The premise of a Phoenix-based mystery with a behind-the-scenes look at the local media really intrigued me, and I appreciated the unique perspective on local journalism. That said, the heavy focus on newsroom details and the large cast of side characters slowed the pace for me and made it harder to stay engaged. I didn't connect with the main character, and it was difficult feel invested in the story. Still, the author’s expertise shines through, and I think readers who enjoy an insider’s look at TV reporting will connect with this more than I did.

The premise was interesting, but the execution didn’t measure up to its potential. Journalistic competition to get the next big story first and giving readers a backstage look at television news seemed interesting - parts of the story met that expectation, but honestly having a main character who was whiny and often negative detracted from investing in the overall story.

This was a very fun mystery! I love how the plot was well done! There were very many twists and turns! There were a few scenes that I thought were unnecessary! Still, I recommend this for mystery fans!

The premise is interesting, but Off the Air feels predictable and some characters are flat. Entertaining at times, but not very memorable.

Thought it was ok, it fell kind of flat for me. I thought the plot was there but not executed to the fullest extent.

This was a fun read that really was well written. Great pacing. Fun. Lots of red herrings too to keep me confused . Thaks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

While I think in-depth investigative journalism is fascinating, the type of journalism this MC does is instead harassing people to get the scoop on a story for the best ratings. The humanity within the story didn't seem to matter to anyone.

The investigation, such as it was, took forever to get going. I'm 1/3 through the book, and still we don't know much of anything. Pacing is oh so slow.

Also, there's no character development. What I know of Jolene isn't likable, at least not to me.

Clearly I'm not the right reader for this book.

DNF

3.5 stars rounded up. Off the Air is the first book in a new cozy mystery series, the Jolene Garcia Mysteries, by Christina Estes. Jolene is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, splitting her time between covering general assignments and special projects. These are stories that take more time to research and produce, which are the stories that Jolene wants to tell. When a local, controversial talk show host, Larry Lemmon dies under suspicious circumstances at the studio, everyone is clambering for information. Jolene is ahead of the game, having conducted his last interview, but she needs to find more before everyone else catches up. This is a story that could make or break her career, so she works hard to solve the murder.

Although Christina Estes is an award winning reporter, this is her debut novel. I learned a lot about the television news and reporting, which was interesting, but it often pushed the mystery to the background. The setting was well described, and I got to know the characters well. This is the first in a series, so setting the stage is often in the forefront. The mystery was interesting, but not overly complicated. The book uses events and the climate that is present in Arizona right now, so that might put some people off. I liked Jolene. She was smart, spunky, and persistent. She got along well with her co-workers which is important to me. It makes the character more likable. Larry was not liked by all. He had big opinions and wasn't afraid to be obnoxious to those he disagreed with, but who did he anger enough to kill him. This was a relatively quick story that held my interest in the various plotlines and I am looking forward to seeing what is next for Jolene.

First I would like to thank the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What I Liked
- News team, I appreciate that everyone working at the station with Jolene were supportive but also would push back when she was going to far
- Twist, I appreciated the twist at the end and the reason why the person killed the radio host (I totally understood)
- Nosy Neighbor, I really enjoyed that Jolene lived in a community with some nosy neighbors who were her fans but also wanted to 'help' her find her person

This story had a lot of potential but I do feel like it fell short. I spent a lot of the book extremely frustrated with Jolene cause even though she did end up 'getting the story' she continued to go against who she was to get it. If you are looking for a quick comedic mystery with a good amount of twists, turns and laughs I think you would like this story.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book! Although this isn’t my go-to category, I enjoyed the storyline and characters

Jolene, a reporter in Phoenix, is on a mission. And that mission is to win an Emmy for her work. She's still a tad bitter that a rival reporter, JJ, won the previous year over what Jolene feels is a far inferior story and overall job. When a controversial radio talkshow host, Larry Lemon, ends up dead, Jolene is ready to be first for the scoop. After all, she has the last interview Larry ever did. Things just keep getting thrown into Jolene's way throughout her trying to get the scoop, but she keeps digging in her heels to get to the top. As she gets closer to the truth, she has to be careful, or she might end up like Larry.

Jolene is a quirky character. She is very headstrong, and this causes her to get in her own way more often then not. She seems a bit scattered, with thoughts sometimes not completing, which is something I can relate to. The one quirk I have a hard time with is her being a bit terrible to those closest to her and to people she is interviewing. There is a lack of empathy sometimes in order for her to get the story she wants. I've never been a reporter, and I assume that happens more often than not. I think it just threw me a bit since I haven't had to think like that. I did love the setting as someone who lives in Phoenix! It was cool knowing the locations throughout the story and getting some history of the city and state along the way.

I really enjoyed this book—it had a great balance of compelling characters and an engaging plot that kept me hooked. The writing was clear and vivid, making it easy to get lost in the story. Overall, it left me thinking about its themes long after I finished the last page.

Jolene is a reporter who is trying to redeem herself and make a name for herself, all while the local news station she works for is expecting the reporters to do more and more with fewer resources.

Jolene ends up investigating the death of a right wing talk show host at the local radio station. Jolene had interviewed him recently and is the last reporter to do so before his death. This means that not only does she potentially have insider information, but she also has a connection to him that she hopes will make it possible to get all the latest details on his death before any other reporter does. This book gets messy because of this as each of the reporters tries desperately to get the information first. Jolene uses all her contacts that she can and slowly starts putting together what happened to this radio host and why it happened.

Overall, I think this book is a fairly good representation of what reporters have to deal with while trying to find out what really happened so they can report the news accurately and keep their jobs. Jolene is somebody I was rooting for the entire time throughout the story as she was trying so hard to better her career all while juggling micro-managing bosses and uncooperative police and other contacts. She got crafty with how she got information, all while trying to not break any ethics codes of being a journalist, which is a very fine line. This story is one that had so many twists and turns throughout it all that kept me guessing on what happened and why it happened until the very last moment. It could have been almost anyone, it seemed as radio hosts like this one always have enemies.

Highly recommend this one if you want a light mystery with lots of twists and turns.


(listened to a finished audiobook from the library)

It was an okay read. Not a fan of the amount of politics that was involved in the story. There was also a lot of talk on the history and evolution of journalism and social media and though it was a little interesting at first, it got boring quick

I thought this was a really fun premise for a story; reporter trying to get the scoop on a popular local radio host ultimately solves the murder. But Jolene was rather unlikeable and there was a lot of filler that was unnecessary. There is a second book in the series coming soon, I'm hoping Jolene will redeem herself!

This cozy mystery is Christina Este’s debut novel and it’s a unique one. Rather than focusing on a detective approach to solving a mystery the book comes with a more journalistic view. Well I found that interesting to get an inside look at journalism, it felt too repetitive at times.

Although this reads like a cozy there were a few darker topics throughout that felt out of place. Especially the political comments that kept popping up. Reading is an escape for me so was not a huge fan of having those.

Overall I found this just an average read but since it was a debut I am interested to see how the next book goes.

Thank you Minotaur and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was an interesting take on a murder mystery novel. The news reporter angle offered something fresh and different to the genre. This was a fun and interesting debut.

This is a murder mystery set in the world of local TV news -- written by an actual reporter -- so the behind-the-scenes bits are sharp and authentic. The mystery itself? Just fine, IMO. Not a page-turner, but entertaining nonetheless.

Estes created an accurate look at the life of a journalist- chasing stories, finding leads, and trying to stay ahead of the competition! This book was entertaining with a great plot. While fictionalized, I enjoyed reading about the trouble Jolene found herself in while trying to solve and stay ahead of the biggest story of her career.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the arc.

A sharp mystery set in the competitive world of TV journalism. Fast-paced, smartly plotted, and full of twists.