Finally—a story written about local news by someone who has actually worked in local news! By default, I was already sold on this novel of local news-meets-murder mystery, but as the story continued and I kept laughing at every line that hit home, I was hooked.

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 but when working in a newsroom always wanting everything to be one-upped of the competition and being in every show while staying on top of digital & other duties, it can be tough. When a conservative radio host dies under suspicious circumstances, everyone wants the scoop. And in her own search for that exclusive interview, Jolene may be closer to the suspect than she realizes.

As a local tv reporter, I loved this story. In fact, I read much of the first half between my own live reports, constantly nudging the photojournalist I was working with to share tidbits I knew he’d appreciate. Christine Estes brought life to a field/career that often gets misrepresented in pop culture, but whether you’re a journalist or not, anyone could enjoy reading this. I do think the story could’ve done without the random history lessons sprinkled throughout that didn’t really add anything to the plot or background.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. OFF THE AIR comes out 3/26/24, so set your calendars!

This was a well-written and fast-paced drama that I could not put down. The author knows how to tell a story that immediately pulled you in and there was no chance of getting off this roller coaster ride. The mystery was nicely executed with a pool of suspects, and a few strategically placed twists that kept me both intrigued and in suspense as I tried to figure out who did what to whom. With visually descriptive narrative, I felt I was part of the action and was rooting Jolene on as each clue led to another and finally the one piece that led to the apprehension of the killer. Overall, this was an enjoyable whodunit and hope to read more works by this author.

Emmy Award-winning reporter Christina Estes tackles two subjects she knows in her mystery debut; TV journalism and Phoenix. Her Tony Hillerman Prize-winning debut is Off the Air.

Phoenix TV reporter Jolene Garcia is always trying to top her last story and beat the other networks for coverage, especially the one that features her competitor, Jessica “JJ” Jackson. Everyone turns up, though, when there is a report of a death at radio station KFRK. It’s the radio home of controversial talk show host, Larry Lemmon who started the original “Build the Wall” movement in southern Arizona, and opposes immigration. When Lemmon is identified as the deceased, Jolene’s TV station has a coup. She interviewed him just a week earlier, so Jolene has the last interview with the dead man.

One scoop does not make or keep a career in the competitive world of TV news, though. As she struggles to keep up with the competition, or ahead of the national reporters, Jolene has to juggle the station’s emphasis on social media, Tweeting and putting everything on Facebook or Instagram before the actual story. She has a hard time with that because she made a major mistake with a story in the past, and learned to get it right, not just first.

As she tries to uncover the truth about Larry Lemmon’s death, Jolene covers the entire Phoenix area. Threatening notes, and threats at work to remove her from the story, only make her push harder. But, she just might push herself into the attention of a killer.

Estes skillfully incorporates her knowledge of news coverage into her debut. Comparisons with Hank Phillippi Ryan’s Jane Ryland stories will certainly be appropriate. But, as the Hillerman Prize-winning author, she also incorporates Phoenix history and background into the atmospheric mystery. Hopefully, she can continue to juggle both atmosphere and news coverage in future books.

Jolene Garcia shines as an experienced, tenacious Phoenix television reporter who can't seem get a break covering a national news story in her hometown: the suspicious death of Larry Lemon, a loved and reviled conservative radio host. The cast of quirky characters quickly come to life, particularly Norma, the inquisitive neighbor (whom I can see Jolene partnering with in her next sleuthing adventure). Fans of local news will enjoy the behind-the-scenes narratives that reveal both the positive and cynical aspects of the news business. This page-turning cozy mystery is an exciting and fun read. I anxiously await the next book!

This was a great debut novel. I liked that the story used modern news items and people in the novel to make it truer to life. I did feel that Jolene could have been more proactive in getting her information instead of waiting for sources to give what's due. The novel did give the reader a glimpse on the backside of news reporting. Overall , interesting well written with lots of suspects.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance e-book of Off the Air by Christina Estes.

"Off the Air" by Christina Estes is a captivating debut novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey into the world of news reporting. One of the standout features of this book is its clever incorporation of modern news items and real-life personalities, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the story. Through this unique approach, Estes creates a narrative that feels grounded in reality, making the events of the novel even more enthralling.

While the concept is intriguing, some readers may find themselves wanting more from the protagonist, Jolene. Although she is at the center of the action and has access to valuable sources, there were instances where she appeared to passively wait for information to come to her, rather than actively pursuing leads. This aspect of her character could have been developed further to showcase her determination and resourcefulness.

That being said, "Off the Air" offers readers a fascinating glimpse into the often unseen aspects of news reporting. The book delves into the behind-the-scenes challenges and pressures faced by journalists as they navigate a world filled with hidden agendas, tangled relationships, and ethical dilemmas. Estes skillfully captures the fast-paced, high-stakes nature of the industry, keeping the reader hooked with its twists and turns.

The narrative of "Off the Air" is well-written, allowing the story to unfold seamlessly while maintaining a sense of tension and suspense. The wide range of suspects keeps readers guessing until the very end, as they piece together clues alongside Jolene in an effort to uncover the truth. The author's ability to craft an intricate mystery adds further depth and intrigue to the novel.

Overall, "Off the Air" is an interesting and engaging read, offering a fresh perspective on the world of news reporting. Christina Estes showcases her talent for storytelling, infusing the book with a realistic and immersive atmosphere. Although there are areas for improvement, especially in terms of character development, the book's unique concept and well-crafted narrative make it a compelling debut. Fans of suspenseful mysteries will find themselves turning pages late into the night, eager to uncover the secrets hidden within the pages of "Off the Air."

Any current journalist, former journalist, future journalist, desert dweller, dog lover, PIO, LEO or anyone with a nosy neighbor should read this novel. Christina Estes captures so perfectly what it's like to work in broadcast news and the quirks that make Phoenix such a unique media market. There's story tension not just in the "whodunit" of the murder but in the career-driven journalist versus her job, which is very relatable.

This one was just OK. A unique storyline, but the characters fell flat for me. I know I won't gel with every character I read, but I found myself rolling my eyes at the MC with her sense of entitlement and complaining. The pacing felt a little all over the place and I had a hard time staying into it. That being said, I think the plot revolved around really great ideas and would be willing to try something else from this author!

Whodunit featuring a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, investigating the murder of a controversial radio talk show host.

Off the Air is a story about Arizona reporter Jolene Garcia. Jolene and her crew get alerted to a death at a local spot and realize that controversial radio host Larry Lemmon is the deceased. Known for his conservative politics, Lemmon had no shortage of enemies and overzealous fans, it quickly becomes apparent that foul play was involved. Jolene realizes that she has a unique advantage in this investigation, since she was the last person to interview Larry Lemmon before his untimely demise. She is dead-set on using this opportunity to make a name for herself and recover from a previous reporting blunder.

I wanted to give myself a day or two to sit on this book before reviewing it. Overall, I think this book was just fine. I didn't notice any grammar errors and the dialogue felt very realistic. I just didn't have a great time reading this book. First, I really didn't vibe with the main character. She was whiny and entitled and constantly negative. She was mean to people and a bad friend. Her morals were all over the place - sticking like glue to journalistic rules but ignoring common human decency. In the first few chapters, I was hopeful that despite the little annoyances that I had with Jolene's character, that she would at least be a good reporter, since she seemed witty and motivated. However, despite her CONSTANT complaining that she was a better reporter than her rival and deserved this shot more than anyone - she did practically NOTHING to help herself. Her only journalistic endeavors was to go to her exclusive source, the head of the Special Investigations Unit, who would give her hints and leads, but say his info was off the record and she had to verify it elsewhere. Jolene would then sit and wait, or complain that she knew info but couldn't use it just yet. To me, it seemed like she deserved everyone who got the scoop before her, since she really didn't do anything to investigate, she just sat around waiting for people to give her permission to use confidential information. Lastly, she really annoyed me when she would complain about her bosses requiring her to use social media - like OF COURSE you need to use it, it's the 21st century.

Second, the pacing left a lot to be desired. The first 70% of this book consisted of Jolene getting beat out for the scoop and her complaining. Jolene didn't utilize the last interview she had with Larry effectively either - even thought that was supposed to be her big advantage. There were plenty of red-herrings, but I felt like cleaning up some of them (ahem, the creepy neighbor storyline) would've made the story more cohesive and make it seem like the perpetrator's reasoning was not coming out of left-field at the end.

Lastly, it was obvious that certain passages were included by the author solely because they are causes or issues that they wanted to bring attention to. While I think these issues are important to recognize and bring awareness to, they felt really disjointed and inorganic while reading. It would immediately take me out of the story and felt like I was reading a textbook. For example, there were 2 pages devoted to retelling the history of Native American schools, which ended up having ZERO relevancy to the actual story at hand. Like I said, it is important to acknowledge the history, but there's a time and a place, and also a word limit, that I think the author needs to recognize.

Overall, it wasn't a BAD book, but it could've been SO MUCH BETTER. I would give this author another try, or even this book again, if significant edits were made to help with the characterization of Jolene and the pacing of the story. But as is, I think it fell short of my expectations and I would only recommend this to something if I could warn them of a few things prior.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book!

This was a great debut with a lot of red herrings. Yes it was a whodunit story, but it was also so much more and delved into how newsroom stories are conducted. This didn’t add anything to the story for me, as when I first requested it, I just figured I would be reading a cozy mystery, but it was also done well so it didn’t bother me either. I’ll definitely be interested to see what happens in the next book.


Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

If you’re writing about a journalist, the writing better be good…and it is! The whole story was well written from relatable characters to a solid mystery that makes you want more, more more! Looking forward to more in this new series.

Another great mystery book. A fun whodunit which follows the journalism profession. A great storyline with lots of red herrings.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

What a great novel! As a former reporter and a current Public Information Officer, I can vouch that Christina Estes shares an accurate (while fictionalized) insider look at newsrooms, the news industry, reporters and everything that goes into 'getting the story.' I recognized many of the characters as types of people I've worked with - past and present - and a good number of the newsroom conversations depicted are ones I've heard myself.

References to national news of the day give readers a look at our country, consumers of media, celebs and reporters who wish they were celebs.

This book will be beloved by those in the industry as well as readers who love a good page turner. It's funny, thoughtful and a great read. I can't wait for the next book!