author's issues with being invisible, suicide in general and historically, and then the actual story of the body found at the belvedere where the author lived. It's disjointed, and weirdly self-focused and I just don't have time to wait for her to get to the point.
Abandoned.
April 16, 2020
I dont know how to review this one, while this was supposed to be about a murder in the Belvedere Hotel and a small study into suicides...it ended up becoming a weird personal journey for the author and a platform where the author feel comfortable to let us know all of her thoughts about herself. There were some background info into some suicides in the hotel and some investigation into the main plot but it achieved nothing more than me wasting my time reading this book. Im giving it 2 stars just because the background info into the hotel caught my attention.
January 3, 2019
I had to skim through this book to try and see it through. This one reads like a CDC report, what with all the statistics on and dry facts regarding suicide. The book then suddenly changes tone to the random ideas put down in the author’s diary.
The author dwells on feeling invisible but at least this somewhat ties into the premise of the book; she believes her invisibility gives her an advantage in the investigation of Rey Rivera’s mysterious and unexplained death. She then peppers the book with random suicides throughout the history of The Belvedere and the occasional deaths of her neighbors by natural causes.
This book had very little to do with adding anything to the unexplained death of Rivera (only unexplained because the body was not discovered quickly enough for the coroner to conclusively rule out foul play). There is conjecture and wild speculation but nothing truly substantial or interesting.
The author dwells on feeling invisible but at least this somewhat ties into the premise of the book; she believes her invisibility gives her an advantage in the investigation of Rey Rivera’s mysterious and unexplained death. She then peppers the book with random suicides throughout the history of The Belvedere and the occasional deaths of her neighbors by natural causes.
This book had very little to do with adding anything to the unexplained death of Rivera (only unexplained because the body was not discovered quickly enough for the coroner to conclusively rule out foul play). There is conjecture and wild speculation but nothing truly substantial or interesting.
December 7, 2018
Damn this was good. Poignant. What a true mystery should be, and being that it’s nonfiction, surpasses the mystery often found in novels. No hokey twists that extrapolate some corny lessons. As the title states, “An Unexplained Death”, treated humanely and deeply considered. I’d never heard of the author or the book before, just perusing the bookstore. Glad I bought it.
May 20, 2022
This book reminds me of someone’s personal and disorganized diary. The author does some decent research that takes her about ten years and comes up with nothing. Through the book she throws in personal issues that I couldn’t find any reason for other than to bring attention to herself. And the part about rats, what the hell was that all about. Don’t waist your time.
November 6, 2018
GNab An untimely death that can not be determined as murder, suicide, or accident is entered as an 'unexplained' death on the death certificate. Many families are left without closure with this determination but often there is a lack of avenues of exploration to carry the investigation to an absolute cause of death.
An Unexplained Death: The True Story of a Body at the Belvedere is an excellent study on suicide in general and the still mysterious death of Rey Rivera, a 32 year old athletic newlywed in Baltimore in 2006. Toss in an interesting history of the Belvedere Hotel built in 1906 and you have a book that is difficult to set aside come supper time. There was a time or two that I felt a bit uncomfortable finding fascinating the suicide and murder statistics and details presented by Mikita Brottman, but I got over it rather quickly. I did stop reading them aloud to my husband about half way through as he was looking at me with an odd expression. Fear? Intense interest? after 43 year together, best not to know absolutely.
Mikita Brottman has an excellent handle on keeping us entertained. The sheer weight of facts on Baltimore crime, the history of the Belvedere as it was transformed through its' long history, and the details of her search for information from persons present during the 2006 timeline of this disappearance at the Belvedere, the Baltimore Police Homicide Division and Records Department, and the family of Rey Rivera could be overwhelming. I found them overwhelmingly interesting. She is an author I will follow.
I received a free electronic copy of this true detailing of the death of Rey Rivera from Netgalley, Mikita Brottman, and the Henry Holt & Company publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date Nov 06, 2018
Henry Holt & Company - History
An Unexplained Death: The True Story of a Body at the Belvedere is an excellent study on suicide in general and the still mysterious death of Rey Rivera, a 32 year old athletic newlywed in Baltimore in 2006. Toss in an interesting history of the Belvedere Hotel built in 1906 and you have a book that is difficult to set aside come supper time. There was a time or two that I felt a bit uncomfortable finding fascinating the suicide and murder statistics and details presented by Mikita Brottman, but I got over it rather quickly. I did stop reading them aloud to my husband about half way through as he was looking at me with an odd expression. Fear? Intense interest? after 43 year together, best not to know absolutely.
Mikita Brottman has an excellent handle on keeping us entertained. The sheer weight of facts on Baltimore crime, the history of the Belvedere as it was transformed through its' long history, and the details of her search for information from persons present during the 2006 timeline of this disappearance at the Belvedere, the Baltimore Police Homicide Division and Records Department, and the family of Rey Rivera could be overwhelming. I found them overwhelmingly interesting. She is an author I will follow.
I received a free electronic copy of this true detailing of the death of Rey Rivera from Netgalley, Mikita Brottman, and the Henry Holt & Company publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date Nov 06, 2018
Henry Holt & Company - History
October 18, 2018
It takes a lot for me to read a book off-season. I just finished selling the fall season and am now reading for Winter 2019. But the editor of this book made a really compelling pitch and I was already intrigued by the book before that. I figured I'd just give it a try and see. Well, I couldn't put it down.
Mikita lives in a condo in the Belvedere, which used to be the fanciest, biggest hotel in Baltimore. It was the tallest building in the city when it was built, just over 100 years ago. And it was a financial disaster right from the beginning. It went into bankruptcy before it ever opened and changed hands three times in its first 10 years. And here's something you don't know about hotels--a lot of people go to them to commit suicide. And this hotel is very near a large, prestigious mental health facility, making it perhaps even more of a draw than most.
One day she notices a missing sign on a light post while walking her dog. It's a a young, successful-looking man who was married and had a job and doesn't seem like the usual type to go missing. A few days later, his body is found in her building. He seems to have jumped/been pushed/fallen off the roof down to a much lower roof over the former swimming pool. He went through that roof into an unused office below and wasn't found for some time. Mikita watched the police officers gathering up his cell phone and flip flops from the pool roof. And as she's always been curious about crime and is a professional writer, she starts to look into this further. And what she finds is both surprising and yet not surprising. Was it suicide? Murder? An accident? Why are the police so cagey? Why is his former boss refusing to talk to anyone?
Along the way, Mikita looks into dozens of suicides (and a few possible accidents/murders) in the Belvedere over the decades. There's something about this book I can't put my finger on, but it's haunting, and there's something universal in this story even if you haven't been touched by death in this way in your life. It's also a love story to Baltimore, which she obviously loves even with its warts, in fact,partly because of them. She goes to the shady parts of town and feels badly for the poisoned rats. As a quiet but extremely thoughtful look at death and decline, she finds the human in the story that is often played off as voyeuristic gossip. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
Mikita lives in a condo in the Belvedere, which used to be the fanciest, biggest hotel in Baltimore. It was the tallest building in the city when it was built, just over 100 years ago. And it was a financial disaster right from the beginning. It went into bankruptcy before it ever opened and changed hands three times in its first 10 years. And here's something you don't know about hotels--a lot of people go to them to commit suicide. And this hotel is very near a large, prestigious mental health facility, making it perhaps even more of a draw than most.
One day she notices a missing sign on a light post while walking her dog. It's a a young, successful-looking man who was married and had a job and doesn't seem like the usual type to go missing. A few days later, his body is found in her building. He seems to have jumped/been pushed/fallen off the roof down to a much lower roof over the former swimming pool. He went through that roof into an unused office below and wasn't found for some time. Mikita watched the police officers gathering up his cell phone and flip flops from the pool roof. And as she's always been curious about crime and is a professional writer, she starts to look into this further. And what she finds is both surprising and yet not surprising. Was it suicide? Murder? An accident? Why are the police so cagey? Why is his former boss refusing to talk to anyone?
Along the way, Mikita looks into dozens of suicides (and a few possible accidents/murders) in the Belvedere over the decades. There's something about this book I can't put my finger on, but it's haunting, and there's something universal in this story even if you haven't been touched by death in this way in your life. It's also a love story to Baltimore, which she obviously loves even with its warts, in fact,partly because of them. She goes to the shady parts of town and feels badly for the poisoned rats. As a quiet but extremely thoughtful look at death and decline, she finds the human in the story that is often played off as voyeuristic gossip. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
July 11, 2020
I find it interesting that the last review of this book was a year ago when it has just debuted on Netflix as an Unsolved Mysteries case. I guess I’m the first down the “reading” rabbit hole. Though I usually am. It’s the best of the 6 episodes for sure, drawing attention of idiotic people with little common sense to bandy about theories like “someone put him in A suitcase and threw him off the building”. This 6’5” man of solid build weighing in at 260 pounds? Sorry ,FB user, I think your amateur sleuthing days are numbered.
Ms Brottman, however, has a brain and it’s a curious one. Like me she seems to easily fall down the rabbit hole of a subject and she then breaks it down into sometimes more compelling stories of others who have passed at this particular landmark hotel in Baltimore. I adored her writing style and her ponderings of such themes such as suicide, animal victims of her town, and interesting yet terrifying facts about the behavior of vultures..... I’m satisfied, in a way, with her conclusions about what happened here though we will never know what really occurred. Her take is also a macabre theory with elements that make me want to take the next plunge deeper down the rabbit hole...
Ms Brottman, however, has a brain and it’s a curious one. Like me she seems to easily fall down the rabbit hole of a subject and she then breaks it down into sometimes more compelling stories of others who have passed at this particular landmark hotel in Baltimore. I adored her writing style and her ponderings of such themes such as suicide, animal victims of her town, and interesting yet terrifying facts about the behavior of vultures..... I’m satisfied, in a way, with her conclusions about what happened here though we will never know what really occurred. Her take is also a macabre theory with elements that make me want to take the next plunge deeper down the rabbit hole...
December 8, 2018
What a waste of time this book was! I actually ended up skipping most of it, which is something that I never do. If I don't like a book early on, I'll just stop reading it altogether, but I just stuck with this one hoping to find out exactly what happened. Instead of a book it would have been better if it had been a magazine article. There's just not enough information to fill the pages for the story. We get to read peripheral information on the author's ramblings about being invisible, suicide, walking her dog, conjecture, and other who cares stuff. Besides all this filler, there were TONS of mistakes dealing with misspellings, misplaced punctuation, missing words, etc. As other reviewers have stated, this book is a total mess. Not recommended.
November 24, 2020
I love true crime, but this was just not for me. Too confusing.
January 17, 2020
I hate to poo-poo small author’s work. Authors who only have a couple of published book often have their heart and soul in these books.
So she gets a star just for doing way better than I could ever do.
Now for the honest review. This goes wrong on all levels. I don’t even know where to start. Stay away, stay far away. This is about 6 hours of my life I can’t get back.
It is incredibly disorganized, poorly researched, and the first 1/3 of the book the story of Rey seems like an afterthought. She says she had done lots of research on multiple cases but she doesn’t even know a chalk outline of a body is only in the old movies and cheesy crime shows. She bounces back and forth without any train of thought. She talks about reading something in a professional journal and I thought wow I have never heard of that. My 10 second search shows this story as an urban legend. Save yourself it is too late for me…..
So she gets a star just for doing way better than I could ever do.
Now for the honest review. This goes wrong on all levels. I don’t even know where to start. Stay away, stay far away. This is about 6 hours of my life I can’t get back.
It is incredibly disorganized, poorly researched, and the first 1/3 of the book the story of Rey seems like an afterthought. She says she had done lots of research on multiple cases but she doesn’t even know a chalk outline of a body is only in the old movies and cheesy crime shows. She bounces back and forth without any train of thought. She talks about reading something in a professional journal and I thought wow I have never heard of that. My 10 second search shows this story as an urban legend. Save yourself it is too late for me…..
November 23, 2019
Although I found most of the (MANY) tangents interesting, I could have used a little more meat to the mystery.
November 16, 2022
A curious book about a suspected suicide or maybe a murder. Very unusual because it's not written by a detective, lawyer, investigative reporter, or a true crime writer. Instead, its penned by a professor of Humanities that happens to live at the Belvedere and is completely obsessed with this case. For eleven years obsessed. She writes a lot about herself while investigating Rey Rivera's death. Lots of facts about the hotel, and a lot of quirky crazy stuff in here about murders and suicides. She can be quite humorous at times. I loved what she had to say about the writer Patricia Highsmith (page 42 in my edition). She also talks a lot about how she is invisible to others. She says a lot of wild things about herself. There are quite a few photos and diagrams throughout the book. She dug up an amazing amount of information about this incident. Mikita states that nobody wants to go on the record about Rey's death, they are all afraid and most of his friends feel that he was murdered. I was hoping, but unfortunately there is no clear conclusion as to if this was actually a murder or a suicide. I'll be thinking about this for a while yet. Liked the book enough to go out and buy her newest book 'Couple Found Slain'.
October 29, 2020
Brottman has written something tender and dark and rare and, ultimately, heartbreaking. I cried through the last 10 pages of this book. A true crime novel has never done that to me before and I've read quite a bit of true crime.
This is very much a dedicated study of the Rey Rivera case (yes, the one in the new Unsolved Mysteries). And it's also a history of the Belvedere's dark past. And a contemplation on the nature of death. And a study of obsession. And also, a bit of a memoir for Brottman. I could see where some readers might find frustration or confusion with the addition of Brottman's personal anecdotes, but for me, as someone who is constantly confronting their own macabre obsessions, those additions felt comforting and vital. How does one spend over 10 years investigating a case that their only connection to was proximity? For the obsessed, the answer is simple - if you follow your macabre fascinations far enough, you reach a point of no return.
This is very much a dedicated study of the Rey Rivera case (yes, the one in the new Unsolved Mysteries). And it's also a history of the Belvedere's dark past. And a contemplation on the nature of death. And a study of obsession. And also, a bit of a memoir for Brottman. I could see where some readers might find frustration or confusion with the addition of Brottman's personal anecdotes, but for me, as someone who is constantly confronting their own macabre obsessions, those additions felt comforting and vital. How does one spend over 10 years investigating a case that their only connection to was proximity? For the obsessed, the answer is simple - if you follow your macabre fascinations far enough, you reach a point of no return.
March 15, 2018
I got this one for review from Netgalley.
An Unexplained Death focuses on the mysterious disappearance of Rey Rivera from the Belvedere Hotel. The author describes initially seeing the missing person's poster and then becoming entrenched in the story of his disappearance while also exploring a fascination with the history of the Belvedere and suicide.
I really thought I would like this one, but I didn't. I got about 20% of the way through and was really disliking how the case was presented. I guess I expected more of a straight forward true-crime-investigative-book rather than a back and forth "this is my personality/here's a little bit about the victim" type of deal. It almost felt like the author was being flippant when speaking about suicide. I don't know. I wasn't enjoying it so I stopped reading.
An Unexplained Death focuses on the mysterious disappearance of Rey Rivera from the Belvedere Hotel. The author describes initially seeing the missing person's poster and then becoming entrenched in the story of his disappearance while also exploring a fascination with the history of the Belvedere and suicide.
I really thought I would like this one, but I didn't. I got about 20% of the way through and was really disliking how the case was presented. I guess I expected more of a straight forward true-crime-investigative-book rather than a back and forth "this is my personality/here's a little bit about the victim" type of deal. It almost felt like the author was being flippant when speaking about suicide. I don't know. I wasn't enjoying it so I stopped reading.
July 26, 2020
3.5 rounded up to 4. I would definitely recommend to those who were intrigued by the Unsolved Mysteries episode. The organization was a bit odd at places, particularly when the author inserts her self analysis into the narrative. Overall, I think people interested in the case or true crime lovers will enjoy this book.
November 26, 2018
I found this an odd mixture of the compelling and the slightly dull, so I find it hard to give an overall view.
An Unexplained Death is the true story of Mikita Brottman’s quest, lasting over a decade, to find the story behind the death of Rey Rivera. Rivera was an ostensibly happy, successful man who fell to his death from the Belvedere building in Baltimore where Brottman lives. There seem to be a lot of mysterious cover-ups and possibly shady dealing in the background, so she is sceptical about the prevailing view that Rivera’s death was suicide.
Among the story of her investigations we get a lot of historical detail about the Belvedere (formerly a swish hotel) and its many suicides, suicide in general, Rey’s links with a company selling possibly dodgy financial advice, Brottman’s personal internal life and so on. It is by turns fascinating and slightly tedious, and her conclusions are a little unsatisfactory; they fit the physical evidence in a way that competing ideas do not, but don’t explain all the odd, shady background stuff which was the reason for her interest in the first place.
Brottman does write very well, which kept me reading. As a couple of examples, writing of hotels’ attitude to suicide she says; “...employees are instructed to be alert for guests who appear agitated and distraught, or for anyone lingering suspiciously in an elevated place. Such vigilance may appear altruistic, but human kindness is often simply a side effect of liability prevention.” Or of trying to find out more about Rey on-line, “I have now spent years of my life following Internet threads by angry speculators, investors, muckrakers, and “independent thinkers” of dubious sanity, a bizarre path of loosely connected breadcrumbs that has led me to the edge of nowhere and back again.” These readable, pithy comments made it well worth persevering, but I did find myself skimming occasionally.
An Unexplained Death is a curious mixture; I found that I wanted to read to the end but was rather glad when I go there so I could go on to something else. I have rounded 3.5 stars up to 4 because it is well written, but my recommendation comes with reservations.
(My thanks to Canongate for an ARC via NetGalley.)
An Unexplained Death is the true story of Mikita Brottman’s quest, lasting over a decade, to find the story behind the death of Rey Rivera. Rivera was an ostensibly happy, successful man who fell to his death from the Belvedere building in Baltimore where Brottman lives. There seem to be a lot of mysterious cover-ups and possibly shady dealing in the background, so she is sceptical about the prevailing view that Rivera’s death was suicide.
Among the story of her investigations we get a lot of historical detail about the Belvedere (formerly a swish hotel) and its many suicides, suicide in general, Rey’s links with a company selling possibly dodgy financial advice, Brottman’s personal internal life and so on. It is by turns fascinating and slightly tedious, and her conclusions are a little unsatisfactory; they fit the physical evidence in a way that competing ideas do not, but don’t explain all the odd, shady background stuff which was the reason for her interest in the first place.
Brottman does write very well, which kept me reading. As a couple of examples, writing of hotels’ attitude to suicide she says; “...employees are instructed to be alert for guests who appear agitated and distraught, or for anyone lingering suspiciously in an elevated place. Such vigilance may appear altruistic, but human kindness is often simply a side effect of liability prevention.” Or of trying to find out more about Rey on-line, “I have now spent years of my life following Internet threads by angry speculators, investors, muckrakers, and “independent thinkers” of dubious sanity, a bizarre path of loosely connected breadcrumbs that has led me to the edge of nowhere and back again.” These readable, pithy comments made it well worth persevering, but I did find myself skimming occasionally.
An Unexplained Death is a curious mixture; I found that I wanted to read to the end but was rather glad when I go there so I could go on to something else. I have rounded 3.5 stars up to 4 because it is well written, but my recommendation comes with reservations.
(My thanks to Canongate for an ARC via NetGalley.)
June 2, 2018
This is a pretty exceptional work of nonfiction. More than a decade in the making, it's part investigation and true crime writing, part personal narrative, and part history.
It begins with Brottman spotting MISSING posters for a young man named Rey Rivera, as she's walking her dog. Then, his body is discovered, appearing as if he committed suicide by jumping from the building Brottman lives in, which no one who knows Rivera believes. It just so happens this is a historical landmark hotel turned into apartments.
The author's self confessed obsession with all things morbid leads to a fascinating exploration of the Belvedere Hotel, which has seen more than its fair share of suicides, and of the history of suicide in general. Cases and facts from the past are woven in with Rivera's story, and Brottman's determination to figure out what happened to him. There is so much information in this book, I feel I didn't have the chance to digest it all. There were a few times the author went out on a tangent that while interesting, was barely connected to the root of the story.
This book is unique because it will appeal to readers across several genres. Those who enjoy true crime writing and mystery will certainly enjoy it, as will history buffs. It's also a memoir of sorts and those who appreciate a skilled personal narrative, such as myself, will find the writing top notch.
Many thanks to NetGalley for my advanced digital copy of this book.
You can find my reviews and other bookish musings at www.ramonamead.com
It begins with Brottman spotting MISSING posters for a young man named Rey Rivera, as she's walking her dog. Then, his body is discovered, appearing as if he committed suicide by jumping from the building Brottman lives in, which no one who knows Rivera believes. It just so happens this is a historical landmark hotel turned into apartments.
The author's self confessed obsession with all things morbid leads to a fascinating exploration of the Belvedere Hotel, which has seen more than its fair share of suicides, and of the history of suicide in general. Cases and facts from the past are woven in with Rivera's story, and Brottman's determination to figure out what happened to him. There is so much information in this book, I feel I didn't have the chance to digest it all. There were a few times the author went out on a tangent that while interesting, was barely connected to the root of the story.
This book is unique because it will appeal to readers across several genres. Those who enjoy true crime writing and mystery will certainly enjoy it, as will history buffs. It's also a memoir of sorts and those who appreciate a skilled personal narrative, such as myself, will find the writing top notch.
Many thanks to NetGalley for my advanced digital copy of this book.
You can find my reviews and other bookish musings at www.ramonamead.com
December 28, 2018
An Unexplained Death is a book about a young man found dead in the Belvedere, a former hotel turned condominium in Baltimore, Maryland. It is also a book about the history of suicides at the Belvedere, the investigation into whether the body found was in fact suicide or if it was murder, and the psychology behind such acts of self-destruction. Psychology is at the heart of this book. The psychology of why people take their lives in the ways they do, and what compels people to be fascinated by such things - cold cases, suicide, death. It is all of these things, and more. This isn't simply a true crime narrative, and in my opinion is stronger for it.
People go missing every day, and some end up being searched for, some simply disappear. We never can know what was in their minds at that final moment, but we can speculate, try to piece it together - but why are we drawn to? No matter what, the person is still gone, and all that is left are the stories we tell ourselves about them. Do those stories reflect more strongly upon the lost person or upon ourselves?
This was a fascinating book. It won't appeal to everyone, but I found it something valuable. Being morbidly curious about these things (and more) myself, I couldn't put it down and felt as if I had found a kindred spirit in the author. Isn't it funny, how these books can make us feel less alone? Isn't it great that they do?
People go missing every day, and some end up being searched for, some simply disappear. We never can know what was in their minds at that final moment, but we can speculate, try to piece it together - but why are we drawn to? No matter what, the person is still gone, and all that is left are the stories we tell ourselves about them. Do those stories reflect more strongly upon the lost person or upon ourselves?
This was a fascinating book. It won't appeal to everyone, but I found it something valuable. Being morbidly curious about these things (and more) myself, I couldn't put it down and felt as if I had found a kindred spirit in the author. Isn't it funny, how these books can make us feel less alone? Isn't it great that they do?
November 13, 2025
Wow, absolutely fascinating true crime case ruined by incessant authorial navel-gazing. Spoiler alert, the author feels like she is invisible, she tells us this about a dozen plus times, she likes to go on walks with her dog, has acquired a fallen municipal sign for her bathroom from a reptile exhibit, is overly familiar with the death processes of rats that have been poisoned, has nursed several birds back to health, once saw a bifurcated deer carcass at the side of the road, and was so distracted by Turkey vultures in the Gulf of Mexico she pulled her car to the side of the road to watch them roost on a dumpster. What do any of these things have to do with the questioned death that the book is supposed to be about? I haven’t the foggiest idea. Did I mention she feels like she is invisible? Because it’s probably time to talk about that again to mirror how often she brought it up in the book. I’m perfectly fine with a few minor digressions in a true crime story to break up the macabre and I truly enjoyed the tales of historic deaths in the same building, but the borderline narcissistic filler in the book was painful. Only reason this wasn’t a dnf was that I listened to the audiobook and part of me was actually starting to want to see what completely inappropriate to the story anecdote was on its way next.🤣
January 6, 2019
I was SO STOKED to find this--I'm on a yearlong quest to immerse myself in all books Baltimore now that I live here. I've been to the Owl Bar! I can see the Belvedere from 83! I loved all the history and research about the Belvedere's other casualties much more than the investigation into Rivera. I was also torn--including memoir/personal insertion can sink a nonfiction book so fast, but I really admired Brottman's depiction of herself, even with the saving-of-birds / privilege sirens of "The OTHER Baltimore across the bridge" (where I happen to live, thanks!). Of course, I wanted more scandal and conspiracy about this spooky investment group, but most admirably, Brottman admits she's neither a crime reporter nor is she afraid of these rumors. Moreover, she has both the luxury of obsession to pursue the case and the frustration of a hobbyist/non-professional which gave me weirdly specific insight to what might happen if I tried to write a true crime book (which I have always wanted to do). I wish the private investigator's come-on at the end had been a bigger moment; to me, it was maybe the worst tragedy in the book.
November 13, 2018
In May, 2006, while out walking her dog, the author spies a missing persons flier on a utility pole. His name is Rey Rivera, and eight days after he goes missing, his corpse is found at the Belvedere. The Belvedere built in 1903 is a former grand hotel turned apartment building, and happens to be where the author lives. She is immediately intrigued, and spends the next ten years trying to find out what happened to the handsome stranger.
Ms. Brottman is a skilled writer and has crafted an absorbing read. The book is thoroughly researched and well thought out. I found it very interesting for the most part and learned a lot about suicides, the Belvedere in Baltimore, a company called Agora which started out publishing investment newsletters, and even a little bit about rats among other things. I’m not sure if I agree with her conclusion, but she has given it a lot of consideration and lays out a compelling argument. If you like the true crime or mystery genres or like the author have a bit of the voyeur in you, then you’re sure to enjoy this story.
Ms. Brottman is a skilled writer and has crafted an absorbing read. The book is thoroughly researched and well thought out. I found it very interesting for the most part and learned a lot about suicides, the Belvedere in Baltimore, a company called Agora which started out publishing investment newsletters, and even a little bit about rats among other things. I’m not sure if I agree with her conclusion, but she has given it a lot of consideration and lays out a compelling argument. If you like the true crime or mystery genres or like the author have a bit of the voyeur in you, then you’re sure to enjoy this story.
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