Very interesting book!! I really liked it and had the best time reading it, would definitely recommend it!!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is unfortunately a DNF for me. I was very bored and couldn’t connect with any of the characters. I found the writing tedious and couldn’t connect with it. I also don’t like when books are super political and this one was.

I hope others love this book but it wasn’t for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance e-book

Jolene Garcia is a reporter trying to cover a murder story. This book is interesting in an investigative journalism type of way. There is a lot of insight on how cut throat the industry can be. For me, this book was very slow paced and I couldn’t help but feel bad for the main character.

Jolene Garcia is a Phoenix news reporter trying to make a name for herself. No matter what she does, she always seems to be one step behind JJ, a reporter from a rival news station. When a controversial radio host is found dead, Jolene has an advantage as the last person who interviewed him alive. Unfortunately, that advantage doesn’t last long, and she is soon trying to regain the upper hand. Will Jolene be the first to solve his murder? Will she finally win that Emmy she has always dreamed of?

Wow! I really enjoyed this debut novel by Christina Estes. Estes exposes the reader to the pressure that journalists are facing with social media becoming so prevalent. The characters were entertaining and there was an element of humor sprinkled throughout that I truly enjoyed. I grew up in Phoenix and my favorite thing about this novel is how Estes sprinkled in little bits of geography and history of Phoenix throughout the story. I loved the character of Jolene Garcia and hope Estes writes a sequel because this one was good! I give this book 4/5 stars.

This piqued my interest after seeing it won the Tony Hillerman Prize and knowing I love a good investigative journalist mystery. While I enjoyed this, it felt like the mystery was not the main focus. A lot of the story focused on Jolene tracking down the stories and the behind the scenes of being a journalist. It was hard to get into the story at times due to that, but I also learned about what it takes to get the story. It does focus on the murder of a shock jock and the author is very clear on certain political stances which detracted some from the story. I like escaping in a story and that burst the bubble quite often. I would definitely check out the author again and see what Jolene decides to investigate next!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for an "Off the Air" arc by Christina Estes. This was another quick read for me. Before you read, please check your trigger warnings. The story centers around the murder of a prominent conservative radio host. Our FMC, Jolene, is tasked with covering his death. I struggled with her as a character; I found her a tad annoying but to each his own. The premise of the book was overall good, and I enjoyed it.

This story was filled with a lot of behind the scenes and facts about reporting and what it's like to be a reporter. I wasn't able to connect to any of the characters because I felt like I was getting thrown too many facts. Ultimately I had to DNF this book (for now) although I think there is an audience that would enjoy this book.

First I'd like to say that I thought the writing was great. That being said the story really wasn't my cup of tea. I like other reviewers thought that it would be more of a mystery. This story centers to much around a news station for me.

Jolene is a local tv reporter in Phoenix. When a controversial talk show host suddenly dies, news reporters swarm to get to the story first. Jolene is determined to find out the truth behind the radio show host’s death and maybe earn an Emmy while doing it.

OFF THE AIR by Christina Estes is advertised as a mystery, but felt more like a “I’m going to tell you a whole bunch of facts and stories unrelated to the mystery to the point that you forget there even is a mystery” kind of mystery.

So much of this story focuses on our “controversial talk show host’s” opinions (read: very unsettling, problematic, far-right ideas) and on random facts and histories of things brought up within the story, that I lost the thread many times.

Our main character Jolene, who always spouted on about being a reporter of integrity, still seemed to do some unethical things and was extremely power hungry…it was hard to root for her.

I’m sure there is an audience for this book, but it just happened to not be me.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: March 27

Off the Air is Christina Estes' debut book. It's a fiction story that looks at the life of a TV news reporter. Jolene is the last person to do an interview with local radio celebrity Larry Lemmon before he dies on air.

I don't know about other readers of this book, but to me, it seemed more like a behind the scenes look at a newsroom and the job reporters have than a fictional book. It compared how things used to be in reporting the news.to how it is today.

There was mystery in it as you don't know what happened to Larry Lemmon until almost the end. I did like the red herrings, but the book was a very soft 3⭐ for me. I did enjoy some of the characters, I didn't notice much character development.

As I figure this is probably going to be a series, I.will read the next book. I'll give Estes another shot before I give up on her.

Trigger Warnings:
Abandonment, ageism, animal cruelty, child neglect, classism, homelessness, racism, sexism, sexual coercion and substance abuse.

Tentative Publishing Date: March 26, 2024

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the e E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊 Happy Reading 😊

#netgalley #stmartinspress #minotaurbooks #offtheair #christinaestes #arc #readaway2024

This one just wasn't for me. The writing was great, and I didn't even mind the political issues mentioned. I honestly just got bored, and it didn't keep my interest. I thought this was going to be a mystery, more so a cozy one at that. It was a mystery thought not at all the cozy type, but maybe it was the journalist aspect that turned me off. I can understand that journalism was the main focus as the author was/is also a journalist, so she would be most knowledgeable and passionate on that topic, but I just wasn't into it.
Thank you, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

3.5 stars! This novel took a peek behind the curtain at the life of a news reporter, which I thought sounded like an intriguing story. The pacing was a little off but the murder mystery element kept me interested. I'd definitely ready something else by this author (this was her first book). Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review - pub day is 3/26/24!

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. This really did not keep my attention. I tried and tried but ultimately I had to “did not finish” it.

Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix who finds herself in the middle of a police investigation when local radio personality Larry Lemmon dies in the middle of one of his ranting, chauvinistic radio broadcasts. Jolene has his last interview, but she keeps finding herself one step behind now that it is time to investigate his death.

She's dealing with all sorts of work pressure from rival reporters from other stations to big shot journalists coming in from all over the world who also want to find new information for their viewers. And with her own bosses looking for scoops and "sexy" items and with her local contacts unwilling to offer information, Jolene has to dig deep and take risks. She isn't willing to risk getting it wrong though. Not since she was already burned by a contact which cost her a job offer at a bigger station in a bigger market.

The story is filled with the pressures on modern news reporting from the insane presence of social media and bosses who want staff to do more with less. I enjoyed the story but didn't really care for the main character whose major focus seemed to be more about a possible Emmy and showing up her rivals than on getting the story right. I did sympathize with her distressed childhood and time in foster care and her fear of dogs after a childhood encounter with a vicious one.

I also liked Jolene's persistence in her quest to not only find the killer but get an exclusive interview with him. I also liked the look around Phoenix that was provided in the story.

This debut was entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I really liked the idea of this book but the middle part was just so boring. The end was at least good but you had to really push through the middle.

Off The Air by Christina Estes is an original, well-written page-turner that is full of action and propels the reader from start to finish.
The focus on the competitive and frustrating business of television news is original and entertaining, and Estes develops the storyline as one would imagine would happen in real-life news reporting.
The main character of Jolene is relatable as she struggles to maintain her journalistic integrity in an atmosphere in which it seems to matter less as her investigation continues, even to her superiors, who are more interested in likes than the protection of a source. Her frustration is palatable, making the lengths she will go to for a scoop understandable. The supporting characters round out the cut-throat world of news, and those who have worked in the industry, be it on air or in print, will feel a kinship for Jolene and her co-workers.
The mystery itself touches on topics that the reader can recognize from current events and issues. Estes also provides a treasure trove of well-researched facts on the Phoenix area and other topics that give the novel an added depth that serves to enhance the reader's experience.
This is an outstanding debut novel that will hopefully develop into a series.
I happily received an ARC of #OffTheAirBook from #NetGalley .

Off the Air by Christina Estes will be published March 26, 2024 by Minotaur Books. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

Off the Air is a novel about a young female television reporter trying to get the next big story under her belt. Unfortunately, Jolene ran an unverified story and lost her last position in Minnesota before ending up in Phoenix.

Embroiled in finding information on the sudden death of a television personality, Jolene finds herself walking a tight rope to make sure she doesn’t give up her sources, uses evidence based information and battling her bosses who want the story! Jolene is also faced with getting deliveries of threats and possible interviewees. Was the newscaster poisoned by his wife? Was it a disgruntled guest ? A coworker? Follow along as Jolene is determined to find out Larry’s possible murderer. Jolene’s tenacity for observation skills and critical thinking leads her to the killer. Suspenseful.

I found the nuances of the work of news reporters interesting. The competitiveness between reporters of different stations and the same station was news to me. All in all an enjoyable read.

Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, hoping for a chance at covering a big story.

When a death at a radio station is reported Jolene might get her chance. Journalists swarm the scene, vying for information. 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.

This is a different sort of mystery. It's from the viewpoint of a reporter digging for information and not an amateur sleuth. It's an interesting take, but it wasn't really for me.

It's clear a lot of research went into this. We get details, step by step, of what it's like behind the scenes when the media is covering a story. I would have preferred less of a play by play because the narrative was too slow for me. It was also hard to root for the main character because I found myself put off by things reporters do to get a story. Readers who are interested in journalism will enjoy this book.

This book is a perfect example of why I hate the news and media: reporters who will do anything to get a story and don't seem to care about the people involved in them, news stations that are all about the likes on social media, and all of them not being unbiased like they should be. It's a world where honest, unbiased reporting seems to be a thing of the past, and those involved will do anything to get the scoop.

With that said, this was pretty well-written. The author definitely knows her stuff about the journalism world, as she spent many years being a journalist herself. There's plenty of talk of what goes on behind the scenes to make newscasts, and how the world has shifted from the printed stories of old to the new era of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. The mystery itself is pretty basic - a controversial radio talk show host, Larry Lemmon, has gotten himself murdered, and all the news stations are competing to be the first to get exclusive stories with the people close to him. You can easily see how this story could happen in real life, as Larry was a conservative voice who enjoyed riling up the other side. The political angle isn't terrible, but we really need to get over the thinking of everyone on one side being the bad guys and everyone on the other side being the good guys. It's tearing us apart having such black and white thinking, especially since things are rarely that simple.

As far as the murder goes, do I think what Larry did was terrible? Yes. Do I think it warranted murder? No. I was expecting a much bigger reason for why the murderer did what they did, and was a little let down when I learned the actual reason, seeing as how it all felt so hyped up with Larry being such a controversial person. It just didn't live up to the expectations I had made for myself.

I think this will appeal to anyone with an interest or background in the journalism and news world, and those who like pretty straightforward mysteries. Just don't set your expectations too high.

I overall really enjoyed this novel! Great plot and pace throughout. I also enjoyed the characters and found myself gripped with the twists and turns. I found myself really drawn into the details of journalism but if you are not a fan of politics, you probably won’t enjoy this novel! Overall I would recommend!