Off the Air was a book I was SO excited to read, especially in the mood for a mystery. I have heard great things and was immediately interested because of Marcella Black's narration. However; I had to "not finish" at 4% as I am trying to set boundaries and need listen to books that are immediately putting out names of political figures.

3.5⭐️ another debut that captured me from the start!

In the action packed world of reporting, timing is everything. When a controversial talk show host collapses and dies at the station, every single news outlet competes to be the first to get the story out.

I loved that the intro was inspired by her own personal history of working as a reporter!

*many thanks to Minotaur Books, Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review.

Didn't connect with this one unfortunately! Felt kind of boring from the start and didn't hook me. Didn't love the narrator. Not bad, just not for me.

I liked the setting of Phoenix for this one and learning about the ever changing world of reporting. I appreciated the backstory of the main character, Jolene. I wish the book was a little more focused on the death of Larry.

I am so glad I chose the audio version over the print version, because I don't think I would have been able to follow along otherwise. It's not that it was necessarily boring, I just don't think it was the book for me.

I recently listened to Off the Air by Christina Estes as an audiobook, thanks to Dreamscape Media, and it was a fun, engaging experience. The story follows radio host Bailey Brown, whose career is suddenly thrown off course when she becomes entangled in a mysterious scandal. As Bailey navigates the fallout, she uncovers secrets within the radio industry while juggling her complicated personal life.

Estes crafts an entertaining and fast-paced mystery with plenty of twists and humor. The audiobook narration really brought the characters to life, adding an extra layer of immersion to the story. The behind-the-scenes look at radio broadcasting was unique, and Bailey’s sharp wit made her a likable protagonist.

If you enjoy lighthearted mysteries with strong, relatable characters, Off the Air is a great pick, especially in audiobook form. Dreamscape Media did a fantastic job delivering a captivating listening experience.

Just really not for me. I didn’t like the voice. I didn’t feel pulled in. Just not really the kind of cozy mystery I wanted it to be.

𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗶𝗿 by Christina Estes, read by Marcella Black, gifted by @minotaur_books @dreamscape_media published March 25th

𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗶𝗿 follows a Phoenix-based tv news reporter, Jolene who’s covering the biggest news of her career so far - the suspicious death of a controversial and polarizing radio personality. Feeling the pressure to appease her bosses, outdo a rival, and stick to her principles has her making some questionable decisions, and crossing boundaries that land her in the middle of the investigation, and possibly danger.

This was a good cozy mystery set to the background of the news industry. The POV of a reporter especially one as intrepid and assertive as Jolene was a nice change. It’s an insight into the nature of the job which I came to view as challenging for the reporter, and intrusive to anyone in the crosshairs of a news piece or an investigation. However, i appreciated that it didn’t seem sugarcoated.

The political subplot will be hit or miss for readers especially since we’re in an election cycle. I wasn’t sure about it initially but I’ll say that Jolene came off relatively neutral. The author provided context to news headlines, bringing to the forefront her journalism background. Solving the crime held my attention, and I felt the stress from the mad hussle of Jolene’s job.

This is a good debut. The narrator
was good as well. Her interpretation of Jolene made her sound professional, and to the point. If Jolene has more adventures, I’d be up for reading them.

Highlights:
* Mystery with lots of suspects
* Strong, bold FMC
* Context/insight for news events

Heads up: politics & hot button issues (e.g. immigration), abandonment issues

My heartfelt thanks to @netgalley @minotaur_books & @dreamscape_media for my ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.

OFF THE AIR review

⭐️⭐️/5

🎥I went into this one with very little idea of what the plot was other than it was a mystery with a journalist as the main character. While I’ve read loooots of books, I haven’t read many with a news reporter as the main character so I was definitely intrigued. Unfortunately I just had too many issues with this one. 🥲

🎥Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Jolene is trying to make a name for herself in the Phoenix newscast world. She typically gets boring “fluff” pieces to report on. But when an infamous radio host is found dead from foul play, she’s sure she’s got her big break. After all, she was the last person to interview him before his death. But with such a buzzy story, Jolene isn’t the only report wanting to get the exclusive scoop…

🎥This book did give a lot of info on the background side of journalism. Buuuuut that’s what my main issue with the story was. 🫣 The characters went to any lengths possible to get a story, even after other characters asked them to stop invading their privacy during difficult times. The journalists in the story had no respect for boundaries or privacy and it just rubbed me the wrong way. The mystery part was slightly intriguing but not really a “keep you on your toes” type of mystery. I didn’t predict the ending/killer so that was a plus. I listened to it on audio and I did like the narration! But overall I don’t think I’d recommend this one.

🎥Thanks to Dreamscape Media for my digital copy!

Hmmm…this book was not my favorite. It was interesting, but the plot was not well it together and I did not connect with the main character at all.

A cozy whodunit mystery featuring a reporter doing her best to get the scoop when a local extremist radio hosts winds up dead, Off the Air by Christina Estes is a well written book that hit a little too close to home for me. Living in Florida, in a county full of Larry Lemons, Off the Air felt very real and I struggled to think of it as a nonfiction book to enjoy. That isn't Estes fault, it's my own. There is a realism and authenticity to Estes writing that I enjoyed and I thought the overall plot was well thought out and excused well.

I really enjoyed the narrator Marcella Black who I felt emoted the right tones and variants for the host of characters. Splendid job!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC!

I think the simplest review of this book I can give is: I finished it, it was fine. But if this is the beginning of series, I will not be continuing. I don't enjoy being bashed over the head with superfluous details and political agendas in my fiction.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Minotaur for the audiobook for me to review. No favorable review was required. All opinions are my own.

Off the Air was a struggle for me to finish. I did finish it because I wanted to find out who the killer was. For me there were a lot of characters to keep straight, a lot of added extra background information that didn’t necessarily always add to the story, and a lot of politics. I am glad I finished it but would not reread.

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.

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. I did find that the audio version of this book flowed quite well, and appreciated the work of the narrator to make the story more engaging to the listener.

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

This is an inside look into investigative journalism, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I enjoyed following the whodunnit but the trail at times got lost in the history of journalism and Arizona. I was entertained when Jolene interviewed suspects making me feel like I was witnessing a true crime documentary. The narration helped add an element of suspense as the plot unfolded. Overall this was an informative and mostly an entertaining story. Thank you, NetGalley for my audiobook.

I really liked this book! I found myself listening to it longer than I planned on just to find out what would happen next. If you like books that incorporate tv shows or podcasts into them, I think you’d really like this too! I also kept comparing it to The Rest of the Story, which is an audiobook I listened to written by a real-life reporter and the stories she’s covered in her career.

Christina Estes is an Emmy Award winning reporter, and that is so clear in her debut. Jolene Garcia is a reporter for a local news station in Phoenix, AZ and she's investigating the death of a reporter. It is such a great story. It's a cozy mystery, it's Jolene's humbling journey to standing out as a reporter in a time when media companies just want to generate likes and clicks. Jolene is flawed and I love that about her. There are so many details woven into this story. I learned so much, but it was highly entertaining.

This book was... definitely interesting. I honestly think none of this makes sense and the plot was just so messy!! The main characters just didn't make sense.

Jolene is in a race against time - to save her job and solve the mystery. Interesting portrayal from a reporters side with trying to find the truth while having to do what you have to do to get a front page worthy story. Not only is Jolene putting herself in danger, she is testing her ethics on how she gets that story. The tension and pressure she is feeling will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see “whodunnit!”

I had an Ecopy as well as the audio version. I found myself mostly listening on audio, but it’s been a multitasking kind of month.