Part mystery, part coming-of-age, part horror – and absolutely wonderful story-telling – Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia is hard to categorize and this reader found it impossible to put down. The characters lingered in my mind long after I finished reading. Statewide - an annual music convention featuring the top high school talent in New York - occurs one weekend each year at the Bellweather, a hotel in the Catskills which has seen better days. Definitely not one of those better days occurred 15 years ago, when it was the scene of a grisly murder-suicide. The action takes place during one weekend and features some very engaging characters, each harboring his or her own secrets – twins Alice and Rabbit Hatmaker, their chaperone Natalie, their conducter Fisher, the evil head of the conference, Viola, the missing prodigy Jill, and a sad, elderly concierge who has seen it all. Into this mix add Minnie who, as a child, witnessed the tragedy in Room 712 years ago. The atmosphere of the creepy, worn hotel and the imminent snowstorm add just the perfect touch of shiver.
Recommended for Adults and Young Adults
