The Last Scoop

R. G. Belsky

May 2020 · Oceanview Publishing

About this ebook

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 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 News
Below the Fold
The Last Scoop
Beyond the Headlines
It's News to Me
Broadcast Blues (coming 2024)

Ratings and reviews

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.