This book is about a reporter, Jolene, who is investigating the murder of a controversial talk show host in Phoenix. The author is a reporter herself, so much of the story is about behind-the-scenes of journalism rather than solving the mystery. She also gives us random facts about places/things/historical events in Phoenix that had nothing to do with the story.

I didn’t particularly like the main character and didn’t feel like we got to know the other characters well because there were just so many of them. I’m still not sure who is who between Ralph, Phillip, Darrell, and David (why are those names so similar?!). I also have no idea why the new neighbor was introduced- maybe a red herring that fell flat?

The book was a super quick read and I had no idea who the killer was, but it’s not one I’ll remember in a few months.

The premise of this book sounded so good, especially since my husband majored in Journalism in college and a lot of our friends are reporters! However, I’ve got to say it was a struggle to get through and really didn’t deliver as much on the mystery and suspense as I’d hoped.

A few of the things that didn't work for me:

The characters felt underdeveloped, clichéd and unlikable. It's always tough for me when I'm not able to really root for the main character.

For a murder mystery, the stakes were so low. It felt like we were getting a lesson on how to be a journalist and gather sources vs. solve a crime. While this was interesting, I had hoped for more from the mystery.

Ultimately, it was anticlimactic for me. I realized 75% in that I had no idea who the killer was, and I simply did not care to find out. Then when all was revealed, it just wasn’t satisfying at all and felt very rushed.

Finally, it was way more politically charged than I thought it would be. The way these conversations were handled (and often glossed over or ignored). didn't sit well with me.

If you’re local to Arizona, you might like this one more because it does feature a bunch of real local businesses! 🏜️🌵 I also think if you set your expectations better going in that it’s very light on the mystery, you may enjoy it more. And you can definitely see the author's knowledge and appreciation for reporting. But unfortunately, I would not recommend this one. On to the next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was meant to be a mystery and I suppose technically that it was because there was a murder that had to be solved, but it definitely felt more heavy handed as a behind the scenes look at journalism and what they go through to get their stories. And while I don’t envy them after reading this book, it definitely took away from the suspense of the story. And man was there a lot of political stuff. I get that the victim was a radio personality who had strong political opinions and made them well known nation wide but dang it felt like it was being shoved down my throat and I didn’t enjoy that one bit. Despite the author making a point of saying that journalists are supposed to be neutral, every character in the story was biased. I like to read to escape and this didn’t feel like an escape to me. This was just preachy and teachy and not fun.
Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

DNF at 20%. I just couldn't get into this book. Frankly, I was bored. It was too bogged down with exposition and unnecessary information—like an in-depth discussion of the weather and an explanation of vehicle taxes and registration in the first chapter (why?!). The writing was very dry, and I found myself skimming A LOT. Sorry, but this one is not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for approving my ARC request.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the early review copies of the e-book and audiobook via NetGalley. (Available 26 Mar 24)

“In this Tony Hillerman Prize-winning debut, Off the Air introduces us to Jolene Garcia, a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, who splits her time between covering general assignments—anything from a monsoon storm to a newborn giraffe at the zoo—and special projects. When word gets out about a death at a radio station, Jolene and other journalists swarm the scene, intent on reporting the facts first. The body is soon identified as Larry Lemmon, a controversial talk show host, who died under suspicious circumstances. Jolene conducted his final interview, giving her and her station an advantage. But not for long.”

The narrative takes on a documentary-like quality, immersing the reader in the life of a local news reporter in Phoenix, constantly battling to stay ahead of the competition. The story is peppered with historical nuggets, such as the origin of the phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid” (linked to the 1978 Jonestown mass murder) and the reason behind tamper-resistant packaging in medicine (stemming from the 1982 Tylenol poisoning). The writing is solid, and the plot is engaging, but the characters could use a bit more depth.

Phoenix locals would enjoy the many real Phoenix businesses, locations, and references.

I received an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher St. Martin's Press (Minotaur Books) in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Having been a television reporter in my past, this book was right up my alley and I want to start my review by commending author Christina Estes for capturing the world of TV news so accurately and comically. I appreciate the effort to portray all the ins and outs of the business, even the less glamorous ones.

This book flew by for me, it was easy to keep the pages turning and I enjoyed the mystery of finding out who killed Larry Lemon. For me, the plot twists were fairly unpredictable and fun.

I did have to cringe a bit at some of Jolene's actions and how she treated other characters throughout the novel. She got under my skin, but the truth is sometimes reporters do not make the most lovable decisions in order to beat the competition. Again, I applaud Estes for her accuracy and writing something that was more like reality rather than the "rainbows and sunshine" many people may think come with being on-camera.

I found this to be a funny and entertaining novel overall perfect for anyone looking for a little humor and mystery to lighten their reading lineup.

I would consider reading something by this author again in the future. Thank you for the chance to read and review your work!

Off The Air
By Christina Estes

A Clever and Entertaining Story OF Broadcast Journalism

SUMMARY
Jolene Garcia is a local TV news reporter based in Phoenix, Arizona. Recently, she had conducted an interview with a conservative radio talk show host, Larry Lemons. When a death occurs at Lemmon's radio station, journalists rush to the scene, vying to be the first to break the news. When the body is identified as Lemmon’s, Jolene initially has the advantage, but it quickly diminishes as she is shut out of every opportunity for a scoop. Pressure from her station causes her to do whatever it takes to get the story.

REVIEW
OFF THE AIR is a clever and entertaining story about a TV news reporter and the pressure she faces to get the story. This perspective is illuminating, and the pacing is snappy. Jolene must not only be the first to report her story with breaking news but also provide two sound bites for three news time slots and continuously tease the story on social media platforms as it is developing.

Jolene's character is colorful and determined, and readers can feel her stress and angst on every page. Jolene spent many years in foster care before going to live with her grandmother at the age of twelve, so she knows a little bit about determination.

Author Christina Estes draws on her own professional experience as a reporter and her personal experience as a foster parent. She says both worlds bring joy and pain. Estes has been an award-winning reporter for more than twenty years in Phoenix, Arizona. Her debut novel just may even have you hankering for another story about the intrepid reporter Jolene Garcia.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books
Published April 9, 2024
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

This just was NOT for me. I DNFd 25% of the way through. It's really not a mystery at all. I felt like I was just reading about what its like to be a reporter with a lot of in-depth, behind the scenes details of the main characters day job but absolutely nothing about who she actually is as a person. As if her being a journalist was her entire personality. Full of telling with absolutely no showing, you're just reading all about what it's like to be a reporter working and living in Phoenix, neither of which are things I care about at all. Every character is such a cliche and has no depth or intrigue and the plot was boring. Nothing wrong with the writing, and I can see others enjoying this if they have interest in reporting or Arizona politics but I am not that person.

This was a fun mystery that will keep readers entertained! I enjoyed the characters and the pacing. The book is set in the real world, so it does not exactly provide the escape that some mysteries do, but overall a great choice for those who enjoy realistic fiction and contemporary characters!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC to read and review!

It’s not that I didn’t like this book … because the cozy mystery side of it was engaging and enjoyable. I guess it’s the writing style that had me all wonky. Just when I felt the momentum of the story was really picking up and I was settling into the meat of the mystery … I felt derailed by lengthy descriptions of Arizona history, detailed journalism information, historic event backstories and definitions of random things. Sometimes, there was so much “filler” that I would forget what was happening in the chapter. Plus, all the political stuff was kind of a turn off. Some people may really enjoy all the rabbit trails, but I really just wanted more out of the plot itself. Sigh.

I admit, I have mixed feelings about this book. It's fast-paced, pulls readers in, and keeps their attention. As soon as we're introduced to Jolene, and her cameraman, Nate, we're immediately in the action with them. When I first started this, I was at 40% of the way through without even realizing it.

This story follows Jolene on what could be a milestone career moment. She met with controversial talk show host, Larry Lemmon, and conducted what ended up being his final interview. With his death, and possible murder, Jolene has to investigate quickly, and ethically, while protecting her sources, and trying to outscoop her competition.

It was interesting seeing all that Jolene has to deal with. She's constantly battling her own ethics, and respecting the boundaries of her sources while meeting the needs of the news station she works for. The author was skillful in how the story was woven together, and it never felt like too much was happening to follow.

On the flip side, there were aspects I didn't care for. This is likely a timing issue, but the issues dealt with in the story are real issues people are currently worrying about (immigration, Trump, politics). I enjoyed this story but because it covered so many topics that I'm currently hearing about, I didn't feel like this book gave me a break from my everyday life like I would have hoped for.

The other issue I had was some of the side stories didn't make much sense to hear about. At one point, we hear about Jolene's neighbor and her dog, and a new man in the neighborhood who is interested in Jolene. That part of the story doesn't go anywhere and feels unnecessary. There is even a conflict between them, and again, it doesn't seem to fit in with the overall story. I suspect this was meant to build further mystery and tension, but it missed the mark.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. There were some things I would have done differently, but it was intriguing to see more of the backside of journalism, and the author is an award-winning journalist in real life, and the book feels authentic to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of Off The Air by Christina Estes. This book was not really for me. It went into a lot of detail of behind the scenes in the life of a journalist. To me it seemed to be quite realistic even though it was a fictional book. Even though there was a murder in the book, it felt like it was more about journalism. I felt that the book dragged on and it was not as entertaining as I had hoped. Very political as well. Just not for me.

Jolene is a young and ambitious journalist. She is sent to cover the death of a local celebrity who is highly controversial. She is facing deadlines, pressure from executives, and competing journalists who seem one step ahead of her. As she searches for new angles to present to her viewers, she becomes entangled in the mystery of an Alex Jones character.
I find the plot to this inconsistent. There are points where the plot doesn't move, and there are points where it seems to just jump to the next problem without a smooth transition. It doesn't fit into a murder mystery category, because you're not sure whether you're following Jolene's career or the murder. The character arc is unsatisfying. She seems to alienate people around her, but all is forgiven because.... She's sorry? I find this book disjointed and it has an identity crisis.

This was an entertaining and well paced novel with interesting characters. The murder mystery seemed secondary to the political, cutthroat inter workings of a news organization. I particularly enjoyed the first person narrative of Jolene, the main character as she struggled to come up with new and newsworthy daily content as it related to a murder investigation. It was a quick read, I finished in one day. I think it would make a great series that combined her and her police department source. Strongly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced reader copy

Jolene is a local TV reporter is flung into the middle of a murder mystery when the last person she interviewed, a well known controversial conservative radio talk show host, is found dead at his radio station. Hoping she has an advantage in reporting the story given that she did his last interview, she is frequently one-upped by her rival from a different TV station at every step of her investigation. But the ultimate question remains - who is the killer and what was their motive?

This book fell a little short for me - the story moved slowly and I struggled to connect with the characters and story. It felt unnecessarily political at times and I struggled to find the escapism that I typically turn to novels to find.

Thank you to Christina Estes, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Off The Air was presented as a thriller/mystery, but it's actually a commentary on the cut-throat and corrupt behind-the-scenes of journalism. It also provides a ton of history on Arizona and is heavy on the political commentary. Oh, and there is also a murder.

This is a very niche story and was not my cup of tea. That being said, it was very well written and fast paced.

If you are interested in journalism or behind-the-scenes stories, this is a great one to read. If you are looking for a thriller, probably not for you.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

📚: Off the Air by Christina Estes
⭐️: 2/5

Jolene, local news reporter who finds herself at the center of reporting on Phoenix-area bigwig conservative shock jock Larry Lemmon's death. Under mysterious circumstances (a strange cookie delivery prior to his demise, of all things?), Jolene finds herself racing against her reporter peers, her needy boss, and her own competitive streak, to break the story and break the story right.

So many reviewers say that if you're "into" news media, then this book is for you (and likewise, if you aren't then that's why it isn't a fit on your TBR). My own perspective comes from someone with a B.A. in journalism, who interned in newsrooms, and has a minor obsession with all things media -- and no, unfortunately, this book was not for me either.

With surface level writing, weak character development (so much more could have been done with Jolene and her childhood experience in foster care), and a mystery that doesn't really get moving until the latter quarter of the book, I found myself skimming about half of this one.

Thanks to @stmartinspress via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Off the Air is out next week, on 3/26.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Christina Estes for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Off the Air coming out March 26, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. NetGalley sent me this book, so I didn’t request it. I think I was hoping for more of a cozy mystery. This book felt very political. I don’t think it was completely biased. It showed two sides. I thought it was more about behind the scenes of journalism than the murder mystery. I’m not a big fan of modern political fiction books, so it wasn’t really enjoyable to me. I was hoping for more of an amateur sleuth situation. I loved the diversity in the book, but that was about it. I would check out other books by this author.

A news reporter, whose agency and self are both struggling with the changes that have come to the business as a result of social media, strives to be the first to report on the murder of a local conservative news commentator.

The murder mystery is secondary to the plot. The main purpose is giving you the inner workings of a news organization as they attempt to keep up with Gen Z. Although it mostly felt like it was a story being told by my parents or perhaps grandparents in the sense that it just kept reminding us how out of touch they were. Then came the griping and complaining and the lack of understanding how any of it worked. Also I thought for a while the story may have been taking place in the past given the reluctance to embrace social media but they mention Trump as the former president. So then the question is why is Facebook the primary platform of the channel’s concern. Perhaps appealing to those on Instagram or TikTok may be more relevant or current? Yet they fail to even mention either. I felt like even as a millennial I was not the intended audience because the discussions of social media were so second nature to me that I couldn’t fathom the channel only embracing social media in 2024.

As for focusing on the negativity, there actually wasn’t a single positive outlook or occurrence in this book. The character is what one might describe as a “Debbie Downer.” In fact I think she meets all the traits for a toxic co-worker. Our main character does not exist beyond the workplace. Her job is her sole defining feature she has.

The story also features toxic female competitiveness in the workplace wherein the only rational explanation for a rival getting ahead is flirtation. There’s a weird B-plot involving a nosy neighbour and a C-plot involving a neighbour’s son that hits on her but may also have serial killer tendencies which has nothing to do with the murder she’s investigating. She has no wins on the job until the very end so that everything can wrap up nicely.

This just didn’t work for many reasons.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at chapter 3

This author clearly knows a lot about journalism - however the book was a bit too dull for my taste.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC