This was a DNF for me. It was so slow and unfortunately I just wasn't interested enough in the characters, story, or media aspect of it to continue,

This book was just "OK" for me, unfortunately. While I did appreciate learning more about the day-to-day lifestyle of an investigative journalist, as well as how the industry landscape itself has changed over the last few years/decade, it felt a bit too bloated and overshadowed the plot at times. I think if it had a more even balance between the two I would have enjoyed this more, because the story itself was compelling in its own right, but alas.

This book leaned heavily on the increased popularity of the Cozy Mystery genre, but didn't quite hit the mark.

I think that the characters were fine, the plot was fine, the political mentions were fine, but the story was pretty repetitive. At one point I wasn't sure if the author was being dramatic for the story or if they actually hated journalists and thought that media was an over reach.

If I hadn't been reading via audio, I know I would have DNF'd this one.

This was an interesting book, and a great inside peek at the interworking of the world of news. A great twist on a common sub-genre.

dnf - 50% I loved the premise of it however the constant roping in politics turned me off of it and I tried my best to keep with it however I could not.

A fun little mystery of a journalist trying to get the first story of a death at a radio station. Jolene (the journalist) is working to prove her worth to the station and at the same time solve a murder!
Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book.

I wanted so badly to like this book, and unfortunately it just didn’t work for me.

Off The Air provided a deep dive into the world of journalism and had some interesting insight on this topic. It is so clear that the author is knowledgeable and passionate about the field, which tracks with her own personal history. However, this meant that it was lacking in the mystery that I was really itching for in a book about investigating the murder of a polarizing public figure. Overall, I found the book to feel a little formulaic and clunky with wayyyy too much explaining.

As a Phoenix native, I was so excited that Off The Air was set here and it is clear the author knows the area and it’s history well. Unfortunately, what I was hoping would be some easter eggs that enhanced the story even more for those familiar with the city, it instead felt like an informative work on the history and culture of Phoenix with extensive detailed reports.

Also, (minor spoiler, but without context) the use of animal cruelty as a plot device felt gimmicky and gave me the ick.

Maybe others will have a better experience with this book than I did.
1.5/5 stars

Review posted on Goodreads 5/10/24
Review to come on Instagram (@ashlie_overbooked), post pending

I was actually in Phoenix when I read this book, which is kind of cool because the story takes place in Maricopa County. Though cutting to the chase, I wish I liked it more.

I love that it was written by a reporter - Emmy-winning, no less - because it gave authenticity and a unique perspective to the story. Yet, I didn’t care for the characters or really the story itself.

It’s hard for me to put my finger on why. I know part of it had to do with reading about a controversial news radio commentator, which I feel I read too much about that kind of thing in real life.

Much of the story felt like it was dragging, I think due to the fact she was chasing down clues in the story. However, when I skimmed ahead 40 pages, we were kind of on the same point.

Also, this leans more toward cozy mystery (not my favorite) than a thriller or mystery full of danger or suspense.

I loved the characters and the plot. It held my attention. It was a thrilling mystery, Every journalist in the book was biased. It was a captivating read.

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 was an easy to read story about a journalist who was always a step or give behind other journalists when trying to get the big story. I like stories about journalists .I liked the FMC. She seemed sweet and kind.

I think it was very heavy on the politics and that would be a turn off to a lot of people. I personally read to escape from politics and the news.

This is more of a niche book.

This is a fun little cozy mystery! It was super interesting to read about broadcast journalism on a local scale and everything that goes into the news reports we see every day. It was a very quick read, and I really liked Jolene, the FMC, even though she managed to get herself into sooo many scrapes and awkward situations! And I didn’t guess the killer! The only (small) issue I had was that at times the book seemed like a guide to the history and geography of Phoenix, going into minute details that weren’t at all relevant to the story. I know the author was just trying to make the reader feel like they knew the setting well, but there were a couple times it seemed like overkill (pardon the pun). Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read before pub day! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. OFF THE AIR is out now!

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for my honest review.*

It took me a while to get into this book enough to finish it. I jumped right in and couldn't really figure out if it was a mystery or a rom com because I didn't read the blurb's since it was on my Netgalley list as "next." It really didn't ever feel like a mystery though and it definitely wasn't a rom com.

Jolene is an on air reporter for a Phoenix TV station and she catches a breaking story of a radio station star dying on air. Or maybe during a commercial break. And she follows the story until the murderer is caught. Quite a lot of details about the minutiae of local stations vs national stations and how the local station is run in the newsroom. Interesting, but not something I was keen on reading about.

I listened to the audio version and it didn't do much for the story. But this would be great for anyone wanting to see how the inside of a newsroom works!

Unfortunately, there isn't really a lot to recommend "Off the Air.' I didn't find any of the characters likable (including the main character). The murder victim was someone whose banter was cringe-worthy, so there wasn't a lot of compassion for his death. Everyone was portrayed as a caricature of their stereotype, and there was no character development taking place.

Thank you to Christina Estes, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This book examines the cutthroat world of local news. How reporters will lie to get ahead. How their ethics have been mostly placed in their rear view mirror. This was interesting but also uncomfortable. What really made the book less than comfortable, though, was the inclusion of several characters who are so conservative that they’re like a parody of themselves. Yes, the main character didn’t seem to agree with them often, but having to read their disgusting commentary got to be too much.

Off the Air by Christina Estes is a quick fun read. Our main character, Jolene, is a reporter for a local television news crew in Phoenix who is reporting on a suspicious death of a local/national celebrity. In a competitive environment where news is old as soon as someone else reports it, Jolene finds herself in the story rather than reporting it. It's clear that the author has experience in this area and it was interesting to get a glimpse of the dynamics in a local news station. The mystery itself isn't too complicated, and aside from Jolene, the characters lack depth or complexity.
I will admit that the line that made me laugh was in the Acknowledgements where the author wrote, "If you're like me and read the acknowledgements first..." I'm hard pressed to think that anyone turns first to the acknowledgments, unless they think they're in it, but hey, maybe they're out there.
In short, it's a decent beach read, light and fast-paced.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

I was just expecting more. From the journalist side this is great but the mystery/thriller side lacked a lot, everything was pretty set from the beginning and didn't change much. I wish there was more for a shock. I would definitely pick up another one though to see where Christina can take the journaling aspect of it.

Thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for access to an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Jolene Garcia is a news reporter. Young, and female, she’s relegated to general assignment (mostly puff pieces) and sometimes special reports. When a controversial radio host is found dead at the radio station, Jolene sees her chance to prove herself. She was the last one to interview him. Now she’s determined to discover who murdered him. But the clock is ticking because now it appears the murderer is after her.

Author Christina Estes has a long career as a reporter. Her years of experience are reflected in her writing, providing a realistic slant to the frenetic pace of the newsroom and the on site craziness of a crime scene as each reporter tries to one up their competition. It was the realism that drew me in to this story. It was the rapid pace and constantly moving story line that kept me reading. The secondary characters were a blending of obvious stereotypes, yet they bring a hint of humor and a comfortable familiarity to the story.

The mystery was well constructed and kept me guessing until the final surprising reveal. Even better was Jolene's reaction. I found this an enjoyable, engaging mystery. I am thrilled to find out another Jolene Garcia book is in the works and look forward to it.

I had several issues with this debut, however it was not a bad book for the half of the book I could get through.

When I requested a copy to read, I was expecting a debut mystery that would hold my attention and engross me in a story. As I was reading I found this was more centred around journalism than the mystery of the novel. I actually lost the mystery within the journalism.

I had to walk away from it a couple times & come back, rereading to remember points, when I finally gave up. This was not a book for me. Overall, though I would say the research and/or the amount of knowledge pertaining to journalism is great, but I don’t necessarily believe this is marketed towards the right audience.