An Unexplained Death

The True Story of a Body at the Belvedere

By: Mikita Brottman

Narrated by: Mikita Brottman

This program is read by the author.

An Unexplained Death is an obsessive investigation into a mysterious death at the Belvedere—a once-grand hotel—and a poignant, gripping meditation on suicide and voyeurism.

“The poster is new. I notice it right away, taped to a utility pole. Beneath the word ‘Missing,’ printed in a bold, high-impact font, are two sepia-toned photographs of a man dressed in a bow tie and tux.”

Most people would keep walking. Maybe they’d pay a bit closer attention to the local news that evening. Mikita Brottman spent ten years sifting through the details of the missing man’s life and disappearance, and his purported suicide by jumping from the roof of her own apartment building, the Belvedere.

As Brottman delves into the murky circumstances surrounding Rey Rivera’s death—which begins to look more and more like a murder—she contemplates the nature of and motives behind suicide, and uncovers a haunting pattern of guests at the Belvedere, when it was still a historic hotel, taking their own lives on the premises. Finally, she fearlessly takes us to the edge of her own morbid curiosity and asks us to consider our own darker impulses and obsessions.

Critic reviews

<p><b>Praise for Mikita Brottman:</b><br><br>“Idiosyncratic…poignant…When Brottman writes, she’s a virtuoso: poised and sure-footed, confident and graceful, witty and relaxed.” —<b><i>Baltimore Sun<br><br></i></b>"[A] fascinating and unvarnished book about criminals as rough-hewn literary critics. I tore through <i>The Maximum Security Book Club." </i><b>—Wally Lamb, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>We Are Water</i></b><br><br>“Filled with marvelous anecdotes and insights, <i>The Great Grisby</i>...explores human-dog bonds in history, art, mythology and literature… lively.” <b>—<i>The New York Times Book Review</i></b></p>

Great writing!

really enjoyed this though I wish it would have revealed more about the case that I didn't already know from just watching YouTube videos.

Dull and many tangents

I will be honest, I only listened to the first chapter. Not only did I find the narration dull, but the author went off on multiple tangents during this chapter alone. I was looking for the story of Rey Rivera, not multiple tangents.

Fascinating story and superb writing.

Enthralling story. I love the way the writer weaves in and out of the Rivera story with personal observations and other morbid curiosities in general. Fascinating storytelling of a number of mysterious deaths at the Belvedere Hotel. Not a big fan of the narrator's voice or sound quality of the recording, but the story and writing was engaging enough to get past it.

Perfect work!

I will immediately begin to read everything by this writer. The artist has a beautiful writing style and the time/angle shifts in plot are expertly done.
This book is an obvious feat for all involved.

Unusual Style and very well written

Very interesting book but not what I expected at all. Makita is a very fine author. She keeps the reader interested in the topic without a problem. She isn’t shy discussing her vulnerabilities. And she shares an in depth knowledge of a topic that I had never considered and I found that fact strangely enlightening.