This book was recommended to me by NetGalley via an email campaign. I wasn’t sure if it was chosen for me specifically or if everyone was given the opportunity. However this book hit the spot! I loved it from the first chapter. I’m so grateful it was shown to me because I will be recommending this to anyone in the mood for a mystery!

I’m not sure how to review this book. The mystery was interesting to try to figure out but It was hard to read when there’s so many unlikeable characters.

This was a fairly interesting murder mystery from the perspective of a journalist during this challenging journalistic climate where real news is being replaced by clip bate. Unfortunately I never really connected with the main character nor cared about the deceased, although I was motivated to see the story through to the end.

I enjoyed this book and thought the writing flowed really well. I normally read psychological thrillers with a twist or two. This was more a crime thriller from the point of view of reporters I felt the author did a good job of showing the workings of reporting in modern times and enjoyed the Phoenix area references. The who and why is not revealed until the last quarter of the book. Overall , a great read !

This debut was a quick read for me with solid plotlines and varied character traits. I did find it a bit predictable but I believe Off the Air would do well marketed as a cozy mystery.

I received this copy as a NetGalley arc. This book had a really interesting point of view. It felt authentic, like you were really stepping into the chaos of an ever changing (slightly desperate) newsroom. I think this book would be great for a television series or a movie.

Off the Air by Christina Estes is an engaging debut that skillfully combines thought-provoking themes with entertainment. Set in Phoenix, Arizona, the story follows Jolene Garcia, a dedicated TV reporter balancing everyday news with special projects she’s passionate about. The plot kicks into high gear when Larry Lemmon, a controversial radio host, is found dead under mysterious circumstances. Jolene, having conducted his final interview, finds herself at the forefront of the story. As the investigation intensifies, so does the rivalry among journalists. Estes delivers a compelling narrative with a strong, determined protagonist, making this a must-read for fans of mystery and media drama.

Jolene is a TV reporter located in Phoenix. She reports on general assignments and special projects. She and her photographer, Nate, are having lunch one day when Jolene receives a text about a murder at a local radio station. They join other reporters all scrambling to be the first to get the story. The body is identified as that of Larry Lemmon, a controversial shock-jock talk show host. His last interview was conducted by Jolene. She hopes this could be the break she needs. However, she keeps finding herself just one step behind everyone else and can’t figure out why.
This was well written; however, there is a LOT of politics in the book. I really enjoyed reading about Phoenix and some of the businesses in (and around) the city. When we finally learn how and why Larry died, I can say that I agree with the one character who said Larry got what he deserved.

Jolene Garcia is a TV reporter in Arizona and is looking for her big break. She’s been too hasty in the past and it’s cost her, but she has the final exclusive interview with Larry Lemmon, a controversial talk show host, who just died under suspicious circumstances. Jolene is hoping this will be her big break, but to get that big break she might just end up having to solve the murder case and end up in the middle of a dangerous situation.

I am a fan of mysteries so when I saw this book I was intrigued. The world of journalism and TV reporters is fascinating to me, so that element also intrigued me about this story. I found this to be a fast paced mystery that kept me interested throughout the whole story. The author has experience in the field of reporting and I think this experience made this book all the better. The reporting part seemed very realistic and helped hold this story together. At points Jolene could get on my nerves, but for the most part I enjoyed her and thought she was a great lead in this book. I am not a huge fan of anything political and this book does have a good amount of that, but I looked at it as this book was, a mystery about reporting and that made the political comments not as bad for me. I’ve read some books with so much political info and opinions that I couldn’t get past it and focus on the story, but I didn’t have that problem with this book. I just wanted to warn any readers averse to the political that you will find that in this book. Overall I really enjoyed this read and had fun listening to it. If you are a mystery fan with an interest in the reporting angle I think this is a good book to pick up.

After a talk show host passed away suspiciously, Jolene was sent to cover the story for her news station. Through insight from sources, interviews with people of interest, and her push to report the story first, she’s able to unravel the mystery.

This was the first cozy mystery I’d read from a reporter’s pov. It was an interesting angle, and I appreciated the insight of restrictions that news reporters have to work around. It was a really unique perspective!

All in all, it was an enjoyable book. I did have some difficulty keeping up with all of the characters and it was a little slower for me. But I appreciated how the mystery unraveled, and Jolene’s ability to solve it. I thought it was fun to read.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, received from the publisher and author through NetGalley. However, all thoughts and views reflected are strictly my own opinions.

I wanted to love this novel, and in concept it sounded like it was right up my alley. However, as the chapters went on I just found the story to be dragging rather than enticing.

Ah, debut authors. I love reading a debut novel but always feel the pressure of the actual reviewing after I'm done. Was Off the Air the most amazing book I have ever read? no. Was it informative, smart, witty, and engaging? all yes! I can definitely tell Christina Estes is a reporter in Arizona and she provided a ton of background on both the state and what the politics are like in this type of job. I feel like I learned a lot about Arizona and TV reporting in general, and it made for a very interesting read. I really enjoyed the mystery of who killed Larry and the way Estes mixed humor with heavier topics (a content advisory is listed at the back of the book).

I found the audiobook to be very enjoyable and though I couldn't find many books Marcella Black has narrated, I thought she was a great fit for Jolene and the book as a whole. Black made this an enjoyable listening experience for me and helped with the slower pacing. As many readers have said, I think Estes could have made this story less political and omitted some details that didn't move the story along. It made the book fall a little flat for me overall and I don't love politics in books in general. If that is what she was going for though she completely nailed it, and I do believe this is a representation of the world she works in, so I can't be too mad at it. I don't need more of this character (sorry Jolene), but I would definitely read whatever Estes writes next.

So this was very different from the usual mystery books that I’ve read. I really enjoyed that it was the reporters perspective! I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Off the Air is, I hope, the first of a series. Debut author, Christina Estes, does a great job with creating her characters, setting and storyline. I enjoyed that the novel takes readers into the world of journalists. I loved learning more about how the news we hear and see comes to us.

Protagonist, Jolene, is a TV news reporter in the southwest. As it turns out, she was the last person to interview Larry Lemmon, a talk show host who was not universally loved. When he is murdered there will be suspects and red herrings.

Justine wants this story. She really does! Will she solve the case? Find out here in a novel that has already won a Tony Hillerman prize. You can’t go wrong.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.

This was a new book by a debut author highlighting the news journalism scene in Arizona. After a popular but polarizing radio talk show host dies while on the air, Jolene scrambles to be the first to report on his murder. I thought it was an interesting concept and learned a lot about Arizona in the book, but it probably isn't a book that will stay with me forever. I found Jolene to be a bit too much, very cutthroat and sometimes impractical, and it is no wonder what happens towards the end of the book. There were a lot of time that it felt a bit lecture-ish about the state of Arizona, with the author often giving background on the state that didn't move the story forward whatsoever. That being said, it was interesting and kept me engaged, I just wish that it was tightened up a bit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, splitting her time between covering general assignments—anything from a monsoon storm to a newborn giraffe at the zoo—and special projects. Stories that take more time to research and produce. Stories that Jolene wants to tell. 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. As the story heats up, so does the competition. Jolene is determined to solve this murder. It’s an investigation that could make or break her career—if it doesn't break her first.This was a fun debut novel and I hope there are many more in the series. Great characters and really good mystery.

I’ve lived in the Phoenix metro area for more than half of my life. I enjoyed the local references and settings in this book. It was a quick, compelling read, though I think it could have been served by a bit less exposition and a bit more foreshadowing.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was interesting to see the mystery from the perspective of a reporter (rather than the usual law enforcement perspective), but there was quite a bit to this book that didn't feel like it added anything to the story. I think I'd have enjoyed this a lot more if it was a little more cleaned up in that sense.

This one wasn`t for me. I found the pacing a little bit too slow, and did not see enough of the characters to fall in love with them like I like to do.

Christina Estes's "Off the Air" is a solid mystery that delves into the intriguing world of local TV journalism. The story follows Jolene Garcia, a Phoenix TV reporter, as she investigates the murder of a controversial talk show host. Estes’s background as a reporter lends credibility to Jolene’s investigation, and her ear for dialogue and understanding of human nature make this a compelling read. While the plot occasionally gets bogged down in the politics of contemporary journalism, the book is an enjoyable read overall and sets the stage for an engaging series. If you enjoy mysteries with authentic insights and a touch of compassion, "Off the Air" is worth checking out.