Review – The Broadcast by Liam Fialkov #thriller

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Synopsis

Twenty-two years after her newborn baby was seized from her, Sarah follows a popular television series, titled “The Broadcast.” She senses that, in some mysterious way, the show may lead her to her long-lost son.

“The Broadcast” airs footage of recent unsolved crimes and historical events going back two thousand years.
The recordings are impossible … yet they seem genuine. The show’s producer refuses to reveal the mysterious source of the astonishing footage.
A well-known journalist is bent on exposing the show as an elaborate scam.
A respected professor claims there is a scientific explanation for the remarkable films. Public opinion is divided between those who believe in the authenticity of the films and those who think it is a fraud.
How long can the makers of the show keep the shattering secret that threatens what we know about our world and our history?

Sarah and her husband Jonathan face the task of confronting and re-experiencing the traumas of the past. They have to untie the chains that prevent them from fully living their lives and realizing their inherent potential.

This captivating psychological thriller is as enigmatic and gripping as the television series itself. It intertwines personal drama with suspenseful twists and turns, all leading to an astonishing conclusion.

Review

I’m not sure what genre this book falls into but it is a little sci-fi/fantasy, a little thriller, a little mystery, and some suspense.

I found the overall premise of this book interesting.  While I am not a reality TV fan, I found the concept of this show quite interesting.  Some sort of device recorded what happened from overhead (perhaps like a satellite) and could share what happened at specific dates and times and locations.  This was a boon to the police to help solve some crimes when the trail had gone cold.  When the network chose to switch from crime to history this is where you have to insert the sci-fi/fantasy angle since they go back in time before the camera was invented.  The end reveals how this was possible so I won’t spoil that for anyone, but it does leave you guessing as to whether what is being shown is true or false.

The book is a little predictable, at least it was to me when it came to Sarah and her search for her son, or wishing she knew what happened to him over the years.  It was an unusual way for them to be reunited but it worked.  I suspected how the past was being recorded or at least part of how the network received the footage to air.  There was more to what I suspected so I appreciated the twist.  Sometimes the text/dialogue felt stilted and I thought that the sections of the book where they were discussing the past footage went on longer than I would have preferred but I suppose it sets it up for the reveal in the end.

Overall we give this 3 paws up.  It was an enjoyable read.

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