This book was an interesting mix. On one hand, it's a mystery - who killed the controversial radio talk-show host? On the other hand, it's a peek behind the curtain of local TV news, from a new author who knows all about the subject - she is herself an award-winning television reporter who has spent more than 20 years covering a wide variety of stories in Phoenix, where her book is set. I enjoyed the mystery of the story - there was no shortage of potential perpetrators, and I didn't guess who "dunnit" until it was revealed. Equally interesting was to learn just how much journalism has changed in recent years, not only for print journalism (which is mightily struggling in this digital age, as documented in a couple of my recent reads), but also for broadcast journalism. This explores radio and television, and how social media has (for better or worse) changed the focus of modern local radio and TV news. It also didn't hurt that I lived in Phoenix for a year or so many, many years ago, so the geography was familiar to me, as was the mention of the late, great Metrocenter Mall. Both aspects kept me listening and engaged, as did the narration by Marcella Black. If Estes continues to write (she did seem to leave things wide open for a sequel) I'd certainly be ready to jump into her next book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

Did Not Finish @20%
Ebook - 1 Star

This was just not for me.

I disliked the MC almost immediately [she gives off HUGE mean girl vibes and is fine being critical [at a couple points, extremely critical/judgemental] of others], but calls foul when the critisism is directed at her and she whines about her job a LOT all while being willing to do whatever she needed to to win an Emmy, which got annoying fast. The introduction of divisive politics right at the beginning [I DO NOT want to read a book where "let's go Brandon" is part of any text] totally put me off as did the minutiae of detail that was just so boring I almost fell asleep [I didn't need to ever know all that I now know about the whole journalism world and its inner workings]; all of this happened before I hit my quitting point of 20%, which just made me realize that I couldn't finish.

I am sure there will be others that love this book and to be honest, I wish I could be one of them. I have had a bad run of books as of late and this one being such a disappointment as well is discouraging.

Audiobook narrator: 4 Stars
The BEST part of this book was the narrator. I really, really, enjoyed her narration and only wish I could have continued, if not just to listen to her. She was excellent and I will be looking for other titles that she narrates in the future. I highly recommend listening to her.

I was invited to read/review this book by the publisher St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and I thank them, NetGalley, the author, Marcella Black - Narrator, and Dreamscape Media for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

It's so odd to read a mystery book where the random fun facts throughout the book are much more interesting than the mystery itself. Part of it is because the mystery, figuring out who killed the controversial talk show host Larry Lemmon, seems to be secondary to the overall storyline. Yes, Jolene and her competitors are going through all the emotions of discovering different avenues of Larry's life, but this book borderlines with more the dramatics of reporting than the mystery itself.

There are also sprinkles of politics in there, which can be unnerving for some, but it's also our decision to keep reading it or not. This took a while to get moving, and it didn't keep me wanting to know what actually happened to Larry. But I liked the author's writing and wouldn't mind checking out more of her stuff since this was a debut, but this one just simply didn't hold my attention enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Off the Air would be a good palate cleanser between denser, darker, graphic thrillers. It definitely gives you a behind the scenes look at how local television news stations work if that's something you've ever wondered about.

A little bit of a warning though: There's a lot of seemingly unnecessary background information. For example, the characters turn onto Indian School Road and then you are given several paragraphs on the history of the schools. Is this stuff necessary for everyone to know about? Of course. Is it necessary to the plot of this novel? Not at all. These little tangents of information started to get a little cringey after awhile. It was as if the author really wanted to make sure that everyone knew which side of the political aisle she leans towards. Since the main character is a journalist, all of the extra background could theoretically be intentional. The way it was written did sort of remind me of how newspaper articles are written at times.

All in all, the story did keep my attention until the end but if you are the type to avoid politics (of either side) when you read, I would maybe skip this one.

🎥unhinged Book Review🎥
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Summmary: 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.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts: thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the advanced copy of this debut book! This one definitely had potential, the premise was really unique. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book from the perspective of an on air anchor. I really enjoyed diving into that world. I didn’t however love the overall character in this one, it really glamorized the idea of not eating, only living for your job under the guise of a strong female character ? I just found her to be annoying and was unable to relate to her as a character. The premise was cool and this had potential if the character was created to be an actual real human being.
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QOTD- what is the job of your main character in your current read ? I’m planning to start daughter of mine tonight so I have no idea 😂
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#offtheair #christinaestes #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofig #booksofinsta #bibliophile #booklover #bookworm #bookwormsunite #bookish #readersofinstagram #readersgonnaread #readmorebooks #readersofig #readersofig #booknerd

Off the Air seemed like a great premise, but maybe it just wasn't the book for me. The mysteriousness of the book kept getting covered up by the journalism and politicalness. No thanks.

Thanks to NetGally and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was just so... boring. For being a novel about a murdered radio talkshow host, it didn't feel very exciting or exhilarating. I can definitely see how Christina Estes was probably a good journalist, but it just didn't translate well into telling a fictional story.

There was far too much emphasis on small details regarding Phoenix, AZ that had nothing to do with the underlying plot. The book felt more like an advertisement to come visit Phoenix rather than read about a fictional journalist trying to uncover who committed a murder.

Jolene was also a really unlikable character. Was she just doing her job as a reporter? Yes - but it made me realize how thankful I was that I didn't end up going into journalism because reporters truly will just harass anyone to get I story, I guess. I hated how often she called her police source and heckled him to give her answers. HE HAS A JOB TOO GIRL! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!

Honestly, I have to just leave a short review because that's how I felt about the book anyways - not really worth my time.

2 stars
Thank you to NetGalley & Christina Estes for the audiobook arc
I'm going to be honest and say that this book was boring. It didn't grab my attention at all, from the characters to the plot there wasn't really anything that captured my attention or interest in this murder mystery. The characters seemed flat and no one really stands out as a likable character or a character you're rooting for.

The plot felt more like a day in the life of a journalist than an actual story about the murder of a talk show host. I kept reading in hopes that as the story would build more and that the twist or reveal would really shock me but unfortunately that didn't happen. This book almost feels like it was originally meant to be a short story but was just dragged out in order to be a novel.
I really wanted to like this book, the synopsis of the book was pretty intriguing but unfortunately the actually story doesn't hold up.

I love the fun cover of this book and I appreciated the narration of the audiobook. The voice of Marcella Black is a delight to listen to and she really brought life to the story. With a lot of content about journalism and social media, and less about the mystery I did find my mind wandering a bit as I listened. I also didn't really connect with Jolene or any of the other characters. If you like politics mixed in with a cozy mystery that is very descriptive about the field of journalism this may be the book for you.

First read by this author and I would definitely add them to my rotation. The book follows a young journalist trying to make a name for herself in a daunting field. Trying to get a scoop while remaining ethical she’s tossed and turned on a wild adventure to uncover the truth. Production of the audio book and narrator were both solid. Would recommend as a quick easy read.

I love reading debut novels from new authors! It's fun to see where they begin and how they evolve in future writings. This story involved an inside look at investigative journalism and how far reporters will go to get the scoop. The story was definitely political as well which might not be for everyone. Although there was a lot of depth in the journalism side, I didn't feel like I got to know the main character, Jolene, well enough. I got a great sense of her job, but not enough of her personally to connect with her.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media and Christina Estes for this ALC.

*3.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"Getting it right is more important than getting it first."

"... isn't that unethical? Journalists are supposed to present the facts and other people's opinions. Not our own opinion."

"...he's moving faster than disinformation on Facebook."

The above quotes are what I expect from an ethical investigative TV reporter like Jolene Garcia in Off The Air by award winning debut author Christina Estes. What confused me was that her actions didn't always match these thoughts.

Jolene is an ambitious local TV reporter in Phoenix and when a controversial radio host dies under suspicious circumstances Jolene has an edge since she was the last one to interview him.

The premise is excellent and written by an experienced reporter gives us insight into the workings of a local news studio. As a journalism major in college I have to say this cut throat world made me glad I minored in business.

Voice actress Marcella Black gives an exceptional performance of Jolene trying to prove herself in an extremely competitive field. But the decision to make this all about her desperation to succeed took away her empathy and my connection to her. It wasn't about justice to find a killer; it was about being first to get the story. Jolene has no personal life, not even a best friend, and forget about a hint of romance.

The murder wasn't really mysterious despite many suspects but I appreciated the minor twist of how he was done in. I would've loved for Jolene to have had an "aha" moment that life is more than a career and it might be healthy to be "off the air" once in a while. Still looking forward to the next book from this promising debut author.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I liked this mystery involving reporters. However, it really shows the disgusting side of the media, so I don't know that I would continue the series if there are more.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

As a TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona Jolene is constantly trying to beat the clock to share the latest update on the death of a popular, or some would say unpopular host.

While this one was an easy listen. I found the characters hard to connect with. I found Jolene unlikeable, but there wasn't enough character development for me to appreciate her unlikable character. I would have appreciated more development to better understand her flaws. I would have loved to learn more about Jolene's relationship with her source within the Police Department. Previous cases, and news stories were sprinkled in, but I would have loved more.

There were also random snippets of information that didn't seem to tie back to the story or build upon the plot. (i.e. Residential schools).

I did appreciate the insight into reporting and how it's changed over the years.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed all the current real life events that were mentioned in this book along with how it showed how cut throat the journalism world is. This was a cozy mystery and I really enjoyed it.

This story was captivating but extremely political. I don't really enjoy political themed books as it's just a conversation that I enjoy partaking in. The journalist keeps saying that they should be unbiased, but everyone seems to have a side. I thought the ending & outcome was a bit drawn out; like I think it could have been a bit shorter.
The wheel of fortune snippets were so adorable!! I loved that tid bit

The premise for this book sounded good - up-and-coming reporter with the inside track on reporting the death of a controversial radio guy due to having the last recorded interview with him - so I had high hopes. Estes, an actual reporter, also had the inside track to write this story, but it ended up being a bit too much and a bit too little for me at the same time. I like to read to get away from the disaster that is our current political situation and this story had way too much current turmoil and right-wing crazy for me to enjoy it plus a little much detail on reporting, which makes perfect sense from her day job. I did like Jolene and Estes writing, so I'd love to see what she does next. Thank you to Dreamscape and NetGalley for the early listen in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was intrigued by Christina Estes’ debut novel Off the Air because it promises to be a mystery featuring a local news reporter as the lead character. I come from a family with several journalists so I’ve always loved people who do that work and hearing about the industry—their jobs are so hard! What I got with Off the Air surprised me. It delivered what I expected, but it also had several stand out characteristics that separate it from the herd in the world of cozy mysteries. More on those to follow!

About the Book | Off the Air

Jolene Garcia is a young TV reporter at a local news station in Phoenix, Arizona trying to catch a break to eventually advance in her career. Currently she splits her time between general assignments (is your dry cleaner really removing those spaghetti stains?) and special projects. The special projects are stories that Jolene wants to tell, pitches, and takes time to research and produce. This is the part of her career that she hopes to build up.

Jolene is out to lunch with her favorite camera crew member, Nate, when two things happen: she receives word that there has been a death at radio station, and she spills ketchup all down the front of her shirt. There’s no time to worry about the ketchup though! Jolene and Nate rush to the station to see what they can find out. Through some digging, they learn that popular, controversial talk show host Larry Lemmon has been poisoned.

It just so happens that Jolene got the last interview with Larry Lemmon, giving her an advantage over the other local, network, and cable reporters jostling for the story. Even more helpful, she has a source within the police force who slowly feeds her bits of information. Unfortunately neither of these matter in terms of getting the story first. Her police source—Commander Jim Miranda—may give her bits of information, but he won’t allow her to go on record with any of them. Meanwhile Jolene keeps finding herself scooped by other reporters, especially those from network and larger cable news programs. This story could make or break her career—if it doesn’t break Jolene first!

Review | Off the Air

This story took me by surprise. It delves deeply into the world of broadcast journalism, which hooked me in. There is a lot of drama in the industry, it turns out. Jolene made a mistake at a prior reporter job she had in Omaha, and she won’t make the same mistake twice. She double- and triple-checks her facts before moving forward. But over the course of the novel, Jolene begins to crack. It feels like she has setback after setback and the reader gets first-hand experience of the pressure she feels to get the story.

The other reporters all seem to have more experience, more money, and more resources from their networks. Jolene has the advantage multiple times only to see it snatched away—an exclusive she got with a key witness only for them to accept an offer from a much larger network to do theirs first, an interview she goes for but someone else gets there first. These experiences did make Jolene sympathetic to the reader.

Seeing the lead character in a cozy mystery face setbacks isn’t new or rare to the genre. However, I actually thought what Estes did with Jolene’s storyline felt very rare in other ways. Jolene falls apart more or less across the course of the investigation. She starts out with morals, ethics, tenacity, and a positive attitude. By the time the story crosses the halfway mark, she’s burnt out, sleep-deprived, frustrated, and making poor decisions. It was so refreshingly authentic that Estes chose to show Jolene going through this. Her friend and colleague Nate actually steps away from working with her at one point because of what she’s pushing to do. I love when an author is unafraid to show the less attractive qualities in their lead character.

Jolene also has an interesting backstory. She grew up in the foster system after her mother was arrested for drug use and child endangerment. When she was twelve, she was able to go live with her grandmother in Omaha for several years before she passed away. Jolene is on her own in terms of family support, and this was heartbreaking to read about. She has many fond memories of her grandmother and thinks of her often—if she would be proud of her and what she might say. She watches Wheel of Fortune religiously not out of any particular love of the program, but because her grandmother loved it and it keeps her memory alive.

In terms of balance, I would say that the book heavily favors both the drama of working in broadcast journalism as well as what is happening with the mystery. Jolene has very little personal life—most of her life is tied up in work. I appreciated this because the mystery stayed engaging. There were plenty of suspects and a lot going on muddying the waters. The way that Lemmon died meant that the murderer didn’t need to be present at the time of the murder, so this case rested quite a bit on motive, in addition to opportunity. Jolene is receiving cryptic notes about the case at work, adding another layer to the story.

The conclusion was satisfying and surprised me—I didn’t guess who did it and the way the reveal happened was interesting. Jolene also seems aware of her mistakes, which redeems her if the reader had any doubts about her behavior in the height of the case. The relationship between Jolene and Jim (the police commander) was another difference. Often cozy mysteries position the police source as either a love interest or a friend. Jim is neither—they have a professional relationship and Jolene has earned trust with him on prior investigations (trust that takes a pretty large hit during her actions in the current case).

This was a great mystery with a compelling lead and premise! The investigation stays at the forefront. Jolene is a flawed and sympathetic character in equal measure. The rich detail around broadcast journalism comes through, in large part due to the author’s long career in that industry. I think mystery fans will love this!

Audiobook Review

The audiobook for this story is narrated by Marcella Black, and she does a fantastic job capturing Jolene’s character and energy. Without knowing the narrator’s age, her voice sounds young which suits Jolene, who we know is pretty early in her career (nothing drives me crazier than when the age of the narration doesn’t suit the age of the character!). Her cadence is engaging and upbeat, while still capturing the tenacity and grit that makes Jolene’s character who she is.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Dreamscape for my copy. Opinions are my own.

This new release by Christina Estes is such a fun read! News reporter Jolene is all about getting the scoop and providing the best news, but exactly how far is she willing to go?

When a talk show host, know for his controversial opinions, appears to have been murdered Jolene is ready to do whatever it takes to get the best news!

I really enjoyed this book! My sister lives in Arizona, where this book takes place, so I loved making the connections to places I’ve been and seen! The author depicted the Phoenix area really well, and wrote an engaging, wholesome, and suspenseful read!

This was a fun little read with an interesting mystery plot but was pretty average for the genre. I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't feel extra special in any way to me.

I enjoyed the interpersonal relationships and the way the author described how a newsroom works. The main character was often hard for me to relate to or even like, but I think that was kind of the point, even she didn't like what she was doing. The consequences of her actions were nice to see as well, I appreciated that everything was perfect throughout the story.

A decent book, definitely recommend if you like the cozy mystery genre.