This was a fun mystery novel. I was hooked in to the mystery itself and felt like it read really well (not clunky like debuts can often be). The writing did come off a little like investigative journalism in some places (lacking the flow of fiction writing), but given the context I really didn’t mind that and felt it gave a little more robustness to our FMC. I think the characters definitely could have stood to have a little more growth or a character arc individually, but the story overall was an enticing and captivating read. I will definitely keep an eye out for book 2 in August of this year and would love to read and review it as well!

Love the premise. Didn’t love the execution. The writing was fine but nothing jumped out at me. The cover is cool!

Off the Air is a smart, well-paced mystery with a unique take on investigative crime fiction. While some twists are predictable, the engaging writing and authentic newsroom atmosphere make it stand out. Fans of journalism thrillers and crime fiction will find this an exciting read!

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This was not a book for me but I'm sure for a lot of other people. It wasn't a mystery to me, it's too political.

3.5 Stars rounded up!

This is a fun & unique story that plays out entirely through the lens of a tv reporter that is hot on the case! I actually didn’t know the author was an award winning reporter until after the fact, but it completely makes sense how realistic this is. The mystery itself isn’t why you read this book, but for its unique format and enjoyable characters. The main character (Jolene) gives these fun nicknames to other supporting characters throughout the book and it makes it easier to remember who's who as there is a decent amount of characters in the book. I would categorize this as a cozy mystery and for people who are fans of Finlay Donovan / that genre as a whole. I can’t wait for the next case Jolene is assigned!

📖 Huge thank you to @minotaur_books and @netgalley for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review 📖

Thanks for the opportunity to read this ARC but I’m DNFing. Just not interested and the reviews aren’t good enough for me to want to continue.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of this book. Book was fine, really good if you like the genre! I would read more from this author. I enjoyed the humor in the story.

Grabbed this one because of the fun cover! In this book, we meet Jolene, a local tv reporter in Phoenix. She covers general assignments and special stories that she wants to tell. After a death at the radio station of a controversial talk show host who suspciously died, she is determined to solve his murder.

Thanks for the gifted copy of this one! I'm still not sure if it was for me or not.

This book is marketed as a horror book, but it definitely doesn’t give that while the journalist is trying to uncover a death. The focus is journalism. I just was it into it maybe for the right reader this is better.

Did not finish. Could not get into this one. The characters and story sounded good at the start but it ended up being a being a documentary of ”a day in the life of a reporter”.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Slow burn, could not get into the book. Ended up in my DNF about 25% in.

I just didn't get what I was expecting. I wanted a cozy murder mystery and I got a lot of political commentary and side convos. I didn't feel like I got to know the characters very well and it was drawn out. This book was over 300 and I feel like cozies do best in the 180-230 realm.

DNF'ed as a "will try again later." The writing and story is not currently grabbing my attention but will come back to this at a later period

DNF.

For someone who leans more into this field as an interest or career, it might be a decent book for you.

For me? Well... let's just say that I hated. So much so, that I'd throw it into the worst books ever read pile.

It says it falls under a cozy mystery, buts it's far from that. The mystery itself was not great and dragged out for too long. The main character was not likeable at all.

Too many characters. Super heavy on politics. The disclaimers at the back ratjer than the front was the wrong way to go.

It basically came off as the author taking one of her reporter experiences and just writing it out. Which just did not translate well into a book.

"Off the Air" offers an interesting premise with its behind-the-scenes look at the world of television. While the characters are relatable, the story sometimes drags, and the plot could use more depth. Christina Estes' writing shines in certain moments, but overall, the book feels like it’s missing a bit of excitement to truly captivate.

Finished Reading - DNF:

This is another runaway arc. There are quite of few of these books I received in an unaccessible format from NetGalley. That's fine, really. But then I have to wait until the book comes out to fulfill my agreement of providing a review. I've find this situation challenging, but I still like the book's, so it's not all bad.

This is a mystery, I think? But it has a fast-paced professional setting that I appreciate. Despite the rating for this one, I think I'll find something here.

Hope I'm not wrong! *edit I was quite wrong.

Final Review

Threw in the towel on page 96. I am not getting along with the politics in this book, the fact that the victim is basically Rush Limbaugh, or the pedestrian writing and trite characters. Also, I was uninvested in the mystery at the center of the book, at least in part because I found the victim vile.

I recommend this only to readers who enjoy didactic stories or lean into conservative political ideals.

Reading Notes

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. A character with a dog phobia is always interesting. I'm curious how this element will affect the plot?

2. The opening scene in the burger restaurant really captured my attention. I liked all the characters in the scene, especially the a-hole restaurant owner.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. They would never get away with calling a colleague "Sexy" to his face! Not in a news office, its not a restaurant kitchen. It doesn't matter that it was "no, no, not like that! There's a funny story here!" What an HR trashfire this is.

2. At around page 50, this book takes a swan dive off a cliff into rocky waters and becomes the *most* didactic book I've read this year. And I read books on actual politics. It doesn't really matter that I think Estes's politics are absurd. It matters that she ruined her own book with ham-fisted politics. I see a DNF in the near future.

3. Throwing in the towel on page 92.

Rating: ⭐️ /5 (this one deserves a rating)
Recommend? for people who lean to the right, sure
Finished: Dec 13 '24

Thank you to the author Christina Estes, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of OFF THE AIR. I found an accessible digital copy on Libby. All views are mine.
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Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!
First, let me say that I loved how the author included facts about Phoenix, Arizona that non residents may not know about. For me, those were interesting.
This book was a little hard for me to really get in to. I really did not like Larry Lemmon. He was too politically conservative for my taste, although I understand that that was part of his character and who he was in the story. It just felt like reading Donald Trump’s words in a book, and as someone who is not a Trump supporter myself, it was a bit much and made me lose interest. I pushed through so I could leave a review at the end instead of quitting the book altogether.
I did feel slightly bad for Jolene. It seemed like she just couldn’t catch a break and was hitting obstacles left & right. There were some areas in the story where I remember thinking she was acting inexperienced and naive, considering this was her profession.
I did read this book to the end, but if I had not been reading an ARC, I probably would have not finished it, but only because of the constant political references that go against my political views.

I wasn't super impressed with this book. I felt there was a ton of information that wasn't relevant and just made the story drag.

Jolene is a reporter who came across a big story of murder. At every turn it seems like she's not getting anywhere until she finally does.

I found Jolene to be very whiny and non compliant with her bosses. I didn't connect with the story because of all the extra details that we didn't need to complete the story.

Thank you netgalley for a ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Off the Air by Christina Estes!

Off The Air by Christina Estes was a confusing but entertaining murder mystery.
Main character Jolene attempts to solve the murder of conservative ahole radio host. There is an aggressive amount of politics and the characters are almost cartoonish. It was hard to keep track of the tone but for the most part I still enjoyed the story.