This is a smart, original story featuring a murder mystery that unfolds as a reporter attempts to excel, or at the very least tread water, in her field.

The death of a controversial local radio talk show host with strong opinions leads to a feeding frenzy for TV reporters and multimedia journalists as they all scramble to get the next exclusive interview or break the latest news in the matter. It’s a cut-throat profession, apparently!

The writing was fine and I would definitely read more by this author, BUT dragging my rating of this book down a bit is the fact the feelings it mostly engendered in me were those of frustration and disgust. It turns out I’m not a fan of reporters—the characters in this book were just awful! They were no better than vultures, hounding the bereaved at funerals, absolutely refusing to accept any answer of no to their requests for interviews or sound bites of information, pestering law enforcement to reveal details about an active ongoing investigation. This is a serious problem—had media not leaked the identities of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, after all, then Sean Collier would still be alive.

I had hopes that the main character would learn how atrocious this behavior is and grow as a person, but instead she winds up rewarded for it and yearns to do it all again. There were also a couple of subplots whose necessity I didn’t understand. Maybe they were meant to throw you off the trail in the investigation?

This is not a bad book by any means, but my personal reaction to the way multimedia journalism is apparently conducted these days made it not quite a perfect fit for me.

This was a book about a reporter on the case of an opinionated radio host. I felt like it was a good look at the daily life of a reporter in a pressurized field, but it didn’t really resonate with me.

3.25. Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this early copy! Off the Air follows MC and narrator Jolene Garcia, a news reporter who cannot seem to catch a break, as she works to report on the murder of an ultra-conservative and right leaning podcast host. Noting that the narration tone leans more to the left. There are so many barriers to Jolene doing her job, including other reporters, inability to legally get information quick enough, and simply getting in her own way and making questionable choices. I enjoyed the progression of figuring out what happened and who ultimately did it. I did struggle with the writing. There were tons of unnecessary sentences and paragraphs sprinkled through. Characters were introduced way too rapidly and there are some that I failed to ever really understand their role all the way to the end. I struggled to connect with Jolene and felt like she could have been developed a lot better. It was a fun read overall, but could use some editing. Content warnings include animal abuse, views on immigration, and views on guns.

This book had a lot of promise! I read a snippet of it in a book sampler and was drawn in. But … once I got a few chapters in, it went a bit downhill for me. It got very slow, the main character acted pretty annoying and dumb (I hate when authors do this to female characters!). It seemed quite obvious who the killer ended up being … so, there wasn’t much thrill here, unfortunately.

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

Thank you to Minotaur Press for my arc!

I freaking loved this. I'm a huge fan of whodunits and i couldn't put this down. I loved Jolene and how she stopped at nothing to find the killer. the story was a perfect mystery and I can't wait to read more by this author.

OFF THE AIR follows a local news crew in Phoenix, following the investigation into the death of a well-known Conservative radio talk show host. Reporter Jolene Garcia is always in search of that next great story and this book really captured the pressure reporters are under to get an exclusive, be first to report new information, stay true to their journalist principles and keep station chiefs happy. And with Jolene's own search for that exclusive interview, she may be closer to the suspect than she realizes. The suspects are limitless and the red herrings are abundant (which I love), since Larry angered a lot of people with his obnoxious personality and very vocal conservative “pro border wall” and anti-immigration stances. While seeking interviews from reluctant witnesses and suspects, Jolene has to remind herself of her own humanity while she uses whatever opportunity she can get to corner defensive interviewees. It was a fun and new innovative take on the murder mystery genre and the plot was fast and tense. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and Sara Beth Haring at St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jolene Garcia is a news reporter for a station in Phoenix, Arizona. Competition in the local market is fierce and Jolene is under constant pressure from the station management to be the first one on the scene with the inside story and best headlines. When a local radio personality with very controversial and divisive opinions drops dead at his station, it is bound to be the story of the year, but Jolene is beaten to the first scoop by her competition. This makes Jolene determined to be the reporter who cracks this case. But she is embarking on a fraught venture - upsetting suspects, alienating her favourite cameraman, angering her connection on the police force and perhaps even endangering her own safety.

The author of this novel is actually a reporter, which gives the dialogue and narrative an authentic voice. The author knows her subject matter and this definitely comes across. The pace is quick and there is constant action as Jolene launches herself from one scrape to another. The complex battle of left versus right ideologies is on full display and it rings true for this novel set in the Trump era in a state right on the border with Mexico. This is a solid effort for a debut novel, although one aspect that could be improved is character development. Jolene has potential to be developed into a much richer character and it would be nice to learn more about her background and relationships in future novels.

I had high hopes for Off the Air, but unfortunately, I was disappointed. The synopsis says it's a mystery/thriller, but the plot gets bogged down with details about local news reporting, politics, Arizona history. These things made it really hard to get into. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

A TV reporter who usually has mediocre stories finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.

I loved this my husband was kind of a reporter so it was fun reading about it. The murder was a fun plot point to bring all the reporters in and to report on everything. I liked that it was almost like a treasure hunt for clues

An entertaining read that takes you behind the scenes of an investigative reporter’s big case. I loved how fast paced and action packed the story was and was glued to the pages. This was unlike any book I’ve read recently with its unique story line and thought provoking characters. I’m excited to read more from the author’s future works.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the advanced e copy in exchange for my honest review.

Off the Air is a whole lot of fun! Christina Estes takes us behind the curtain of local TV news with this engaging read. The dog-eat-dog world of television journalism is portrayed in living color as rival reporters race to report breaking news about the death of a controversial radio personality. The war over soundbites and click bait headlines leads to some questionable behaviors, but the mystery is well conceived. The fact there is no shortage of suspects keeps you glued to the page. It's a fast and entertaining read. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion. #OffTheAirBook #NetGalley.

I was invited to review this debut by St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books. This book is a little different than my usual genres, but it was good. It's a bit on the lighter side, but had me guessing who did it up until it was revealed. I would recommend this to anyone who likes lighter, funny, mystery books.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Reporter Jolene Garcia covers both general and special assignments for the local television station in Phoenix, Arizona. The latter is the result of her success with a report on the dangers faced by Phoenix park rangers; now she is investigating scofflaws who use out-of-state addresses to register their automobiles [and avoid the state’s high registration fees].

Jolene’s lunch with cameraman Nate Thompson is interrupted by a message that someone has been murdered at the radio station. It turns out that Jolene had recently interviewed the victim, controversial talk show host Larry Lemmon.

Who murdered Larry? Or could it be that he wasn’t murdered at all? Can Jolene find the answers?

=========

Filled with interesting details and insider information about broadcasting, this book draws readers into the telling of the tale as Jolene sets out to solve the murder. Although Jolene is often insufferable, her doggedness is commendable; nevertheless, some of her actions make her less than likable to readers.

The back-stabbing and story-stealing that went on in the mostly cutthroat newsroom was disconcerting and difficult to read. In addition, readers who do not spend their days glued to social media or who find politically charged agendas out of place in a mystery story may feel rather frustrated. However, the focus on media does explain how the media can create difficulties as it involves itself in a story.

Anchored by a strong sense of place, the unfolding story twists and turns and keeps readers guessing right up to the surprising denouement.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#OffTheAirBook #NetGalley

This was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the backdrop of the reporting atmosphere. The book is pretty fast-paced as we follow Jolene who is bent on reporting on the death of a talk show host, and in the process uncovering the real story. I loved meeting all of the secondary characters in this book that were introduced to us through Jolene's investigation. A quick read, but super exciting - and I was kept wondering who the culprit was until the end of the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book was intriguing, but for me the story fell flat. It was paving overall character development and plot in my opinion. We knew the main character was in foster care, but then nothing was done with that. The main character was not likeable at all and I feel like maybe some back story would have helped. Instead we had a lot of pointless fluff and politics which to me is one of the worst things in a fiction book. Overall I struggled to get through this one and found myself skimming a lot. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

The beginning did seem to drag a bit but once into the story it got more interesting. I love the details in the setting and info about broadcasting. I feel like I learned a lot while not being bored death.

I was pleasantly surprised with this story – it’s not my usual type of thriller/mystery combo but I enjoyed it. It takes place in Phoenix, Arizona where a local celebrity of sorts, radio host Larry Lemmon, has been found dead. All the media outlets clamor to be first on the scene and to get exclusive interviews. Not just initially, but for every new update on the case. Jolene is the underdog reporter and the narrator of the story who you want to root for, but don’t necessarily agree with all the time. Especially when you are used to reading mysteries and thrillers where the reports are always annoying minor characters interfering with the work of the police and the lives of the victims and suspects. And the excuse of just trying to do their job doesn’t warrant any sympathy, as any journalist knows what they are getting themselves into with the job they have.

But if you can sympathize with reporters, then you’ll understand how Jolene feels when she’s constantly beaten to the exclusives and showered with the attention the more glamorous reporters receive. Especially when they’re just a pretty face and Jolene asks the tough questions and doesn’t give up. The story gives a good inside look at how much work goes into every newscast and how many different producers and executives the reporters must answer to. Especially when they are laser-focused on things like social media and not so much on truthful stories with integrity. I’m sure so many people can relate to issues with management like that.

I enjoyed the book; it was something different but still had that key mystery at heart. And I loved the reveal of the perpetrator and how the crime was committed – classic!

An excellent debut by a seasoned reporter!

Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter located in Phoenix, Arizona. Like all the locals, she is hungry and tenacious as she covers the nice news and the breaking stories hoping to get her foot in the door and move up. Jolene seems to have gotten her break when the shock jock personality dies not soon after an interview he granted with her. Larry Lemmon is controversial and charismatic and his fans are grieving and outraged.

Jolene juggles the absurd requests of her supervisor while she follows the threads of the story - was Larry murdered? Follow Jolene as she pursues leads both personal and professional to get to the truth!
#StmartinsPress #Minotaur #ChristinaEstes #offtheair

I think this is the type of book that will really resonate with certain audiences but also not quite hit home with others. I was in the camp of not quite hitting home for me. It was hard for me to fully immerse myself in this book because I am not constantly on social media. I feel like that is a big theme throughout this story- and one that definitely mirrors how most of us live! The need to post information and be the first to break the news didn’t create the suspense for me as much as it would for others. Saying that, I was engaged throughout this book and I was definitely surprised by the ending. (Also very happy no animals were harmed!)
For those that are very proficient and very attached to social media, this is a very intriguing book! Definitely recommend!