This book wouldn't normally be my cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it! It was super interesting learning about how the news cycle/reporting works... I had no idea about so much of it! The main character was likeable and the story was easy to follow. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending was so creative. Could not put down and I was truly amazed with the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers and I'm certainly going to continue reading the author's books.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with this ARC to review.

Local TV reporter Jolene Garcia is one of several looking to be the first to break the facts on the murder of controversial radio host Larry Lemmon. As Jolene was the last person to interview Larry, she should have a leg up, but all her attempts to uncover new details keep getting thwarted. As more details are revealed, Jolene finds herself locked in competition with other reporters, and more than just her job is on the line.

The characters in the book have nice development. Jolene’s favorite cameraman Nate serves as the voice of reason and her friends Gina and Elena are the kind of friends everyone should have (supportive but also honest). Jolene, however, is a bit more frustrating. She tends to take on a defeatist attitude throughout the book, and her lack of accountability makes her a challenging main character to support.

This is a fun read for fans of slower-paced mysteries with minimal violence. It also provides interesting insight into TV reporting and how the changing ways news is delivered impact the medium. Ultimately, the book's most interesting form of tension lies in the competitive rush to get the story.

I received an ARC of this upcoming novel, due out in March of 2024, through NetGalley.

This is sort of two books in one. It is a murder mystery, an investigation into the murder of a radio talk show host, a staunch conservative remindful of the late Rush Limbaugh. Was it a murder? If so, who did it and why? It is also a TV reporter's quest to be the best investigative journalist on this case. Will Jolene, the narrator of this book, succeed in getting one or more scoops during the murder investigation? Will her work possibly lead to the solution to the case?

The author is a veteran TV news reporter, so the trials and tribulations that Jolene went through in her daily work on this case is quite authentic. The mystery part of the book isn't bad either, as several possible perpetrators, each with motives, are presented for the reader's consideration.

All in all, quite a lively read, one that had me in suspense on both aspects of this book.

Cute banter and main characters. Not overly entertaining, but I love books about the news industry and tv and film. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Three stars.

I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity.

Because of the authors years of experience as a broadcast journalist…this mystery is written with attention to detail in this profession.

Lots of funny and snarky dialogue make this murder mystery a fun and entertaining read.

#NetGalley #goodreads #OffTheAirBook

“Off the Air” is a well-written and fast-paced murder mystery that manages to suck you in and keep on reading! This book offers us a fascinating glimpse into the news reporting world. Estes did an amazing job with this debut novel. I can’t wait to read her next book.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I do not relish writing reviews in which I did not enjoy the book... but I DID NOT enjoy this book. It was long-winded, slow-paced, boring as all heck. I could not wait to be done with it. So many back stories about things that did not aid the plot or storyline and was just a waste of time to read. The main character was truly unlikeable with almost no redeeming qualities and yet, we are supposed to care about her... I did not. There were at least 10 instances of the main character "chewing on her thumbnail"... One or two times was annoying enough, but really 10 times?! Did she also "let out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding"? C'mon.
I realize the author comes from the world of TV journalism and that's why it was so detailed, but readers (or at least this reader) truly do not care. It is my worst read of 2023 and I've read some doozies this year.
Despite the fact that I did not enjoy this read, I thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my review. This book is coming out March 26, 2024 if for some reason you still want to read it despite this review.

Not what I was expecting, but so much better. Fun story to really give the inside of what the shoe journalism world is like. I would highly recommend.

I liked the premise of the story and overall it was a good read . It fell flat in some areas but it was engaging enough to keep you reading.

"Off the Air" follows Jolene, a local Phoenix reporter who is fighting for her big break, and believes she's found it when a controversial radio talk show host is suddenly murdered. I love a mystery, and this one had a fun twist of providing a lot of insider info on how news stations are run, as well as the competitiveness between stations and the driving need to be first.
Overall, I liked this story, but the characters fell flat for me, all of them managed to be summarized with a short backstory and I felt like they were all very one-dimensional. Additionally, there was a lot of explaining in this book, including lots of irrelevant explanations that felt like it was almost talking down to the reader. This is a very enjoyable novel, just not the best fit for me as a reader.

Jolene Garcia is a local news reporter in Phoenix, Arizona who jumps on a breaking news story that famous and controversial radio talkshow host Larry Lemmon has been found dead. The book is a fast paced, inside baseball look from the moment a story breaks throughout reporting until it slows down (it’s never really over…), showing what the audience sees but also the many many things that audiences don’t.

The behind-the-scenes of news journalism was incredibly interesting. In particular, understanding the fluidity of teams in the field and having clarity into the hierarchy of who decides what gets airtime was fun to learn about.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get over the heavy handedness of the novel; there were many occasions where concepts were explained to the reader in what felt like a very elementary-school, unnecessary way. And many of the characters were so exaggerated with such heavy handed stereotypes that it was sometimes hard to tell whether we were intended to take them seriously or treat them as a farce.

The pacing of the book was excellent and I finished it in just over a day, so certainly worthwhile for a speedy read!

Jolene Garcia is an Arizona reporter who investigates the death of a ‘famous’ talk show host Larry Lemmon. Jolene is also the last person to have had an in person interview with Larry. This was mentioned multiple times in the book, yet we never really heard what the interview was about.

The story line was unique, and it was interesting to read about the world of local news but the book fell flat for me.

I wasn’t able to connect with Jolene. She had so many people who cared and looked out for her, and yet all she had was a poor me attitude.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

Overall I enjoyed this book. Throughout reading, I found myself eager to continue to find out what was going to happen next in Jolene’s quest in getting the scoop first. However, I do think the beginning dragged a bit. Jolene was finding herself in the same position of having obtained this information for her story from her police source after having an agreement with him but wasn’t able to use it until she could find a way to have another source confirm what she knows. This occurred multiple times and instead of Jolene really digging deep to find another way she was continuously beat out on the scoop. I personally was still intrigued about the story but I also felt that there was a lot of filler points and going in depth on certain things that maybe we, the reader, did not need all that information. One instance I can recall is towards the end of the book when older Native American school systems were discussed and dissected and I found that it had no correlation to what was happening at that point in the story. The author shows they are extremely knowledgable in not only this but in news reporting as well, being a former reporter, but I found myself skimming when certain aspects were over elaborated on in the work place. Additionally, the side plot with the new neighbor I think could’ve been left out of the book entirely. I don’t think it served any real purpose in supporting the plot.

The last 100 or so pages were probably my favorite part. Of course, we got all our answers we have been dying for but I really liked how everything unfolded and felt that it all tied together quite nicely and although Jolene made some decisions that might have been questionable, I do believe that many reporters would have more than likely done the same thing she did especially in that spotlight and under the amount of pressure as she was.

In the novel “Off the Air,” Larry Lemmon, the controversial host of a Phoenix radio program dies suddenly at his studio. Jolene Garcia, a reporter for a local newspaper tries to chase leads to get the scoop on how Larry died, and if he was murdered, who wanted Larry dead and why. The suspects are limitless since Larry angered a lot of people with his obnoxious personality and very vocal conservative “pro border wall” and anti-immigration stances. While seeking interviews from reluctant witnesses and suspects, Jolene has to remind herself of her own humanity while she uses whatever opportunity she can get to corner defensive interviewees.

While the reporter as criminal investigator provided a unique perspective on the murder mystery genre, the book mostly depicted the day to day activities of a news reporter which could become somewhat boring at times. However, the characters’ personalities were vividly drawn, the dialog was entertaining and the descriptions of various locations in Phoenix were interesting. In addition, the book had an exciting conclusion, which made up for the otherwise slow burn aspects of the book. I recommend the book to anyone looking for a unique take on the murder mystery genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Phoenix TV reporter Jolene Garcia knows that reporting is more about getting social media attention than actual facts. So when a controversial radio talk show host she just interviewed dies suddenly, Jolene sees it as her big chance to scoop the other stations by finding his killer.
But will she be able to beat the national networks and local backstabbing reporters?

This first novel mystery won the Tony Hillerman Award and offers a candid look at media manipulation for ratings as well a solid mystery.

“No one cares about covering issues that impact the community. It’s just a memory for us old-timers to cherish. Now, it’s all about posting cat videos or whatever the hell the digital department thinks will generate clicks.”

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a debut murder mystery. I overall enjoyed this book. It gives cozy (almost) mystery vibes. I am not sure if this will be a series, but I felt as so. Jolene Garcia is a reporter who gets word of a murder at a local radio station. The victim turns out to be a very controversial host. Turns out Garcia was the last to interview the victim. She is determined to solve this mystery, but it will not be easy. This was a fun time, and great introduction to our main character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, in exchange for a honest review.

This was a new author to me. I enjoyed the characters and the story line. Glad i was given the chance to read this and will definitely recommend

"Off the Air" by Christina Estes is a poignant and timely exploration of the complexities of mental health. Through the lens of protagonist Lucy Stanton, a radio talk show host, Estes skillfully addresses the challenges of navigating the emotional landscape in the public eye. The narrative unfolds with authenticity and empathy, shedding light on the impact of societal expectations and personal struggles. Estes' prose is evocative, capturing the nuances of human emotions with grace. "Off the Air" is a compelling journey that tackles the stigma surrounding mental health, offering readers a thought-provoking and compassionate perspective on the importance of self-discovery and understanding.

This is the debut novel from Christina Estes and I’m looking forward to reading more of her novels in the future!

Off the Air follows Jolene Garcia who is a reporter in Phoenix, AZ. Jolene covers a vast variety of assignments. Jolene is persistent and likes to have all the facts verified before she reports.

When a controversial radio station host, Larry Lemmon dies under suspicious circumstances, local reporters, such as JJ, swarm to the scene to be the first to deliver the news. Jolene is determined to find out what happened and to be the first reporter to do so, no matter what the consequences.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it was a quick read. The novel was action-packed and suspenseful. Every chapter kept me wanting more .You could tell this book was inspired by Estes’ experience working as a journalist. I was unaware of the rapid pace and intense competitiveness within the realm of journalism. I also appreciated how the author included content warnings for the book.

A massive thank you to Christina Estes, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings include abandonment, ageism animal cruelty, child neglect, classism, homelessness, racism, sexism, sexual coercion, and substance abuse.

Be sure to pick up this book when it is published on 3/26/2024!