Broadcast Blues: A Clare Carlson Mystery

Belsky’s brisk and enjoyable sixth investigation for New York City reporter Clare Carlson (after It’s News to Me) sees the Channel 10 News star digging into a former NYPD detective’s shady past. When a bomb explodes in Wendy Kyle’s car, Clare recognizes a sensational story. Wendy, who was dismissed from the force after making sexual harassment accusations against her colleagues, went on to open Heartbreaker Investigations, a detective agency devoted to catching cheating spouses. As Clare pieces together Wendy’s history and tries to gain access to the agency’s client list, which includes the names of some of N.Y.C.’s heaviest hitters, she discovers that the former detective may be connected to far more sinister activity than she initially imagined. It’s a pleasure to follow Clare as she tails suspects, interviews sources, and lies her way into off-limits locations, especially because Belsky underlines the fact that her spry-as-ever heroine is about to turn 50. Satisfying suspects, plausible motives, and some truly surprising plot twists make this a winner. Readers will clamor for the next installment. Agent: Nalini Akolekar, Spencer Hill and Assoc. (Jan.)