I knew exactly where this was heading on page 64 of almost 500 pages. My co-buddy-reader Anja confirmed my assumptions, and I only skimmed the rest.
A book where you find out who and why they did it this early does not deserve to be called a thriller, nor does it deserve the time you would have to spend to read it to the end.

Entertaining read; not outstanding, but also not uninspired. This would have led to 2.5 stars (= mediocre), but there was one fact that I really enjoyed: same-gender relationships were not depicted as a taboo, scandalous or even something special, but as something utterly normal. I really liked that. Therefore rounded up to 3 stars.

I am not able to rate this book.
I have finished it a week ago and since then I have tried to decide which rating would be appropriate. I can't even find the right words for a proper review. All I can say is that it kept me in a constantly alternating state of fury, horror and tearfulness.
I simply can't rate this book.

Somebody stated in another review that Helprin is a great writer but a poor novelist, and I could not agree more.

Don't get me wrong: I love his language, his style and his overboarding descriptions, but I am highly irritated by the lazy way he created his characters. Example? Here you go:

There are three female protagonists in this book, Beverly, Virginia and Christiana. Each of these women is as beautiful as can be, even Beverly, who is dying from consumption (tuberculosis). Each of them is gifted with a peculiar talent. And each of them meets the man of their dreams and they instantly fall in love with each other.

See? Those women aren't characters, they are stereotypes, and actually they are all the same stereotype!

I don't know if Helprin is not able to create proper characters or if he simply does not care. However, if he had put half the effort in his characters than he has put in the excessive descriptions, I guess I would have enjoyed this book a lot more.

You and me, dear book, are not going to become bff. :-/