This book caught my eye because of the Phoenix, Arizona setting, and the credentials of the author. Christina has over twenty years of experience as a reporter in the Phoenix area which gives readers an authentic look into the industry. The main character in the book is Jolene Garcia, a television reporter who is trying to cover more serious news topics instead of the lighter stories she has been assigned. Jolene's latest story is about the sudden death of a controversial radio host who has made several enemies in his personal and professional life. Jolene is smart and hard-working, but the constant pressures of her job often lead her to make questionable decisions as she tries to beat the competition and please her bosses on this high-profile story.

Jolene was close to her grandmother, and they used to enjoy watching the game show, Wheel of Fortune, together. There are some cute tie-ins with puzzles and what's going on in the story. Jolene is a character with a lot of potential. She is a capable reporter and is usually likable, but sometimes needs to think through the decisions she makes. I would be interested in reading more books with Jolene if this becomes a series.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Thank you for the ARC. This book was okay. There were too many cliches for my taste, but that could also be what the author was going for. It got to a point where I just wanted the book to be over though.

Jolene Garcia wants the big story. However, she has the soul of an old-school journalist and chafes at the necessities of the news business in the modern world (hello, social media). When conservative radio darling Larry Lemon drops dead, Jolene is assigned the story, but the competition to find the killer is fierce. Missed opportunities put Jolene’s bosses on her back so she goes all in to learn who silenced Larry. She will unmask the killer and get the exclusive or die trying.

Jolene is driven and stubborn. She will go to any lengths to get the story. Sometimes she acts before thinking which, at best, puts her in awkward situations or, at worst, puts her life in danger. Her tenacity is admirable if unnerving.

There are a few brief explainers within the book that review aspects of the news business, reporting, and contemporary issues. These are integrated well and fill in the gaps for the reader.

This book is great for readers who like fast-paced contemporary mysteries. “Off the Air” is perfect for those late spring or early summer days when you just want to sit back and read a book.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Minotaur Books, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is Christina's debut novel and I think it was certainly a good first book! The pacing of the story, character development and the way that she navigates the plot of the book to the ultimate conclusion is a satisfying end. I look forward to what Christina writes next. Thank you NetGalley. for the ARC!

Off the Air brings you into the competitive world of TV journalism and chasing the breaking story. I enjoyed learning about the inner workings of the business and the references to historical events and precedents (ex. how the Emmy came to be, media's controversial involvement int he Caycee Anthony case, etc). It was clear the author knows her profession and was writing from experience. As a cozy-style mystery, the story was fine and the ending tidy. Unfortunately, I just couldn't find a way to like the heroine journalist Jolene. She talked way too much, made poor decisions, and came of rather whiny/bratty. She was definitely a ticket holder to the hot mess express. I thought her background as a former foster kid was interesting but not as developed as I would have liked... there was a lot of telling but not much emotion or introspection. Maybe the story came off that way because of the author's journalism background, cutting to the 5 W's and the H?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I'll be happy to review this book once St Martin's Press acknowledges the boycott and responds properly.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I was initially interested because I thought it was a murder mystery/thriller. This ended up being way too political and way too much focus was on journalism. It had no thrills or even really much mystery vibes. It was too boring, characters felt flat, and not much development.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

Off The Air: A Mystery, by Christina Estes

Short Take: I read 14% of this book and I want that hour back.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

Ok guys, I know it’s March, but I’m really trying to keep up with some semblance of my New Year’s Resolutions. One of them is to read & review as many good books as possible. The flip side of that, of course, is that I don’t want to waste my time with books I don’t enjoy, so I tapped out of this one after only a few chapters. The problem is not the story (barely got into it) or the author’s obvious political leanings (which I know other reviewers had issues with).

No, it’s the author’s compulsive over-explaining. I should have known when I saw the title - Off The Air: A Mystery. As a rule, I don’t like books that feel the need to describe themselves in the title. That’s what a back cover is for. But since this wasn’t a ridiculous “an unputdownable psychological thriller with a devastating twist”, I thought I’d give it a chance anyway. Maybe she thought she was just being helpful, you know?

Nope.

Ms. Estes loves, and I mean really LOVES explaining things. She’s the annoying teacher who lives to stuff every lecture with as many irrelevant factoids as possible, and treats her readers as if they possess the intellect of a semi-sentient soup spoon. The first few chapters are ostensibly about a reporter rushing to the scene of a local celebrity’s death, possibly a murder, and trying to get info from his coworkers.

Which is fine, sure, set the scene. But Ms. Estes just can’t get out of her own way. Instead of building a sense of tension or nervous excitement or whatever vibe she was going for (I genuinely don’t know), she opted to lecture me about the job of journalism: explaining acronyms that had nothing to do with what was actually happening, pontificating on the sorry state of journalism today, and introducing about 10 other characters who don’t seem to have any role other than giving her a chance to explain more about the job. Except for the gorgeous, award-winning woman journalist that the main character is ridiculously jealous of & catty about, I guess she’s there to show us what internalized misogyny looks like. (Spoiler alert: It’s gross, and not funny or interesting at all.)

But lest you think she’s fixated on journalism (and being a capital-B Mean Girl), she also feels the need to explain the demographics of Phoenix, Arizona, and their draconian property tax system. Duckies, I was teetering on the edge when she hit me with “kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish of fermented cabbage” and nope. I’m out.

I’m not a writer or a reporter, but I’m pretty sure there’s some bit that gets tossed around about showing, not telling? This author doesn’t seem to be interested in showing anything, she just wants to tell. Every. Little. Detail. Because clearly readers don’t know anything at all and need to have everything explained to them in the simplest possible terms. Even when it’s something we don’t need to know to follow the story, even when it’s something that everyone already knows. (I live in West Virginia, and we know about kimchi for crying out loud.) It’s downright condescending.

But who knows, maybe one day the semi-sentient soup spoons will start an uprising, and this is the literature of the future.

The Nerd’s Rating: ONE HAPPY NEURON (and some cookies, hold the special additive.)

DNF @ 8%. Couldn't get into the writing style.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press & Dreamscape Media for advance copies.

I enjoyed this book very much! It was well written and kept the reader interested. When a loud mouth reporter is murdered it is up to his fellow associates to track down how it happened. They follow the poison trail till they find who did it.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I didn't like the main character or any of the other characters. The mystery and its resolution didn't interest me.

Jolene is a fun but flawed character.  Slowly trying to rebuild her career after a disastrous mishap kept her from getting the job of her dreams, she's eager to chase any and every story that comes her way.  However, it's often to her own detriment.  When Larry Lemmon is murdered, she becomes obsessed with not just finding the truth, but being the first to do so.  This obsession turns her into an arrogant, awful person at times.  She doesn't think twice about using and discarding anyone she comes into contact with and it nearly costs her everything.  

Despite all of that, I was rooting for Jolene.  Even in her worst moments, her dedication to the truth was apparent, as were her good intentions.  I'd like to say that she definitely learned her lesson with this story and hope that she doesn't become so consumed by the next big thing.  

One of the best things about this novel were all the side characters.  Her cameraman, Nate, and her friend, Gina were probably my favorites.  They don't hesitate to put Jolene in her place all while supporting her as best they can.  Her co-workers vary from amusing to awful, as do the suspects in the murder.  But then, you'd expect a controversial talk show host to have a wide array of people wanting to do away with him, right?

Something else I appreciated was all the backstory and history of the city of Phoenix as well as the state in general.  Growing up, I spent my summers in the Valley of the Sun and learning more about it had been fun.  And the special shout out to Metrocenter Mall made me smile.  The one thing that surprised me about this book though was the way it delved into a lot of political talking points without hesitation. I generally don't like this in my fiction, but it was integral to the story in a way, so it didn't bother me as much as if it had come out of left field.  

Off the Air is an exciting murder mystery with a lot of twists and turns.  I had no idea who had done Larry in until nearly the end when the pieces fell into place for me.  Lively characters who are flawed but accepting of it only push the story forward, instead of holding it back.  I look forward to seeing what the author publishes next.  I'd even enjoy a sequel to this to see where Jolene and the crew are now.

A solid, entertaining debut cozy murder mystery set in the world of cutthroat on-air journalism. I liked this one a lot and it was easy to listen to on audio. Would definitely read more by this new author! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I went into Off the Air expecting Finlay Donovan vibes but from the perspective of a news reporter. While, Off the Air, even though about murder, was on the lighthearted side, there wasn't much in the way of hijinks and humor. Main character, Jolene, is a tenacious reporter looking for validation and to one up JJ, a superficial but widely popular reporter from a competing station. I found Jolene to be annoying and off-putting at times. I didn't like the way she treated most people. She's very self-centered. She's the star of her life and the book so all of her relationships in the book fell flat. There was an opportunity there for some first rate side characters but they all got the shaft, imo. I wanted to love it but I didn't. I do think the whodunit and why was interesting and was wrapped up nicely.

Off the air was a simple easy read and lighthearted. It was not one of my favorites, but I enjoyed reading it at the same time. It was my to go to book while waiting to be seen a doctors offices just to pass the time. I would recommend this novel to other who stew looking for an easy read.

I am in support of the boycott of St. Martin’s Press. I am withholding my review until such time as this is resolved.

There is an active boycott of this publishing house due to the failure of St. Martin’s Press to ensure the safety of their Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian influencers. Over 7,500 influencers to date have signed the petition demanding that St. Martin’s Press meet the incredibly reasonable demands below.
- Address and denounce the Islamophobia/racism from their employee.
- Offer tangible steps for how they're going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
- Address how, moving forward, they will support and protect their Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab readers, influencers, and authors in addition to their BIPOC readers, influencers, and authors.
Readers for Accountability recently brought to SMP’s attention the threatening behaviors displayed by friends of your employee towards multiple members of SMP’s team. This not only includes online harassment with threats of lawsuits and reporting but has extended to tracking the whereabouts of a prominent Black creator whom you chose to unfollow.
This refusal to engage with the influencers who provide SMP with free labor is both disheartening and offensive.

Didn’t particularly enjoy this one. Absolutely no likeable characters which was disappointing. Thank you for the eARC and letting me read for an honest review.

If you love watching the news you will definitely love this book. Jolene Garcia is a news reporter who is dieing to know (literally) who killed Larry Lemmon who is a famous radio talk show host in her area. She wants to be THE reporter to figure out his death. I liked this book however I feel like it did drag on a little bit about different facts about politics and different news articles. It was interesting to read about but also I feel like it dragged the story on a little bit. I enjoyed the storyline though of how Jolene finds out how Larry died and the people she comes in contact with alongside doing her day to day job as a news reporter. Overall, this story was good and I give it a 3/5 stars.

This one is too heavy on details that don't really add to the story. It is a solid who-done-it, but it gets bogged down with journalese. I could dig the characters, though. I liked who I was supposed to and really disliked others.

Jolene is fearless and jumps in with both feet before she thinks. She does not give up and may lose a good contact in the police over her persistence. When a local, and very popular, radio host dies, Jolene goes to the scene to cover it. She is the last person to interview the host and is sure that she will get exclusives out of this. But one of her competitors gets there first. Every time she thinks she is in the lead; something comes up and she misses the chance. The station is not happy, and her job just might be in jeopardy. It makes her take some chances she shouldn't. When she comes face to face with a killer, she regrets being so rash. How is she going to get out of this?