In “Broadcast Blues” Clare Carlson faces a time of uncertainty. With her fiftieth birthday approaching and the pending sale of Channel 10, the TV station where she works as news director and on-air personality, Clare needs a distraction. Preferably a story big enough to keep her at the top of her game and to secure continued employment post-sale. She needs the “news gods” to come through for her.

When the gods deliver, it’s in the form of a car explosion which kills a former NYPD police officer turned sexual infidelity private investigator who worked high-profile, high dollar divorce cases. A big murder in the heart of Times Square, with revenge as a possible motive, what could be better? Scandals and homicides make great copy.

The first question for Clare is, who wanted Wendy Kyle dead? A disgruntled cop who crossed paths with Wendy during her controversial days with the NYPD? A disgruntled husband who fell into Wendy’s “Honey Trap”? With plenty of suspects and more questions than answers, she has her work cut out for her. But Clare, who has had great success over the years in ferreting out the closely held secrets of the rich and powerful, remains undaunted in her pursuit of the truth and justice for Wendy Kyle. She will stop at nothing to tell Wendy’s story, even if uncovering that truth puts her in harm’s way.

R.G. Belsky does it again with “Broadcast Blues,” Book Six in the Clare Carlson series. With engaging characters and an engrossing plot, the latest in the series is the perfect read for mystery fans. Many thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the Advance Reader’s Copy for review purposes.

This is my first book from this author, and in the series. I didn't know it was the 6th book in Claire's story but it does read as a standalone. There are some references to past books like what happened to her daughter but nothing that deters from the story.

I liked Claire and her story. She's an investigative journalist struggling with the reality of turning 50. She puts herself into some bad situations, and I found myself thinking girl you need a weapon. The story was a little predictable. I did find the ending with the two thug shooters confessing everything to be a bit too convenient. No way they'd just spill their guts like that. But I get it, the details needed to come out somehow.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I would be interested in going back and reading the first 5 books in this series.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for this arc.

Claire the lead character failed to endear herself to me and I think this probably soured the rest of the book. There is plenty of action and lots of questionable decisions made along the way but it being part of a series wasn’t important. There were some references to events that must have happened in some previous books in the series which made me mildly curious but not enough to read @another one…

I enjoyed this stylish mystery with punchy, action-packed short chapters, colorful characters, and a couple of good twists. I found the ending slightly disappointing; it seemed a bit rushed and there was too much explication in the dialogue—why did the villains spend so much time telling Clare all about their reasons for the crime and how they went about perpetrating it? They could have killed her much sooner!
Also, I realize that I was reading an advance copy, but in some instances, annoyingly garbled sentences with word misuse and/or grammatical errors really took me out of the story as I worked out the writer’s meaning. I really hope these are addressed before publication as they detract from an overall entertaining story!
All in all, though, I enjoyed the story and will look for the other novels in the series.

Broadcast Blues by R. G. Belsky #ninetysixthbookof2023 #arc

CW: death, murder, suicide, adultery, police corruption

Clare Carlson is a NYC reporter who’s gotten a big break on a story. Wendy Kyle is a former cop, now a PI, who investigates cheating spouses, and she’s just been killed. Clare thinks there is more to the story than the police are saying, and she determined to get to the bottom of it.

This is book six in a series that I have not read before. You can absolutely read this as a standalone because the narrative constantly talks about the history of the main character, over and over again. Informative is repeated mere paragraphs apart. Like, I get it. This is your ex-husband. Stop telling me that. And quit using full names to describe people throughout the entire book.

The main character Clare is kind of unlikable. I can’t tell if I didn’t like her first person point of view or if it was the author’s voice coming through. Clare is stuck on herself, almost narcissistic. She’s a news director and on screen talent for a news program, and she’s about to turn 50 and is obsessed with that fact. She’s described as Pulitzer Prize winning in her early career but most of her detective work in this book seems to be making guesses that just happen to pan out.

The story is fast paced, and I read it very quickly. It’s an interesting story, nothing groundbreaking, but I would probably read another in the series, but the constant repeating of information became a little annoying. I am a little curious to read the story of how Clare’s long lost daughter was found, which is the plot of one of the earlier installments, so I may check that out.

Thank you to @netgalley and @oceanviewpub for the advance copy. (Pub date 1/2/24)

Man this story dragged on and on through the unpleasant thoughts of an unpleasant main character. I wasn’t aware when I requested the book that it was part of a series. I don’t know how or why I missed that but I don’t think it would have stopped me. I don’t mind joining a series already in progress, but I cannot imagine slogging through more Clare.

I really enjoy reading Mr. Belsky's stories and Broadcast Blues was no different! Clare is fighting against her boss, against turning 50 years old, and wishing things would not change at Channel 10. She enjoys being the News Director but she cannot see herself without going after a good story that will make the ratings soar. The story is fast-paced and although at times it leads the reader to believe they kow the culprit, nothing could be further fro truth. A great mystery, with a lot of questioning regarding life, age, family, love, respect. Great entertainment!
I thank Mr. Belsky, his publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Unfortunately, this book slogged along for me. Clare Carlson, the main character, was an unappealing woman. I found the story to be very far fetched. I am sure the journalistic world is as depicted. Thank you Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Being a first time reader of R. G. Belsky I will definitely be reading more of his novels. A nice fast paced novel narrated from a reporter’s point of view. All the changes social media have produced in the ever evolving world of journalism are quite evident in Broadcast Blues. There’s something for everyone in this book- humour, murder mystery, and working relationships to name a few! I recommend giving this book a read.

Having read four other books in this series - this is the sixth - I almost feel like New York's Channel 10 News Director Clare Carlson is an old friend. It helps, I suppose, that many of my working years were in journalism also, albeit print and not broadcast. Despite her sometimes (make that frequent) abrasive manner, I've worked with a few who probably could eat her for lunch.

When private eye Wendy Kyle gets blown up along with her car, Clare smells a big story. Wendy, it seems, specialized in nailing cheating husbands and made a comfortable living plying her trade. Clare needs that big story because she's always at odds with her boss, the station is about to get new owners, her daughter Emily is in the midst of a personal crisis and - horror of horrors - she's about to turn 50 years old. Could the situation be any more dire?

The dead woman once was an NYPD officer, but run-ins with the powers-that-be forced her to quit. After a little digging, Clare finds a connection to a mega-wealthy billionaire who has a woman in every port, so to speak - and then to an up-and-coming politician who has ties to the NYPD but an up-to-now squeaky clean image. Clare's investigation brings her in contact with former husbands - she's had three so far - and sends her down some paths that twist and turn and lead nowhere but are intriguing to explore and others that are a clear and present danger.

The ending - which seemed a little out of character (and of which I'm not a huge fan, BTW) - could lead to an interesting next installment - and for sure, I'm looking forward to it. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. Well done once again!

3.5 Stars. This is the 6th book in the Clare Carlson Mystery series. I hadn't read the previous books, but this works as a stand-alone. Its author, R.G. Belsky, describes a newsroom from his experiences, and some of the workers' interactions were based on his observations. The story was fast-paced, witty, and straightforward, with no unnecessary fillers. It describes the pressure to capture high ratings for news broadcasts.

Reporter Clare Carlson is the news director and on-air presence at a TV station based in New York City. It is a stressful time in the work environment. The station is in the process of being sold, and the workers are concerned about their job security. Clare is relentless in her pursuit of the truth and her next big story. She regards her boss as harsh and worries she could be fired. Her work is of utmost importance to her and has had a negative effect on her personal life.

Clare is obsessed that her 50th birthday is approaching. She has been divorced three times but can approach her past husbands and lovers for help accessing news stories. She is desperate to find a new man and has no objections that they might be already married. She is bold, flippant, and outspoken and will go to extreme lengths to pursue a newsworthy story. Clare gave up a daughter at birth years ago and has recently connected with her now adult daughter and grandchild.

It seems her next big story has arrived. An exploding car bomb has killed a woman. The victim is private investigator Wendy Kyle, and Clare wants justice for the dead woman. Wendy had been dismissed from the police force after making allegations of sexual harassment and injuring her boss in an angry confrontation. She then set up a private business investigating cheating husbands. Clare discovers clues that some rich and powerful men are connected to Wendy's investigations. This included high-level corrupt police officers, a multi-billionaire, and the leading candidate for governor. These join the ranks of suspects who had reason to want Wendy murdered, along with the many husbands she caught cheating on their wives.

There are a couple more deaths. Clare is nowhere close to putting her news story together but has uncovered enough information to put her life in danger. She encounters a remarkable twist near the end of the book.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an early electronic copy of Broadcast Blues. I am now interested in reading some of the earlier books in this series. The publication date is January 2.

Clare Carlson #6

New York City has no shortage of crime, making a busy schedule for TV newswoman Clare Carlson. But, not all crimes are created equal, and when an explosive planted in a car detonates and kills a woman, Clare knows it will be a huge story for her. But it's not only about the story - Clare also wants justice for the victim, Wendy Kyle. Wendy had sparked controversy as an NYPD officer, ultimately getting into a physical altercation with her boss. Then she started a private investigation business, catering for women who suspected their husbands of cheating. Undoubtedly, Wendy had angered many people with her work, so the list of suspected murderers is seemingly endless.

Filled with twists, turns, and red herrings, I was quickly pulled into this story. There are clues to find along the way, and it has a great twist to round things off. The characters are well-developed. The more Clare investigates the death of Wendy Kyle, the more things don't add up. This is the first book in the series that I've read, but it does read well as a standalone,

I would like to thank #NetGalley #OceanviewPublishing and the author #RHBelsky for my ARC of #BroadcastBlues in exchange for an honest review.

Ich hab hier spontan zugegriffen, denn die Eckpunkte fand ich cool: eine investigative Journalistin in New York bei der Story ihres Lebens - klingt gut. Und alles, was ich bisher aus dem Oceanview Verlag gelesen habe, war rasant und spannend, von daher: ich war neugierig auf diesen Krimi.
Was ich leider zu spät gesehen habe: das hier ist bereits Band 6 einer Serie um die Reporterin Clare Carlson. Aber in diesem Falle war das egal, dieser Band ließ sich auch völlig unabhängig von den restlichen Teilen lesen. Großer Pluspunkt; das ist ja heute nicht mehr selbstverständlich, weshalb ich eigentlich ungern mittendrin in eine Serie einsteige. Aber hier war das freundlicherweise kein Problem.
So, hierum geht es auf Deutsch: Clare Carlson ins News Direktor und Journalistin bei einem New Yorker Fernsehsender; immer auf der Suche nach einer Story. Und darin hat sie auch Erfahrung; Clare ist pulitzerpreisgekrönte Investigativjournalistin. Hier hängt ach ihr Herzblut, auch wenn sie mittlerweile im Sender Karriere gemacht hat. Der neueste Fall: die ehemalige NYPD-Ermittlerin und Privatdetektivin Wendy Kyle ist auf offener Straße ermordet worden, ihr Auto ist explodiert. Als Clare sich näher mit dem Anschlag befasst, fällt auf, dass es hier an Verdächtigen nicht mangelt, denn das Opfer hatte mehr als genug Feinde. Wendys Schwerpunkt als PI waren Ermittlungen in Sachen Ehebruch, und in ihren Unterlagen taucht der Name eines Multimilliardärs auf….könnte hier ein Motiv liegen? Clare gräbt tiefer, und stellt fest, dass ein ungeklärter Fall, an dem Wendy in ihren Tagen als Polizistin involviert war, immer noch Kreise zieht…..
Ohne jetzt weiter zu spoilern: das war ein richtig cooler Krimi. Super spannender Fall, richtig gut geplottet. Man weiß zwar irgendwann, wer hier zu den „Bösen“ gehört, aber mit der Auflösung hätte ich am Ende nicht gerechnet. Also, ich wiederhole mich: gut gemacht.
Und ich glaube, ich habe eine neue Heldin gefunden: ich finde Clare klasse 😊. Sie ist kein junges Mädel mehr, sondern steht kurz vor ihrem 50. Geburtstag, auf den sie gar nicht so viel Lust hat, und die ist 3-mal geschieden. Man kann sich also denken: ihr Privatleben ist nicht so bombe gelaufen. Sie hat eine knapp 30jährige Tochter, zu der sie aber erst seit einigen Jahren wieder Kontakt hat – auch das lief suboptimal. Aber irgendwie macht mir das Clare sympathisch. Sie ist trotzdem keinesfalls zu bedauern; Clare ist tough, smart, und weiß, was sie will. Ja, diese Protagonistin ist mal was anderes, und mir hat sie sehr gefallen.
Gefallen hat mir auch der Stil: sehr temporeich, flüssig, und witzig. Ließ sich klasse lesen. Der Autor ist übrigens selbst Journalist, von daher sind die Szenen im Sender wohl sehr authentisch. Hier hat jemand Ahnung, von dem was er schreibt.
Ich bedanke mich beim Verlag und bei Netgalley für das Rezensionsexemplar! Hat Spaß gemacht!

This was not really my cup of tea. This is the sixth book in a series and the first one I've read. I couldn't really figure out what this book was suppose to be. On the one hand, it seemed to want to be a thriller dealing with serious social issues (which it did at times), then it came off as more of a romcom about a TV journalist turning 50 and looking at every man as a potential sexual partner including a couple of her exes. I didn't find any of the characters particularly engaging, the plot was fairly predictable, and the characters' actions weren't really believable. Not recommended

This is a Mystery, and this is the sixth book in the Clare Carlson series. I ended up DNFing this book around 30% because I just could not get into the story, and I found myself not caring about the characters. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

In the sixth Clare Carlson mystery, Clare is worrying about turning fifty, dealing with the potential sale of the television station where she works, and dealing with an irritating new boss among other problems.

In the quest for news to televise, Clare becomes interested in the death of Wendy Kyle. She's a former cop turned private investigator who specializes in getting evidence on cheating husbands. She dies when her car explodes as she was about to enter it leaving a cryptic page from her diary as the only clue to what she was working on.

Clare sees the death as the exciting news she has been looking for and decides to look into the death. Kyle was a fascinating person with at least as many enemies as supporters and a fair number of her enemies were with the police. Not to mention the many rich and cheating men that she exposed.

The mystery was filled with twists and turns as Clare tried to find out who wanted Kyle dead the most. She calls on two of her ex-lovers to help her out. Both of whom wouldn't mind rekindling their relationships with Clare despite being married men themselves.

I enjoyed this story. I like Clare for her dedication to her job of finding and reporting on important stories. I also like that Clare is angsting about turning fifty without a husband or lover in the picture. I also like her growing relationship with her daughter and granddaughter.

This is a masterfully crafted mystery that keeps readers guessing until the final pages with its relentless pace, intricate plot twists, and well-drawn characters. Whether you are a fan of investigative journalism or crime fiction, this book delivers a thrilling and satisfying experience that lingers long after you finish the book.

RG Belsky. Newsroom drama. Clare Carlson. What could possibly go wrong?

The sixth Clare Carlson book and all previous outings have been winners that the MRB boys have enjoyed. Yeah, we're biased.

A prize winner journalist now an NYC TV reporter and news director who is approaching her 50th birthday and reflecting on her three previous failures in marriage. She can’t stand her boss and the TV station is up for sale. But a juicy scoop might do wonders for killing the sale. The newsroom is a constant setting for comfort and chaos. The juicy scoop she needs falls into her lap when a former star cop, Wendy Kyle (who got dumped for slugging a higher officer) and now a high-profile PI is killed. It’s NYC so you can bet that crooked cops and politicians will be at the core of the investigation. Kyle’s PI business specialized in catching husbands fooling around that helped cement her poor reputation with the NYPD; there was no shortage of higher ups who would be just fine if she was wiped from the board. Clare’s investigation chased a story with little evidence to support her theory that Kyle’s death was more than a random killing.

Belsky is a proven winner. Great story, intriguing characters, realistic dialogue, believable settings combined with a healthy bit of his trademarked humor. Tell us if you saw the conclusion of this book while reading. I didn’t. Broadcast Blues can be a stand-alone book, but it might help understand Clare if you read these in order.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance reviewer copy.

Clare Carlson has a lot going on in this sixth novel by R. G. Belsky. Her TV station is being sold. Clare’s position as news director is affected when she decides to take on the role of an on-the-air reporter following the sensational murder of Wendy Kyle. Wendy created controversy when she left the NYPD under extenuating circumstances and started her own PI firm specializing in working for women who suspected their husbands of cheating.

Clare’s daughter needs help when she realizes her marriage is in trouble. Clare agrees to an alliance with her boss – a boss who is difficult to work with - to ensure they keep their jobs with the station’s new owners.

Mr. Belsky’s experience as a journalist continues to be a highlight of his creative storytelling. Once again the pace is robust and Clare’s experience provides a compelling read.

Thoroughly enjoyable! This was my first Clare Carlson book. Here, she's trying to connect the dots surrounding the death of a private investigator while dealing with the pressure of big changes at her news station and personal changes. It kept my interest and had some good plot twists. While Clare is not my favorite character here because of a lot of what felt like an obsession with her age and some questionable values regarding relationships, it made me want to pick up another book in the series.