Christina Estes has a winner with The Story that Wouldn’t Die. This was a good book out this summer.

This is a unique and interesting mystery. It is written with good nuance (recognizing that reporters still need to recognize people’s humanity as they pursue a story) and has a lot of knowledge from the author’s background. This is part of a series, but was totally fine as a standalone. The plot is engaging, the characters are likeable (especially Jolene and Nate), and the mystery is well-done.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s, and Minotaur for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions. This review is cross-posted on Goodreads, and will be posted on Instagram and Amazon within a week of the book’s publication.

I really enjoyed this book! The plot was fresh and interesting and I really enjoyed the characters, as well as their different personalities!

The Story That Wouldn’t Die is a captivating blend of mystery and suspense. The intriguing plot and compelling characters will keep you hooked from start to finish. A must-read for fans of thrillers with a twist!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the eARC; all opinions are my own.

I was a big fan of Christina's first book in this series and really appreciated all of the details, the layers, and the character development. The second book in the series is, in my opinion, even better. There's a lot more character development with Jolene as we get more glimmers of her past (foster kid, raised by her grandmother) and the impact that has left on her - the vulnerability, the trauma - and how she copes with it (hint: not great).
Jolene throws all of herself into her work, often at the expense of her well-being, and creating friendships. She holds herself back from forming too tight of bonds with people - whether co-workers or her neighbour, Norma, and its starting to bite her in the butt, a bit. She doesn't trust easily, is skeptical, and at times, this works against her in trying to do her job.

I really enjoyed the mystery in this book, especially with the personal connection as Jolene meets one of the victims not too long before they are killed and it clearly rattles her and she's determined to get justice.
Something Christina does so well, I think because she is a reporter, is incorporates the clues into all of the details she includes in the book. This makes me pay much closer attention because I don't know what could be a clue and what is simply an observation. It all matters.
I admit I was thrown off by who the culprit was - it really did surprise me but it made so much sense!!!

The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger as to what Jolene will do next and I'm excited!!

this was okay and funny at times. Read like finlay donovan and was almost very similar. Some people might like it

•When a local small business owner dies suddenly in a crash, the town is shocked. Reporter Jolene Garcia doesn’t believe it’s as cut and dry as a simple accident. The victim, Carlos, was poking around, asking questions about why the same people keep getting the contracts with city hall. While Jolene’s boss wants her to focus on other, more exciting stories, she’s determined to figure out the truth behind Carlos’ tragic death.

•I struggled with remaining interested and focused while reading this book. I felt like there were very many characters and it was difficult to keep them all straight at times.

•Thank you for NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC. It will become available on August 19, 2025.