2.5/5

This was a tough read due to the constant info-dumping, the focus on politics and my disdain for the main character, Off the Air was not the News Reporter turned amateur sleuth mystery I was expecting. Jolene is a local TV Journalist who becomes fixated on the suspicious death of a Controversial local Radio host. She puts on her 'amateur detective hat' and along with it comes the revelation of her true reasoning for wanting to solve this murder, career advancement. Because of this, I feel that I read a book about Journalism and not the cozy mystery the author was trying to achieve, which is disappointing because the writing isn't bad even though the incredibly slow pacing could use some work.

It's an intriguing premise but unfortunately, this story fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I actively disliked Joelene and the way she treated people. If that is how television journalists are expected to do their jobs, I don’t know why anyone would want to enter the field. I also felt that the character development was very surface-level. You received more background on the wholly unlikable murdered guy than anyone else in the book. The reason for the murder made me super uncomfortable and glad the guy was dead. I did find Jolene’s interaction with her goldfish humorous.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and Christina Estes for the eARC.

This book was so slow for me. I’m fine with a slow burn mystery/thriller if the mystery is interesting and there’s a good payoff at the end but this book was missing those elements. The premise was interesting but it just didn’t deliver

This just wasn't for me. Honestly I didn't care who, how ,or why this guy was murdered. He was a horrible person. I read books so that I don't have to think about the real life people with these political views. I don't want to think about them while I'm reading.

Thank you for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Local TV reporter Jolene Garcia covers whatever she’s assigned, with minimal complaint, but she becomes laser focused on the suspicious death of a local radio personality and is determined to solve the mystery herself. Jolene was the reporter who conducted the last interview with Larry Lemmon, and she suddenly finds herself in demand. Soon afterwards, though, her focus on Larry Lemmon causes her to be late to several stories, but Jolene remains on the hunt.

I liked Jolene, and felt this debut novel was a good introduction. Christina Estes has created a character that I would like to know better.

Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona. When words gets out about a death at a radio station, Jolene and other reporters swarm the scene, intent on reporting first. Jolene's investigation of the murder could make or break her career.

I don't know if I was the right audience for this book because I found it incredibly boring. It's billed as a mystery/thriller, but I felt like Jolene cared more about advancing her career than reporting on the actual murder. I honestly only finished this book because I wanted to give an honest review.

Thank You NetGalley for the free e-galley.

I had to DNF. This was so slow and boring for me. I know there will be people out there who will love it but it just was not for me.

This wasn't quite a slam dunk for me. Felt very political, and had a TON of info dumping. The premise was interesting, and I enjoyed the main character, Joelene. I probably wouldn't call this a "mystery", it's definitely more about the news story than it is a mystery. I think if someone was really interested in journalism or news, this would probably be a good fit for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this book! I honestly thought that I would like this one more than I did. I found it to be very-slow paced and although it's dealing with a murder it didn't feel as though people in the book were realizing the weight of the situation. I found the climax of the book to also be quite anti-climactic. I did enjoy the writing style but this book wasn't great at keeping my attention.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Christina Estes nailed it as a debut author. The characters in this story honestly made me laugh, made me mad, made me cringe.

She did such a wonderful job encapsulating what (I think) it would be like as a reporter chasing your exclusive.

I really enjoyed this one and hope we see something else soon from this author.

I think the author meant for this to be a cozy mystery type book (based on her acknowledgments), but I didn't get that at all. This book was too political for me

💭A debut that kept me wanting more, wow! So I love good detective/investigative stories that pay attention to detail, but for some reason I didn’t think I would like this one. I haven’t read a TV/Media/reporter trope that has really captivated me. But boy was I wrong. I loved reading about the behind the scenes of news casts, the investigative process, the hardships (morally and physically) they go through to get a good, accurate story, and what a cutthroat business it could be! It’s also crazy to read about the struggle and the change that the news is continuously going through with the presence of social media. This gave me a whole new perspective on the job!
Another thing: the characters made me laugh and cringe and the mystery itself was well written!

The ONLY thing I found was a bit much for me was the abundance of FACTS that didn’t really relate to the story directly. I felt myself losing interest when it went TOO deep into detail with extra (almost irrelevant) things.

Loved the way this ended though!

This book just wasn't for me. I hear too much about politics in real life, and I didn't realize how big of a part it would play in this novel. The facts and history tossed in about Arizona also took me out of the story. I appreciate the perspective the author offers from her years in journalism, and I'm sure plenty of readers will enjoy this.

I love a great whodunit and Christina Estes did not disappoint. Well written with a host of red herrings, the story pulls you in, holds on and doesn't let go! I would highly recommend..

This is a great start to what I hope is a new series. Jolene Garcia, a TV reporter, is trying to scoop the competitors when she hears a local radio personality is dead. She investigates and competes to be the first to the story. I love the supporting characters and especially love the realism in Jolene's character, which makes sense because the author is herself a journalist who can give a unique perspective to the situation. I look forward to more from this author.

Jolene is a reporter for a local news station in Arizona. She gets a call about a death at a local radio station. The death is soon confirmed to be the controversial talk show host Larry Lemmon. He is known for his political rantings and outrageous bickering with people who call in. He had a large devoted following but he also had a fair share of people he infuriated. Jolene happens to have had an interview with him days before his death and will stop at nothing to be the reporter breaking the news of the updates of the case. Jolene has a contact within the police department who feeds her information about the case but her station keeps missing out on being the first to break any updates. Jolene will stop at nothing to get the biggest breaks on the murder but is jeopardizing her friendships at the same time.

I would have loved for this story to have ended differently. Jolene made multiple terrible decisions and put her friendships on the line. She was not a likable character. The story itself was very good and interesting. I would have loved the same story from almost any other character's perspective.

I enjoyed this mystery wrapped around the television news world. It was the first mystery I’ve read set in this profession. Four stars.

What a fun debut! Christina Estes' first novel, inspired by her career as a journalist, is a well-plotted, well=executed mystery, full of engaging characters and twists and turns to keep readers on their toes. It also deftly illustrates the world of journalism, while poking gentle fun at the more stereotypical aspects; Estes' experience in that realm shines through in her descriptions and scene-setting, and the creation of recognizable character types. Overall, a quick read that kept me smiling - and guessing - the whole time, and left me looking forward to more from Estes in the future.

"OFF THE AIR" is an entertaining thriller that will keep readers engaged until the final page. With its well-drawn characters, pulse-pounding plot, and timely themes, this novel is a must-read for fans of mystery and suspense. Highly recommended for anyone craving a thrilling ride through the world of broadcast journalism.

I don’t know if this one was necessarily a mystery, even though it was a whodunnit. The twist of who did it wasn’t as WOW as just seeing how tough it is to be an investigative journalist and trying to get answers and interviews out of anyone, even for a victim who was well despised. I’m glad at the end the author said it was a work of fiction, because honestly it was pretty realistic, and some of the stuff that happened, especially towards the end when she puts it together who the killer was, I was like OMG ARE YOU OKAY?! Especially the social media point, and how they’re basically competing for social media stats instead of viewership, that feels definitely like the shift the media has taken. This book was a good mystery, but I also enjoyed just the “off the air” side of things and seeing how stressful it can be and how hard it is to make it in that business. But that when you do, you can really change lives.

Thank you NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the read!