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.

Book # 6 in the Clare Carlson mystery

This mystery about a TV newswoman Clare Carlson held me captive from the opening pages. What a refreshing and captivating read. It starts with a bang when an explosive device planted in a car detonates killing Wendy Kyle, a private investigator catering to women who suspected their husbands of cheating. Undoubtedly Wendy had angered many people with her work: the list of suspects is endless. Clare knows it will be a huge story for her and sets out to find the truth.

What a page-turner this turned out to be, once started I simply couldn’t put it down. The story is witty, clever and mostly engaging. We are taken on a wild cat and mouse chase through the streets of New York while a television reporter provides us with a fascinating lens into the media along with the murder case. The pacing and plotting are excellent. In fact you couldn’t ask for a more exciting drama. Clare is smart, spunky and persistent: once she gets a scoop she is like a Pitbull she will never let go till she says so. I like the tone it makes you feel part of the TV newsroom with all its craziness and back stabbing.

With its snappy dialog and exciting plot “Broadcast Blues” is one of my favourite mysteries I read this year. Have no fear if you haven’t read the previous installment this one stand solid by itself.

This is the first Clare Carlson book I’ve read in this series. Clare is a dogged TV journalist in NYC, always eager for a scoop/story. She is investigating the death of Private Investigator Wendy Kyle, who was murdered in a car bombing. Although this is book six of the series, it is easily read as a stand-alone. This is a good story and I look forward to reading more from Belsky.

Admittedly, I have eclectic reading tastes that often take me away from the blog’s main them of murder mysteries, espionage stories, adventure novels, and thrillers. Recently, I've read a couple historical novels such as The American Daughters and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. There’s the 1930’s Nobel Prize winning work of Sinclair Lewis with Babbitt, a recent Pulitzer Prize winning novel for fiction (Trust by Hernan Diaz), an autobiography from Prince Henry (Spare), nonfiction histories of 5,000 years of Chinese history (From Yao to Mao), another history about the zeppelin era (His Majesty’s Airship), and a Pulitzer Prize winning biography about Robert Oppenheimer, American Prometheus.

Of course, I’ve never abandoned mystery novels. However, when I’ve been away from our primary theme for very long, it always feels so good to come back to a good murder mystery, especially when it involves an ongoing saga of a protagonist I’ve come to enjoy. It was like coming home after being away too long and sitting down in my favorite chair and reading for my own joy. That was exactly my situation when I learned that R. G. Belsky was about to publish a new novel, Broadcast Blues, the sixth in a series about Clare Carlson, a television reporter and news director in NYC. She is a most compelling character. Now approaching her 50th birthday, being a three-time divorce who is between relationships, dealing with a boss she hates, and facing the possible sale of her tv station, Carlson is desperate to have a new tawdry sensational story to chase down. The consistent thing about Clare is that there is always chaos happening around her in the Channel 10 newsroom. This story dives into NYC politics and crooked cops. Primarily, the story surrounds the murder of Wendy Kyle, who had been fired from her job in the NYPD, who had a very mixed police history of being praised for her good work and being severely reprimanded for overstepping her proper boundaries. She went on to become a notorious private investigator who specialized in catching wealthy husbands in the act of infidelity. She continued to be an irritant to the NYPD, so there were lots of people who would have been happy to see her dead. However, Clare seemed to be chasing a case for which there was no supporting evidence other than her intuition and need for a new story.

I could not put this one down. Belsky hits a nice balance between some good humor in the dialogue and real danger to his characters in the plot. I did not see the resolution of the main plot and subplots until the story got tied together at the end – didn’t see it coming. While Broadcast Blues could be a stand-alone novel, it’s my preference to read about Clare Carlson’s adventures in the order that the novels were published. This novel gets my strongest recommendation.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Clare Carlson is a TV investgative reporter looking the her next big story. An explosive car bomb
kills private investigator Wendy Kyle, a former NYPD officer. Kyle's specialty is cases dealing with
cheating spouses. Clare investigates not only Kyle's past and present clients but also her history
with NYPD. In doing so, she draws the attention of rich powerful people who are willing tp protect
their secrets at all costs. Will Clare unmask the real killer before she is stopped?
Sixth in the series, works as a stand alone.
#BroadcastBlues #NetGalley

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
Wendy Kyle was a police officer that caused a lot of trouble and was kicked off the force.. She then became a PI to try and take down powerful men. She ends up being killed. This does not stop Clare Carlson a TV news reporter from digging into the story to seek justice . There are powerful men who are involved and they don’t want the truth to come out.

This was an enjoyable read. The main character is dealing with turning 50, but with a young spirit and dealing with big possible changes in her professional life as well as ex hubands and boyfriend. Her current big story deals with lots of big issues, police corruption, infidelity, abuse, victimization but told in very readable style. Think my students will enjoy this, despite the age differences and maybe open their eyes to not being so different despite the age differences

This is book six of a series, but fine to read on it's on. Claire, a newsroom manager and reporter is on the case off a former police officer who was killed by a car bomb. She is smart, spunky, persistent and a rule breaker, not unlike the dead woman. Complicated case but told in an easy to read, sometimes humorous style. Good read.

A good book to get introduced to Clare.
My first book of Belsky, that I picked up purely based on the write-up on a news director's quest for news.
Starts off slowly, picks up momentum gradually and it has all elements of a mystery thriller.
As per the usual format for crime thrillers, there is a sudden unexpected twist in the plot during the last 100 pages and all the loose ends are nearly tied up to conclude the story.
My only concern is that all the crime novel writers make the reader a byestander or a mute spectator to the happenings. Very few writers invite the participation of the reader to solve the mystery.
This is the reason that Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmesmysteries are so evergreen , challenging the readers to solve the mystery by presenting all the clues

In any case enjoyed reading this book which kept me engrossed right till the end.

This book had me from the very beginning. Clare Carlson is head of the TV newsroom, but also a lovable on air personality who is known for breaking the big stories. And with the death of Wendy Kyle, former NYPD officer turned PI who is killed in a car explosion, Clare knows she has found her story. The police quickly “solve” the murder and close the case, but Clare is not convinced. The more she dives into it, the more things don’t add up. She continues to investigate and becomes a target for some powerful people including some members of the NYPD. With lots of twists and turns and red herrings this is a fun novel for mystery fans of all ages. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book by R. G. Bel sky I read, and, although is is #6 in a series, it stands well on your own. The heroine is an ambitious, driven journalist investigating the death of another strong, unconventional woman. It is well written, the story is more than interesting, and the protagonist is, if not the most lovable person, highly relatable.

R.G. Belsky adds to his list of enticing mysteries with his latest book Broadcast Blues. Wendy Kyle, a former NYPD detective who had been fired from the force, is blown up in her car (or so the reader assumes), and Clare Calrson, a successful TV newswoman, wants to know why and how it happened. She digs deeper and with fervor, coming to terms with the former NYPD commissioner who is running for governor. There is a multi-millionaire who is not always faithful to his wife, and there are several woman who figure into this confusing web of relationships.

This mystery is compelling and has some clever and interesting plot twists. Good reading and a smart list of characters keeps the reader engaged and wondering what will happen next.

Thanks to Net Galley and Oceanview Publisher for the opportunity to read this convincing mystery.

Big thanks to both Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Broadcast Blues, by R. G. Belsky. This is book #6 in the Clare Carlson series and is expected to be published on January 2, 2024.

Wendy Kyle took secrets to her grave—now, Clare Carlson is digging them up.
(Who doesn't love a great tagline??)

Clare Carlson is the news director at Ch. 10 News and New York City is her stomping ground. She's as smart as she is feisty! This time around Clare is covering the murder of a former NYPD officer. Wendy Kyle had moved on to become a private investigator ... right up until she was killed by a bomb placed in her car. Clare has tenaciously attached herself to the case.

I've been a fan of this series since discovering book #3: The Last Scoop. Clare's personal life felt a wee bit less of a train wreck in Broadcast Blues, which is a good thing. The twists and turns of the case definitely kept me on my toes! It seemed like there was less humor in this one but the case was so intriguing that it made up for it!

You've got to love a character like Clare, but don't get fooled by the light storytelling, as there is a really good plot here. It may also be nice that the author stays in character by using journalistic language like "buying a hot dog from a vendor covered in sauerkraut" and the pistol was a "9mm Lugar"?

The writing is tight, evocative of Chandler at his best (sans L.A.), and the twists and turns in the mystery are deftly done, with a fast pace. I liked the idea of Clare Carlson more than I liked the character; a tough news investigative journalist, also anchor for a news show, Clare is determined to speak truth in her news stories, in spite of a toxic, antagonistic boss, and a trash fire of a life behind her, with three divorces.

My problem with the book I think was me as a reader, having more expectation of not only justice, but some kind of growth, or at least a sense of a fulfilled life. In this book everybody is divorced, not just once but multiple times, conveying a wearying sense of what's the use? Not a fan of that weary cynicism. If that's your thing, this book ought to strongly appeal.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book prerelease. I have not read any of the other series but it didn't matter. From the minute I picked up the book I was hooked, it was an exciting read and I couldn't put it down! Lots of different facets of her personal and public life causing her turmoil. Lots of investigative red herrings that totally shocked me. And Lots of endings!!! A highly recommended read...be warned if you haven't read the series, you'll want to after this book👍

This book is the sixth in a mystery series with Clare Carlson, a TV news journalist. Set in NYC, the book opens with the murder of Wendy Kyle, a former NYC police officer, now private investigator. She has had a very complicated past as a policewoman and has angered many of the wrong people. Her murderer may be one of several high profile suspects.

Clare is a dogged journalist who has a lot going on personally. But that doesn’t keep her from wanting to find Wendy’s murderer, regardless of risk. Her direct boss is not a fan and Clare knows she would fire her in a heartbeat, the station is in the process of being sold to a large conglomerate that cares more about the bottom line than any news investigations. She has been married three times and still uses her ex-husbands and lovers as news sources with mixed results. She has recently found her birth daughter that had been adopted and is trying to develop a relationship with her. Coincidentally, it is at a time when her newfound daughter needs her most. And she is having a hard time with her fast approaching fiftieth birthday.

But Clare is nothing if not an excellent investigator and when Wendy’s murder is neatly solved, Clare is determined to find the real killer. This means tangling with possibly unscrupulous characters in positions of power.

This is a fast paced read with many twists and turns in the story. I gave it three stars for that. I found Clare to be too one note. Her consistent I can figure anything out, fearless, smart mouthed character, became annoying. There was a lot of repetition as well. I think it would make a good TV show with some reworking.

Many thanks to Oceanview Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC.

I was excited to read this book because I enjoyed it the previous #5 in the series It's News to Me. Unfortunately #6 pales in comparison. The protagonist is annoying and there is just name after name of Uber rich suspects.

This is my second dip into a highly enjoyable series starring TV newswoman Clare Carlson. There is no need to have read any of the other instalments as each read well as standalones, but it is book six, so if you like to follow a series, there is plenty more available for you. In Broadcast Blues, unhappily single Clare is facing her fiftieth birthday and major changes in her workplace. Perhaps more than ever, she needs to break a big story. And it’s never just a story for her, it’s always about finding the truth. And when Wendy Kyle, an ex-NYPD officer and controversial private investigator is killed by a car bomb, Clare has her story. But nothing comes easily. She has to fight her bosses and comes under the radar of rich, powerful, unscrupulous people who intend for their secrets to stay buried with Wendy.
Broadcast Blues is a solid instalment in the Clare Carlson series. Highly recommended for fans of the Stephanie Plum and Kinsey Millhone books and those readers who enjoy (fictional) insights into the world of journalism.