Christina Estes' debut novel Off the Air uses her experience as a radio reporter and life in Phoenix in this cozy mystery. Newscaster Jolene is first on the scene when a controversial radio show host has been found dead under suspicious circumstances. As she was the last one to interview him, she takes it upon herself to find his murderer.
I enjoyed the setting of the Southwest as I enjoy that region and the qualities it gives a setting. I had trouble liking any of the characters and as a non-political person, didn't enjoy that portion. I do think the author would be worth giving another try in a different book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book thanks to Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

When local far right and quite controversial talk radio host Larry Lemon dies mid-shift, reporter Jolene Garcia is on the scene! Who killed him, and for why? And what does it have to do with a mysterious housesitter at her apartment complex that leaves her weird flowers and notes? (Spoilers: nothing.)

As a basic description, this sounded good! Christine Estes is a long time journalist and it shows. This is not a good thing. This means that this piece of fiction is written like news articles and there are, literally, over a dozen tangents of the author going off into background of specific events like:

"Recalling Jim's previous reference to Jonestown, I start googling--and questioning humanity. Before September 11, 2001 [reviewer's note: this is not the only time the full date including year is mentioned in this book in these background asides], it was considered the largest single loss of American life in a deliberate act. Jonestown refers to the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project organized by Jim Jones, a former preacher from Indianapolis who created a settlement in Guyana. In 1978, it was the scene of a mass murder-suicide. More than nine hundred people, including babies, drank or were forced to ingest a powdered drink laced with cyanide. The phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" was coined after Jonestown." [Further note: I went back and read the conversation; Jonestown was not mentioned prior. Nor was 'drinking the Kool-Aid.]

Estes does not trust her reader to either be familiar with things that are of general cultural relevance (9/11, how most people write the event, or just an offhanded internal monologue like, "sounds like Jonestown" as mystery readers PROBABLY at least know the basics??) and relies too heavily on her journalism background to include every nook and cranny of barely relevant information... this book is only 311 pages as per Kindle Cloud Reader. It would probably be novella length if these were cut out as they should have been.

Another thing that was barely noticeable is that I do not know what most characters look like -- EXCEPT the rival reporter that the main character is constantly thinking/talking disparagingly about because of the way she dresses/looks/talks, or the ex-wife who's gotten a lot of work done. These two characters command the VAST majority of physical descriptors. Meanwhile, there's a passage about how Garcia doesn't like describing women as black widows-- "I get that it's a reference to the female black widow, the most venomous spider in North America, but a common characteristics people attach to them are wrong. I know this because in fourth grade we had to present a report on a spider or an insect. I picked the black widow." Okay???????

There are TIDBITS that are interesting-- that Garcia was in a foster home but was eventually adopted by her now-deceased grandmother but it's barely touched on and could have, I don't know, made her more sympathetic to the homeless woman she meets earlier on (who is mentioned being seen again later-- because we can't have less obvious hints at the plot or anything!!) but instead she is judgmental and rude for no reason?? She also has a fear of dogs that is intense -- until For Plot Reasons she's okay and can deal.

And that 'mysterious stranger' I mentioned earlier on? A whole creepy side plot that fizzles into nothing like the weirdest failed attempt at a red herring and should have been cut entirely, like, what.

As a side note (another one??) even though I love when media is so familiar with and loving of their places of origin, again the descriptions of Phoenix were just OVER descriptive. I don't need to know the history of the light rail or the mall that Bill & Ted ("Released in 1989, the science-fiction comedy features several scenes shot in Phoenix, including historical figures being chased through the mall. Thirty-four years later, the city organized a final farewell and Harkins Theatres showed Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure one last time before the iconic mall was demolished.") which, by the way, was not a featured setting of the book-- it was a long and meandering aside from... a piece of concrete on a coworker's desk.

This was Not Good. It sounded like it could have been good! I am a natural optimist, I always want things to be good. Instead, I read this entire book and it was not good. If Ms Estes decides to publish fiction again, I would recommend a very good editor that has a thick red pen and reading a LOT of fiction in and outside her preferred genre to write a book like a novel-- not a newspaper article.

Thank you to St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for reaching out and providing the NetGalley widget..!

DNF at 51%

I was really excited about this one since I’m from Phoenix. I did like to be able to picture so much of where they were talking about. But it really began to feel like the whole point the author was seeing to make was about getting someone to experience Phoenix and it was just way too much of that and not enough about the actual story.

This was a fun quick read. I enjoyed Off the Air for its vibrant portrayal of the competitive world of journalism. Jolene Garcia, the TV reporter at the center of the mystery, adds a dynamic layer to the narrative with her drive and determination. The Phoenix setting gives the story a lively backdrop, and the tension surrounding the investigation keeps the reader engaged.

The plot is driven by Jolene’s quest to solve the murder of a controversial talk show host, which intertwines her professional ambitions with the unfolding drama. I found the competitive edge between journalists to be an intriguing element that elevated the stakes. Overall, it’s a compelling read with a strong, ambitious protagonist that keeps you invested in the outcome.

This book offers an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at news broadcasting, providing insights that even those who don't regularly watch the news will find fascinating. The twists and turns of the mystery plot kept me engaged, and the ending was pleasantly unpredictable. However, some side plot lines felt unnecessary, and the main character's motivations seemed inconsistent. Initially driven by a commitment to reporting the truth, she later becomes focused solely on getting the scoop. Additionally, her lack of communication with the police department felt unrealistic for a newscaster. Despite these flaws, the interactions with her fellow news agents were enjoyable, and I could see potential for this story to evolve into a series. Overall, it was an entertaining read with a compelling premise.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. The premise a crime fiction genre with crime reporting was intriguing. Although this book did deliver a murder of a prominent man in society named Larry, and the inside scoop (so to say) and his investigation of journalist crime reporting from Jolene’s perspective, it lagged in pacing and failed to hold my interest. There were many random and overdone true crime scenarios that I didn’t feel necessary to the overall story and kind of halted the narrative, I believe these were added because of the author’s own background with journalism?? Perhaps this book would be for someone looking for true crime with a bit of fiction more than fiction with true crime…

This was a very quick read. It was a great story but i didn't like the politics written in to the story.
The ending was meh and predictable.

Winner of the last Tony Hillerman Prize given to an unpublished author for a first mystery novel set in the Southwest, Estes produced a thoroughly satisfying cozy mystery. Like many first time authors, much of Estes novel mirrors her professional life. Like her protagonist, Jolene Garcia, Estes has been an on air reporter for KJZZ in Phoenix. Unlike Jolene who is a newbie to Phoenix, Estes covered the news for over 20 years. This serves the reader well, as one of the hallmarks of a cozy is a complete understanding of the setting. Knowing the terrain has also brought accuracy to her characters. They think and speak as citizens of the desert. Unfettered from the East Coast bias, Estes is able to offer an entertaining mystery involving a insiders view of television news in a local market. Estes writes with a light touch, allowing Jolene to have wry reflections. Jolene, old enough to be seasoned, not yet jaded is very willing to go head to head with her nemesis, a rival reported. The death of the leading talk show host in this market propels Jolene towards solving the mystery. Running with an initial advantage, she now must stay ahead, or sink more than her career. A welcome addition to mysteries from the southwest.

Full disclosure: I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. Yhe co tent was a little too dry and some of the scenes were more drug out and that made it hars to keep my attention. There was a bit more of a political undertone than I cared for as I was I looked for more of a comedic mystery. The idea was great but just wasn't for me with how it was executed.

A murder mystery with some education in journalism thrown in. The story centers around Jolene, a reporter for an Arizona news station who strives to keep up with some serious competition. She is a die hard journalist looking to finally make it in the news world and win an Emmy for best news story. So when a call comes in about the possible murder of a problematic radio host, Jolene knows this is the story she must break first. Only problem...trying to discover the truth and knowing who to trust.

This does center around Jolene figuring out the truth, but it's also about how she must persevere to get what she wants. Sometimes this alienates her and takes a toll on her relationships. And 80% of this book is educating the reader on journalism. So this isn't necessarily cozy or lighthearted. There was a very large political undertone and it felt a tad biased. I was a little thrown by this. The majority of the time Jolene is fighting to keep her reputation in tact and it definitely takes a certain type of person to be able to do her job.

I liked learning about journalism and news stations for the most part, and the murder mystery storyline was interesting, but the undertones and minor character development fell a bit flat. Basically everyone she talks to and interviews isn't a good person and there were a lot of them. I would say this is a good debut and Estes has potential to write some great books in the future.

Definitely check the trigger warnings and when you’re ready strap in for a classic cozy mystery. Super impressed this is a debut! This was a fun behind the scenes type of read so if you’ve ever wanted to know the tea about the newscasters that you watch on tv please give this one a go! Thanks to Dt. Martins Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

This book is absolutely not my jam. No reason to read about horrid, horrid characters in a boring book when you can turn on the TV and watch every single day. No thank youl.

Jolene Garcia is a reporter in Phoenix, trying to hustle to be first on the scene for any breaking news. She hits the scene at a building downtown that houses the radio station KFRK. She discovers one of the radio personalities has been murdered. Larry Lemmon was one of the first conservative talk show hosts. He called for shutting down the border before it was cool. Now, someone has shut him down for good. Jolene has a leg up on the other reporters at the scene; she was the last person to interview Lemmon before his murder. All the other reporters in Phoenix are on the hunt and Jolene has to act fast to keep her advantage. Written by an Emmy-award winning journalist, this book gives the reader a bird's eye view of life in the reporting business, which seem to be quite cutthroat.

EVERYONE'S DYING FOR A KILLER STORY.

Except I am still waiting for one. This was so boring, I expected so much more from a prize-winning book. I felt my eyes glaze over duing multiple parts of this story, and I just wanted more to happen.

The only thing I liked was Jolene's POV re: her job as an investigative journalist. I did not like her as a character, I thought she was a sheep and had little to no redeeming qualities by the end of the book. Kind of reminded me of a really bad take on the movie NIGHTWATCHER (which I highly recommend).

Thank you to Minotaur for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely not my cup of tea. I’m sure there’s a target audience for this (conservatives), but I’m not it.

It took me longer than usual to get into this book because the beginning was a bit slow and parts of it were filled with politics that were a little too current/close to home. I read to get away from that, so I didn't read fast, but the 2nd half picked up quite a bit with more of the story about "whodunit." Parts of this were interesting to learn about the life of a reporter, but I felt like the people who would enjoy this are people that live in that world.
I bumped up my rating slightly for the mystery part of this, but overall it was mostly average for me.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this advanced reading copy and NetGalley.
3.5 / 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book had a lot of potential and was an overall enjoyable read but it did seem a lot like a dry nonfiction book in places due to the number of facts that were thrown into the book.

The problem with this book is that it gave me no reason to care. Reading over 300 pages about a hateful conservative personality and his awful circle of friends and peers, was the worst.

The characters were flat and unexplored, the relationships and interactions were dull, the mystery was boring and unsympathetic — not to mention all crammed into the last 20% of the story — and the only real focus of the plot was on how a reporter gets a story.

I don’t watch American news anymore for a reason, the last thing I want is to read fiction about the same racist bigots who are going to be responsible for the downfall of American democracy. I could not have cared any less about anything that happened in this. I hope all the characters get hit by a Trump bus.

I was really excited to read this book but ultimately it fell short for me. It's a very, very slow burn and I found it difficult to get through. I also don't believe I'm the target audience for this book. There's a lot of journalism jargon and behind-the-scenes descriptions of what goes on with news reporters. It was written beautifully, but I'm not interested in that information and was excruciatingly bored. I had expected this book would focus more on the mystery/thriller rather than journalism, the history of Arizona, and political conversations. Alas, I was neither thrilled nor shrouded in mystery.

As always, thank you to NetGalley, Christina Estes, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed Off the Air. I love murder mysteries.

Off the Air could have been shorter. They were so scenes that simply felt like it was only to lengthen the book. The book would be been fine without them. I liked Jolene’s character but didn’t care for many of the other characters.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book and I plan to read more from Christina Estes.