A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book had a very well thought out mystery and I really enjoyed that part of the story, but overall this book felt very repetitive and the pacing was off. I also did not like the main character which made it really had for me to stay interested in the story sometimes.

I didn’t realize this was a second in a series and so I was slightly lost at the beginning. Unfortunately it didn’t get any better. The characters were bland and the storyline had me bored

I had much higher hopes for this book after reading the first (as first series books are often rocky) but this book was even worse.
The main character has zero personality, and I put the book down 3 times before I was able to push through.

I will not be continuing with the series

The second book in the Jolene Garcia Mysteries series was as fun as the first one.

My favorite part is how authentically Arizona is captured. From the foods mentioned to the cultural diversity, and only a native would not need AC on an 80° day.

The mystery this time involved government contracts and bribery plus murder of course.

The main character is ambitious and slightly naive about how noble her career in journalism but the inside details of local news was interesting.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of this book to review.

This book was okay. I feel that the characters were flat and lacked any sort of arc. I enjoyed the premise of the book but felt that it was rushed and wasn't super well thought out. I wish there were more in the history of Jolene and who she was as a person. The twist at the end fell kind of flat and didn't really make sense. Overall 3.5 rounded to a 4.

I had a hard time getting into this book. I didn’t really connect with the main character, Jolene. The story felt too drawn out, and the pacing was slow in parts. I also found the writing style a bit choppy, which disrupted the flow for me. Overall, it just wasn’t a good fit for my reading taste.

The way Estes blends a reporter’s methodical investigation with the adrenaline of uncovering life-threatening secrets gives this book an edge that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s a fascinating exploration of media, power, and the cost of exposing uncomfortable truths. I definitely loved reading it.

I really wanted to like this book as I have been getting more into cozy mysteries lately, but I think a reporter investigator just isn't for me. I thought the author did a good job portraying the difficulty with the increasing demands that social media puts on reporters. I did find some of the stories they covered ridiculous, the cupcakes as case in point, but I don't really know a lot about local news as I am not a news watcher.

I can understand Jolene's frustration with doing "sexy" stories and her desire to do more investigative reporting, but I did wish that she would have just finished collecting the cupcakes so we could stop hearing about it. It seemed like such a simple thing that she could have just gotten out of the way.

At the end, the author writes "You shouldn't go into journalism for praise and awards --although verbal recognition and winning an Emmy are appreciated. Journalism is meant to shine a light on wrongdoing, share information about issues that impact the community, give voise to people who don't have political clout, economic power, or a celebrity platform." However, I did not get that altruism from Jolene based on her behavior and thoughts. It seemed like she was in it for the Emmys. I mean she kept mentioning the story that did earn her an Emmy and she kept talking to her Emmy and saying there might be another coming. Her behavior is why people don't care for reporters.

This book's pacing was off. It felt like the story was moving at a glacial speed. I was half way through and Jolene hadn't learned much more than she had at the beginning of the story. And it wasn't because of her investigative skills that she found out who the killer was, but rather through luck. Her suspicions were all over the place throughout the book and <spoiler>she didn't even suspect who the real perpetrator was. Also, it was never explained why the mayor's brother wasn't arrested.</spoiler>

I have read some cozy mysteries were a restaurant owner solves a murder, and you would expect some focus on food (even though I still think they talk about food too much), but in this book, I could see no reason why we were getting so many descriptions of food. It was a lot or I wouldn't have noticed it.

Overall, this book just wasn't for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read the second Jolene Garcia story early. This was a great read and I want more more more! I hope the series continues and we get to follow Jolene to NY!

The Story that wouldn't die was pretty so moving to me. I couldn't get into it as much as I wanted to. I think it may have just been Jolene. She seemed like a good reporter and all but she really was kind of selfish. I really did hate that they had Sexy as a nickname for a character. I understand it but after awhile it was just too annoying. I liked the murder mystery plot though.

The Story That Wouldn't Die by Christina Estes, releasing August 19, 2025, is the second book in the series, but unfortunately, it doesn't quite live up to the promise of its premise. While the idea of a determined reporter uncovering corruption could have been exciting, the execution left much to be desired. The story follows Jolene Garcia, a Phoenix TV reporter fresh off her first Emmy win. When a local small business owner dies in what seems to be a car accident, Jolene’s instincts tell her there’s more to the story. As she digs deeper, she uncovers potential corruption at city hall. While the plot sounds intriguing, it quickly becomes predictable, with few twists or revelations to keep readers hooked.
Jolene, despite her determination, feels a bit flat as a character. Her relentless pursuit of the truth doesn’t feel as compelling as it should, and the lack of emotional depth made it hard to fully connect with her. The mystery unfolds slowly and lacks the tension or urgency that makes a thriller gripping. Estes’ background as an Emmy Award-winning reporter does come through in some of the details, but it doesn’t elevate the story to the level I was hoping for. The narrative feels formulaic and, at times, too drawn out.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishing house for the chance to read this book in advance.

The Story That Wouldn’t Die by Christina Estes is the second book of her Jolene Garcia Mysteries series. It follows Jolene Garcia, a fictional local news reporter in Phoenix, Arizona. I have not read the first book of this series and this one is fine to dive right into as a standalone read.

This one caught my eye for two reasons. The first is that the author, Christina Estes, was a news reporter for 20 years and has now turned writer. It sounds like an amazing background to write a good reporter fiction series. And second, it’s set in Phoenix and I travel to Arizona often so I’m familiar with the setting.

Although the premise of the book sounded
intriguing to me and it is fun to have it set in a place I am familiar with, this one fell flat for me. I didn’t find it very suspenseful as the series of events is very obvious and predictable and the author is very leading with where the plot will go. I struggled to build any rapport with the main character. And the writing felt choppy and there are strange time jumps in the sequence of the actions of the characters.

Overall, I was pretty disappointed with this one and will likely not read any more books by this author.

Jolene Garcia is a newsroom reporter for a Phoenix station. Having recently won her first Emmy, she is seeking out her next big story; when several unexplained deaths occur among local businessmen, Jolene is determined, despite her station manager’s lightweight assignment, to dig for the truth. Despite a death threat, stonewalling by some of her past sources, and coworkers lack of support, Jolene doesn’t give up the hunt, uncovering unexpected suspects! The storyline was good and engaging; however, there were a few misspellings and editing errors throughout.

Having a reporter as the detective reminded me of Mary Higgins Clark. That being said, I didn’t find this main character very likable. She just kept pushing her job onto others! The book was also a little on the slow side.
Thank you to Minotaur Books for this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Jolene Garcia, reporter is hot on the trail of a new story sure to bring her another Emmy or so she hopes. Frustrated by her new managers who want her reporting on stories that are more quantity than quality, she is in search of a good news source. After speaking with a lawyer about Phoenix’s contract bidding process being unfairly awarded to one contractor. Then the person raising questions, Carlos Rios, a local businessman dies in a car crash, Jolene suspects there is more to his death. As she begins to dig, she is finding out more but who is behind the corruption and who is killing off people? Will Jolene uncover the truth before the person can kill not just the story but the reporter as well?

This is the second book I’ve read by the author, here are the things I like, her writing style, the unfolding of the corruption story and whose done it, the descriptions of how a news tv channel works, her characters. Here is what I don’t like – the main character Jolene, I understand in a very competitive rating-based world, it’s all about what you know, can verify and being first to report it. However, the way the character accosts people, people who are grieving, accusing people without any proof is outrageous behavior and even one of the characters gets infuriated by her behavior. I couldn’t like the character, she comes across as whiny, makes her intern do the work she is to be doing, can be arrogant, and only in the last few chapters did I see her humanity really come out. The story is well composed, the plot well devised, overall, an good read.

This is 4.5 for me😊

I really enjoyed this one. Jolene’s sharp, flawed, and fierce—just how I like my amateur sleuths. The newsroom drama felt real, the mystery kept me guessing, and the emotional undercurrent gave it heart. Estes knows her stuff, and it shows. “The truth is messy, but that doesn’t mean you stop digging.” I’ll be first in line for book three.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-copy. In this book, we have a reporter, Jolene, whose life work is reporting on stories that matter. When a case of potentially shady business is going on between the city and business owners, Jolene begins a cursory investigation that quickly ends up with a local business owner dying in a suspicious accident. Once she realizes she may have uncovered a complex web of corruption and murder, she’s determined to get to the bottom of it despite mysterious warnings to back off. I’m rating this book a 3 out of 5 stars. I didn’t love it but I also didn’t dislike it. I think following the perspective of a news reporter who cares about her community sounds super interesting. I always enjoy a mystery that goes deeper and deeper and it was entertaining to watch Jolene juggle reporting on the mundane and her annoying boss with tracking down leads. I would say this book is on the cozier side rather than the intense dark side. It’s a book where you know the heroine will save the day. Grappling the issue of gentrification and replacing homes with luxury apartments and condos was also another interesting focus considering its a real and serious issue. The book does still have many errors and typos. I did find myself a bit lost at times because political corruption is not usually my favorite in a mystery novel and so it was hard following along what was happening and how the dots were being connected. It also felt as if the author was introducing some things that were unnecessary and thrown in there on a whim. The part about her unknown mother was kind of half heartedly thrown in there and it doesn’t really go anywhere and is mostly mentioned near the very end. It felt like we were just tossing something random in, which then made the end of the book super unexpected and kind of anticlimactic. The book was good but the characters didn’t have much depth to where you could really connect with any of them, including Jolene.

I enjoyed this book and was able to connect with it without having read the first book. I thought Jolene was great and was fun to get to know. I believe the plot was well done and the characters written well. I recommend reading this book.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t enjoy this book. The story was all over the place with names, nicknames and jumping around making it hard to keep up with who was where and what was happening. The plot and characters just didn’t interest me and I found myself not caring. For me it was not a page turner.