The Broadcast

A Mystery Thriller

Fiction - Mystery - General
379 Pages
Reviewed on 05/13/2019
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

The Broadcast by Liam Fialkov is a suspenseful mystery that follows multiple points of view of characters as they witness a newly televised broadcast that is as confounding as it is captivating. Somehow, a network is able to obtain footage of past events that, until the time of broadcast, had been unsolved crimes. The timelines vary, as does the content, but what appears to be satellite feed—despite much of the footage being from a time when no such thing could have possibly existed—has a mixed effect on the general population, both good and bad as crimes are unquestionably solved...but at what cost? Meanwhile, a middle-aged couple with their own tragic pasts finds themselves affected by the broadcast in ways nobody could have predicted or ever imagined.

Liam Fialkov has developed a really unique and tantalizing narrative with The Broadcast. This is an exceptional piece of fiction. I found the premise to be wholly original, which is like a breath of fresh air at a time when many new releases come from the same stagnant plotlines. The story, at least initially, dances between past and present as Fialkov weaves together a backstory. It then plows forward at full speed, unrelenting as new broadcasts are released and the mystery begins to entwine the characters and the reader. It's uncommon for me to read a book and not have any inkling where the next page might take me, but The Broadcast was able to thread the suspense until the very end. I loved this book and would recommend it to all who enjoy excellent speculative, transcendental fiction in the same spirit as Philip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury.

Romuald Dzemo

The Broadcast: A Mystery Thriller by Liam Fialkov is the kind of novel that keeps you glued to your seat, at times tense and at times thrilled. Sarah is one of the faithful followers of the popular TV series, The Broadcast, and she has a very personal, albeit intimate reason to do so. Her newborn baby was taken from her twenty-two years ago, and the show somehow leaves her feeling connected in a mysterious way to that past. The Broadcast offers actual footage of unsolved crimes and events that go back two thousand years.

When the story opens, the narrator talks about the hype surrounding the Pedro Gonzales case, the case of the Latino celebrity accused of murdering Melisa Robinson. Gonzales had received a Not Guilty verdict then that shocked the public, and that was twenty-five years ago. But now, the ads running across the airways promise to show actual footage of the crime. And such are the kinds of video footages that are being broadcasted through this series. As public opinion is torn between the series being scam or reality, with the source of the footage remaining mysterious, Sarah and her husband, Jonathan, become convinced that it might be time to revisit their own painful past. But how prepared are they to face their pain once again?

The Broadcast is a captivating story that gets a solid grip on the reader from the very beginning, opening with a powerful and irresistible premise — actual video footage of a crime in which the suspect got off scot-free is something of great interest to anyone. And this strong beginning prepares the reader for what comes next in the narrative because the twists are awesome, the thrill intense, and the characters unique and memorable. Liam Fialkov’s ability for summary and measured sentences makes his work absorbing. A lot happens within a very short period of time and readers want to see what becomes of the characters. A riveting story with exciting plot twists and characters that linger in readers' minds.

K.C. Finn

The Broadcast is a thrilling mystery novel penned by author Liam Fialkov. Focused on speculative and conspiracy theory themes, the central concept of the novel is set around a TV show, The Broadcast, in which unsolved crimes and mysterious historical events are blown wide open by what is, apparently, real video footage taken at the time. This seems impossible, and there are those hell-bent on proving that the show is a scam. But Sarah and Jonathan are a couple whose lives were torn apart when their new-born baby was stolen years ago, and now The Broadcast gives them an opportunity to face their traumatic past and move on with life at last. That is, if life as we know it continues.

Sharply poignant, dark and thoughtful, author Liam Fialkov has created a superb mystery and conceptual delight in The Broadcast. I love conspiracy fiction when it is well thought out and well delivered, and the pacing and revelation of information in this stunning novel was spot on. I could happily read it again and again, even knowing now what happens, because the emotional interplay of the characters was gripping from page to page, and so many of the ideas have added complexities that run around in your brain long after the novel is finished. The narrative style also adds to the mystery in itself, keeping readers in the dark with sudden flashes of brilliance to wrap their heads around. Overall, these superb qualities make The Broadcast one of my favorite mystery novels of all time: a highly recommended read.