The scariest kind of serial killer—one you don’t know exists Martin Barlow was Clare Carlson’s first newspaper editor, a beloved mentor who inspired her career as a journalist. But, since retiring from his newspaper job, he had become a kind of pathetic figure—railing on about conspiracies, cover-ups, and other imaginary stories he was still working on. Clare had been too busy with her own career … career to pay much attention to him. When Martin Barlow is killed on the street one night during an apparent mugging attempt gone bad, it seems like he was just an old man whose time had come. But Clare—initially out of a sense of guilt for ignoring her old friend and then because of her own journalistic instincts—begins looking into his last story idea. As she digs deeper and deeper into his secret files, she uncovers shocking evidence of a serial killer worse than Son of Sam, Ted Bundy, or any of the other infamous names in history. This really is the biggest story of Martin Barlow’s career—and Clare’s, too—as she uncovers the path leading to the decades-long killer of at least twenty young women. All is not as it seems during Clare’s relentless search for this serial killer. Is she setting herself up to be his next victim?Clare Carlson is perfect for fans of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone and Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski While all of the novels in the Clare Carlson Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:Yesterday’s NewsBelow the FoldThe Last ScoopBeyond the Headlines (coming May 2021)
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Sitting down with a Clare Carlson Mystery is like visiting an old friend.
I like her unapologetic, straightforward attitude. She’s good at her job as a television news director while mostly pleasing no one but herself.
However, this time around, Clare’s self-possessed lifestyle leaves her wracked with guilt. Her beloved mentor, Marty Barlow, is killed on a New York City street. She’s haunted by the countless promises she made to meet the retiree for coffee or help him with a story she never saw through.
After picking her brain over their last conversation… and going through notes retrieved from Marty’s family, Clare realizes Marty was on to something. Corruption and murders. And some of the murders were decades old… committed by a serial killer.
Clare uses the methodical skills learned from Marty when she was a cub reporter to track down and piece together clues. The Pulitzer Prize-winner isn’t looking for another award. She wants to finish Marty’s investigations and find the truth, even as it puts her square in the sights of a killer.
As Clare balances work and Marty’s case, she is still plagued by the only other decision she’s ever felt guilt over, and it’s not any of her three divorces. It’s something she hasn’t even told her BFF, Janet. She wants to make it right, but will it all blow up in her face?
Great writing and multiple plot twists make The Last Scoop an unputdownable must-read, especially for readers who love mysteries, crime thrillers, and suspense. Release day fast approaches – preorder this one today!
(This is the third in the Clare Carlson series. Do yourself a favor and grab the first two!)
Enjoy!
This is about a serial killer. One who would never had been identified hadn’t it been for Clare Carlson, a New York City TV news director, who is following the trail of her esteemed mentor, murdered because he was getting too close to discovering a maze of apparently unconnected deaths. Those of us who have read prior Clare Carlson novels know that Clare will stop at nothing to get at the truth.
This one is scary, smart and riveting: about the serial killer no one knew existed!
“The Last Scoop” opens with a brutal murder in the past, and that event drives the entire story that follows. Clare Carlson deals in lies for a living, all sorts of lies, and her job is to catch people in their lies and expose those lies to the world; she is a television news director. The story that follows is a first person narrative by Carlson talking to readers as if in a documentary, talking in carefully crafted sentences. Her tone is casual but formal with carefully crafted sentences that use precise details to lead the reader in a specific direction. Clare Carlson is a complicated person with two separate sides and many secrets. There are also casual, more personal segments that are friendly and informal, as if she is talking to a friend and sharing little stories.
Belsky crafts a narrative-driven investigation that allows readers hear what Carlson says to people and what they say to her. Interspersed are her opinions. Carlson begins her search when a person from her past, a newspaper editor from early in her career, is murdered. She feels compelled to tell the unfinished story that he has been chasing. The problem is that she does not find a “big story,” just a series of individual pieces of information and events that might or might not be related. Thrown in the middle of this is an agonizing story from her past; she determined to keep this a secret, at least for now. The pace is fast; this is TV news after all. Events transpire quickly, but the puzzle that this story becomes does not emerge as Carlson expects. When the pieces fall together and the picture finally becomes clear, readers are just as astonished as Carlson.
“The Last Scoop” is a story with complex elements. Events from the past are brought together in an unusual way, and the resulting story is both appealing and gripping. I received a review copy of “The Last Scoop” from R. G. Belsky, Oceanview Publishing and Goodreads. It is part of the “Clare Carlson Mystery” series, but new readers will be able to easily follow along; any needed background information needed is included within the current narrative. The entire series is easy to read, and the characters are both complex and dynamic.
What a terrific book! A complex and compelling nonstop cat-and-mouse chase — and you’re never quite sure which one’s the mouse. Even the savviest of readers will be gasping in awe at Belsky’s impressive story-telling skills.
Martin Barlow was murdered. Newspaper Editor / Investigative Reporter remembers the man fondly … he was Clare’s mentor who inspired her when she was just beginning. The last time she and Martin spoke, he told her he was working on a huge story … even though he had been retired a number of years.
Initially out of a sense of guilt for ignoring her old friend and then because of her own journalistic instincts—begins looking into his last story ideas.
One of his last stories he was looking into was a city-wide corruption dealing with dishonest landlords … maybe working in tandem with city politicos.
The other is shocking. From Martin’s hidden files, she finds evidence of the nation’s worst serial killer .. one who has been killing for at least 30 years .. but no one has ever known.
All is not what is seems as she follows the breadcrumbs …. and becomes the next target.
This is a well-written novel, fulls of twists and turns, and surprises around every corner. The characters are skillfully drawn and remain quite memorable long after the unexpected conclusion. I enjoyed the blend of Clare’s personal and professional lives. Although third in this series, it is easily read as a stand-alone. I highly recommend starting at the beginning.. makes for some great reading.
Many thanks to the author / Oceanview Publishing / Netgalley / Edelweiss for the digital of this riveting crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This is another great Clare Carlson thriller. Brilliantly written, Belsky integrates Clare’s personal life with the mystery, making the character of Clare, the protagonist, jump off the page at the reader, having emotions, problems, and feelings of her own.
As with the first two Clare Carlson thrillers (which I also highly recommend), Belsky’s personal journalist experiences come through in his writing and storytelling. The plot is invoking and contains plenty of suspense and twists. A page turner by anyone’s definition.
I highly recommend this novel. My comments are an independent and honest review.
There’s something Dick Belsky delivers in all of his mysteries — spine-bending plot twists that leave you feeling like you’re riding a nuclear-powered rollercoaster instead of reading a book.
His soon-to-be latest, another Clare Carlson mystery, THE LAST SCOOP, is no exception. It’s Belsky at his best — fast copy, as they used to say in the journalism game; snappy patter that reads like dialogue between Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant; and, stunning revelations that leave you muttering: “I’m a smart guy, but I did not see that one coming.”
At the center of it all is Carlson, an ex-print journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner turned news director at a New York television station. She’s a terminal smart-ass and helluva reporter who loves to escape the newsroom and chase big stories.
A driven perfectionist at work and a train wreck in her personal life, she has three or four broken marriages that were clocked with a stopwatch between the altar and divorce court. Pretty typical for a journalist, a profession Belsky knows well because he played it at a very high level in New York and L.A.
She also has a big secret that would ruin her if ever revealed, proving the truth crusader was living a Big Lie.
In this story, Carlson is shocked to read about the murder of Marty Barlow, her mentor when she was a cub reporter just cutting her teeth. He taught her how to be a pro, how to be relentless in pursuit of a story and rigorous about getting it right and hewing to the facts, no matter where they led.
She also feels a ton of guilt because she blew him off after he came to her, a little wild-eyed about what he called the biggest story he’d ever chased, a blockbuster of corruption and murder, and asked for her help. She promised to meet him over coffee and never did. Now he was dead, another victim of what seemed to be another random and senseless New York murder.
To make amends, she starts to follow Barlow’s trail, talking her way past his submissive daughter and bastardly son-in-law to get her mentor’s notes and access to his computer. Sooner rather than later, mobsters are menacing her as she uncovers bent developers and a trail of corruption that seems to lead right to a rising star of a district attorney with her eye on the mayor’s office.
That ain’t all, folks. Barlow was also digging into the brutal and unsolved murder of a high school cheerleader in a small Indiana town and was convinced it was linked to the murders of nearly twenty other women scattered across the country. How all this fit into the corruption story mystified Clare, presenting a puzzle no reporter can leave unsolved.
Belsky smoothly builds his rollercoaster like the master craftsman he is. And the result is a corkscrew trip at warp speed, rocketing through the curves and stomach churning drops.
Buy this ticket and take the ride.
The author provided an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jim Nesbitt is the author of three hard-boiled crime thrillers set in Texas and northern Mexico that feature battered but relentless Dallas PI Ed Earl Burch — The Last Second Chance, The Right Wrong Number and The Best Lousy Choice. Available in paperback and Kindle at:
https://www.amazon.com/author/jimnesbitt
I definitely enjoyed the characters and the plot twists. Kept me engaged
I thought the plots were trite and not believable.
Thank you NetGalley and Oceanview for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Last Scoop
By: R. G. Belsky
REVIEW
The Last Scoop is part of a series which I have not read; however, I found that it reads fine as a standalone. The heroine, Clare, is a bit of a hot mess in her personal life, but a total professional in her work life. She is a newswoman and good at her job. Tragically, her mentor is killed, and Clare feels guilty about not seeing this person often enough. She decides to look into what he was working on, and his last scoop turns into much more than Clare anticipated, for example, a potential serial killer. Now, it is up to Clare to finish what her mentor started, but what if she is in danger of being a victim herself? This story is convoluted with several threads sort of going on at once, but it wasn’t confusing. There is plenty of action, suspense, intrigue and dead ends to enjoy. Clare is a modern woman with problems, intelligence, strength and determination to solve this case. This book is a thrilling read, and I fully intend to read more about Clare.
I’m just going to start off by saying that this is the first book I have read from the author, and though this is the third book in the series and I honestly never felt that I was missing anything by starting with this one, there is information in this story that will clearly spoil events from the first installment. If you are not bothered by that or have no intention of going back, then by all means, this is a fantastic read and you will not be disappointed. But if you are like most people and need to start from the beginning, go pick up those books first and then read this one.
Not that that’s out of the way…
Wow! This was intense! After the death of her mentor, Clare begins looking into stories that he was working on which may have in fact contributed to his possible murder. There is a lot to unpack with the plot, so it’s definitely best to just go into it for an amazing thrill ride, packed with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end! Short, suspense filled chapters keep the pace moving at breakneck speed, making it incredibly difficult to put down. You will not be disappointed!
“A big story always made everything better.”
What struck me the most was Clare’s character. She is immensely flawed with a lot of emotional and personal baggage; however, she is quite likeable and often more relatable than those surrounding her. She is incredibly skilled at her career as a journalist and completely dedicated to the profession to the detriment of everything else. She chases stories to forget about her problems much like an addiction. She carries many secrets that would dramatically compromise her journalistic reputation and integrity if ever publicly revealed, yet she uses her position as a journalist to keep tabs on those secrets. It’s quite interesting to watch, especially once she does finally let her guard down.
Much like a police procedural walks readers through the process of criminal investigations, this story provides insight into just how the news gets its scoop! And don’t forget to check out the “Author’s Note” at the end for added perspective!
This intricate mystery is thoughtfully and skillfully plotted with a smooth flow towards the ultimate reveal that becomes even more clever when you think about just how disparate everything initially was. Convoluted and conflicted relationships unravel into a satisfying conclusion and should not be missed!
Many thanks to Partners in Crime Book Tours and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. This is my honest and thoughtful review.
I had a hard time putting this book down. It read easy and fast. There were some “sit on the edge of your seat” moments. This is about a newswoman who climbed up through the ranks and like many people, always “ran out of time” to have coffee with her mentor. An excellent newsman in his time. Once he’s mugged, she just can’t get that last big story he said he was working on out of her mind.
This is really unusual in that there is only one main character, Claire the newswoman. Oh, she talks with her BFF now and then and a few other people. I didn’t even realize this until after I read the book. There might have been a little old love interest and an FBI agent involved and of course, Claire had a boss. But somehow, R. G. Belsky kept my interest with Claire’s thoughts throughout this whole book. I understood her, felt her strength, and felt her curiosity. Good book. Worth your time to read.
This is Book 3 in a series titled “Claire Carlson Mystery”. Belsky has several books published. All have good reviews.
I loved The Last Scoop. Belsky knows his way around newsrooms. His protagonist, Clare Carson, reminds me of Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday. High praise indeed.
She is deliciously naughty: lies like a trooper, plots getting laid, eats and drinks copiously and has a lovely sarcastic sense of humor. And she is wedded to the job.
Belsky’s behind-the-headlines thriller Yesterday’s News is about truth, lies — and how much of each we’re willing to live with.
The Last Scoop is Dick (R.G.) Belsky’s latest release, just published today, and the third instalment in his Clare Carlson Mysteries series, preceded by Yesterday’s News and Below The Fold (read our review here). I had been waiting for this book since last year, and it didn’t disappoint; the writing is as strong as ever, and the twists and turns keep on coming.
The formula remains the same, with the story being narrated through Pulitzer Prize winner Clare’s eyes, in the first person, as she faces her personal issues and as she chases that next scoop for her newsroom. A fresh murder, an old murder, corruption and an unknown serial killer intersect and keep us guessing throughout as we swiftly turn the pages to get to the next clue (as per the previous offerings, I read this in one sitting). However, two deeper background subjects run through this story which give us some food for thought: guilt and lies.
“It was Adolf Hitler who once famously said that the bigger the lie, the easier it was to tell. “People will believe a big lie sooner than a little one”, Hitler boasted. I’m not sure I agree though. I believe it is sometimes the little lie, the insidious lie we might not even be aware of until it’s too late that can be the most dangerous and damaging and disturbing. Not only because it is so difficult to detect. But because once you find out a person has lied – no matter how small that lie is – you immediately begin to wonder what else they’re not telling you the truth about. I mean, if someone lies about one thing that you know about, the odds are pretty good he or she is also lying about a lot of other stuff you don’t know. And so – before we even realize it – we find ourselves caught up in an endless cycle of dishonesty and deception.”
Belsky is very skilful in his effortless narration and his female lead is genuine, flawed and believable, as are the rest of the supporting characters. His experience in the newsroom is evident as he shares its workings and challenges with us. Also, in this instance, as in several of his other novels, the premise for this story is “ripped from the headlines” and it is inspired by a real life crime which has gone unsolved since 1964 for which Mr Belsky asked “what if?”; find out more on 21st May when the author tells us about “Using a real-life crime for mystery fiction”.
My only gripe with The Last Scoop would be that on a couple of occasions events surrounding Clare’s main personal situation were repetitive – verbatim – notably a conversation about motherhood that she has with her friend and confidant, Janet. The fact that Clare has won a Pulitzer also felt a little over-used.
Just as with the previous offerings in this series, The Last Scoop can be read as a stand-alone novel, however, be aware that both books reveal significant spoilers in relation to the first book, Yesterday’s News, which was initially intended as a self-contained novel, in the fact that they progress Clare’s personal storyline which is introduced in book one and which is an integral part of the rest of its plot: although the main mystery will not be spoilt, the overall impact will be less due to the spoilers. My advice would be to read Yesterday’s News first, which in my opinion is the strongest book in the series, and then carry on with either of the others; they are all very good reads and you will not regret it!
I cannot wait to read the next chapter in Clare’s life, Beyond the Headlines, which is due for publication in 2021! Belsky has also been writing a thriller series, Jessie Tucker Mysteries, under the pen-name of Dana Perry; book two, The Golden Girl is due for publication on 8 June 2020, and I cannot wait to check them out.
[ARC received via Netgalley]
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