This is part of a series however, I don't think a reader must read the first book to be able to understand what is happening. There is mentions of the first book throughout book number two. I wish I loved this more. It felt like there were too many side characters to not get them mixed up. The plot felt slow, I struggled to remain interested.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity and the ARC!

I enjoyed reading Christina Estes new book. She has great characters and a want to know what’s next story. Living in Arizona it was easy to relate to the places she used to create her story. I would recommend it to everyone.

This review is my opinion and my opinion only. This story was just ok for me.
Jolene is a reporter who is covering a murder, and she stumbles on a more convoluted story.
It wasn’t a bad story, but I had a hard time in keeping focused.
Just because it was just ok for me, you might really enjoy it. Give it a try

The Story That Wouldn't Die by Christina Estes was a deeply moving read that stuck with me. I was drawn in by the way Estes weaves history and personal stories with such care and insight. The book felt honest and powerful, making me reflect on the stories we tell and why they matter.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 3/5!

The Story That Wouldn’t Die is a cozy-ish mystery set to the backdrop of Phoenix, Arizona about a local TV reporter Jolene Garcia and her commitment to finding the story and reporting the facts. Jolene is a fiery FMC who is willing to put herself in very compromising situations to expose the corruption going on at the city council level. I loved Jolene’s unwillingness to conform to sensationalizing news stories, which is something I think we need more of in today’s society. What drew me to this book initially is that Christina Estes was a news reporter for nearly 20 years and is now a writer. However, the plot fell flat for me; it was essentially storytelling but with no real mystery or suspense to play around with because Estes guides the reader the direction the plot is going. Overall, the writing was okay, but loved the humor and self-talk Jolene brought to the table.

3.5⭐️ This was an entertaining and quick mystery.

This felt like your typical mystery involving greed, crime, and corruption. I liked Jolene’s attitude towards getting the facts and getting to the bottom of things, even if at times she felt a bit brash and tough. She felt flawed in a realistic way, and I appreciated that. The mystery plot was good, but it did feel like something I’ve read before. However, it was fast-paced (for the most part), and kept me engaged.

This was just ok for me, but I can see other people enjoying it.

I love the main character. She is fiesty and driven. Her interpersonal relationships at work are perhaps my favourite part of the book. Because she won't back down from a story, she often winds up with conflict not only outside work, but inside. Those moments also are what make this more of a cozy mystery than a thriller or a police procedural (reporter procedural?). It was nice to learn a bit more about Jolene's past as well.

A very enjoyable read.

Investigative Reporter Jolene Garcia has won an Emmy for her newspaper after investigating the murder of a radio announcer, but now her bosses want her to report on mundane news. She wants to report on her community and what matters most to them. When a beloved business owner is killed in an accident, Jolene believes it may have been deliberate. Especially since he had just lodged a complaint that another contractor continued to be awarded all the city contracts. Investigating corruption, blackmail and murder puts Jolene front and center even if she misses a few details. There are a lot of characters to try and keep straight, but I guess that was to show there can be a lot of news happening in one day. This is the second book with Jolene and each can be read as a standalone. Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press for the eARC. This review is my honest opinion and I especially liked the surprise at the end for Jolene.

Journalist Jolene Garcia is back, and once again she’s chasing a story that everyone else seems eager to bury—this time involving a local business owner’s suspicious death. Jolene’s tenacity and insider’s view of the newsroom bring a lot of authenticity to this fast-paced mystery, which blends investigative reporting with real danger. While I found the pacing a bit slower than the first book, the layers of corruption and twists kept me invested. Estes has a great handle on the rhythms of a reporter’s life, and I appreciated how Jolene’s backstory continues to evolve in compelling ways. This series is shaping up nicely, and I’m already looking forward to seeing what story Jolene refuses to let go of next.

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the
E-ARC! Really enjoyed! Fun characters & fast-paced. Also liked the twists. Will read more from this author.

This is an entertaining, well-written, fast paced mystery novel. It vividly describes the life of a reporter, and has a likable, intelligent female protagonist, newsroom drama, a touch of humor, an engaging mystery, suspense, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion. This is the second entry in Ms. Estes' Jolene Garcia Mysteries series, and it can be read as a stand alone. The references to Jolene's famous, previous news story have piqued my interest in reading the first novel in this series. I am looking forward to reading the next installment with great anticipation. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, Christina Estes, and NetGalley, who provided me with an advanced reader copy of this fantastic novel. This is my honest opinion.

Thanks Minotaur/St. Martin's Press for my #gited e-ARC. My thoughts are my own.

This was a unique read for me, in that it's been a while since I read a mystery/procedural from the perspective of an investigative journalist. I'd classify this one as an interesting "cozy" with insight into the process--following lots of leads, some pan out, some don't, but putting the pieces together into a cohesive whole story. I haven’t read the first book but that wasn't a problem plot-wise (and there were plenty of appropriate references that explained the important bits). This one had a good adoption rep and lots of heart.

A local small business owner has died in an automobile accident. However, Jolene Garcia believes there is a little more to the story than just a simple car accident.

Once again Jolene is a like a dog with a bone. She will not let go until she gets to the bottom of it, even if it puts her life in danger. She knows she is getting close to the truth when someone is trying to stop her by any means necessary.

Tenacity should be Jolene's middle name. I would assume this is a character trait that is necessary in the world of journalism.

This is the second book in the series. I did not like this one quite as much as the first book. The pacing was a little slower than the first book. However, the mystery is still very well written, and you can see the author's obvious knowledge of the world of reporting in the writing style, which makes the book more interesting.

Thank you to St. Martins' Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

2⭐️

I didn't realize this was a series until I had requested it/started reading it, so it's possible I'm missing some nuance, but I really didn't enjoy this one. It felt like so much focus was put on making Jolene a quirky, hard hitting journalist that the actual story suffered. There were so many nicknames used that it was hard to figure out who was who and the plot jumped around so much that I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be focusing on the crime from the previous book or the most recent murder.

Jolene's jealousy over another journalist in town getting the scoop on cases all the time seemed to fuel a majority of the book which lead to a lot of shady journalism. By the end of the book she just felt like another pushy journalist that care less about how the victims family felt compared to advancing her career.

Thanks Netgalley and Minotaur Books for providing this ARC to me!

Thank you NetGalley, publisher, and author for this ARC!! I really enjoyed this book a lot and cant wait to checkout more from this author!!

The Story That Wouldn't Die (Jolene Garcia Mysteries, Book 2) by Christina Estes was a book that wasn't for me.
Firstly, I didn't know this was the second book in the series and I felt like I missed a lot.
This is definitely not a standalone mystery.

I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read the first book for the back story.

The story was good, but the plot took some unexpected turns, not in a twisty way, more in a confusing way.

The book held my attention from start to finish. I absolutely loved the main character, Jolene—her hyper-focus on being the best at her job was both inspiring and compelling. I also appreciated the deeper glimpse into her past, which added meaningful layers to her story. As a local Arizonan, I especially enjoyed the references to familiar places throughout the book—it made the experience feel that much more personal and relatable.

“The Story That Wouldn't Die” (Jolene Garcia Mysteries, Book 2) by Christina Estes
Sorry to admit that this story was not a good fit for me. It just never captured my imagination to draw me into the story. I really did try, but I only made it a third of the way through when I broke down and skipped to the last chapter. Realized I needed to back up a bit and skipped back another couple of chapters. Then finished reading the story. I think it is a good story. It just was not a good fit for me. Happy Reading ! !

Thank you to @GetRedPR, @MinotaurBooks and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a solid read! The Story That Wouldn’t Die mixes investigative journalism with a twisty mystery, and it absolutely delivers on both fronts. Jolene Garcia is the kind of main character you want to root for. Smart, determined, and not afraid to go up against the people in power, even when the risks start piling up.

The book kicks off when a respected small business owner dies in what seems like a tragic car crash. But Jolene, a local TV reporter fresh off an Emmy win, isn’t buying the official story. Her instincts kick in, and she starts digging despite pushback from her station, and some seriously shady resistance behind the scenes. What she finds pulls her into a web of corruption, greed, and political maneuvering that feels all too real.

What I loved most was how grounded this book felt. You can tell the author has real journalism experience (which she has) there’s a lot of behind the scenes media detail that makes it feel authentic without bogging down the pace. It’s also a refreshing change to have a mystery centered around a local reporter instead of a detective or amateur sleuth.

The pacing was tight, the stakes kept rising, and there was just enough emotional depth in it to make me care about more than just the case. My only small critique is that a few plot points wrapped up a bit too cleanly, but overall, this was engaging, timely, and hard to put down.

If you like mysteries with strong female leads, media drama, and a touch of political intrigue, The Story That Wouldn’t Die is definitely the book for you!

4 Stars!

#TheStorythatWouldn'tDie, #ChristinaEstes, #NetGalley, #GetRedPR, #MysteryBooks, #JoleneGarcia

Phoenix, Arizona, television reporter has just won her first Emmy for reporting on the death of a local shock radio personality and is now feeling a little let down when she's assigned to check out cupcake bakeries to see if their products are really gluten-free.

Jolene would rather be investigating the home invasion death of a lobbyist deep in the city's bid process. She's been told by a competitor that the bid system is rigged. When the competitor dies in a suspicious car accident, she feels that she's on the right track, but her boss is still fixated on cupcakes.

Her investigation has her getting threats and nearly being killed in a hit-and-run and there isn't a cupcake in sight.

I liked Jolene's determination to find the answers both for seeing that the truth comes out and for her own career advancement. She is definitely single-minded and sometimes insensitive because of it. I liked that as readers we're finding out more about the past she's downplayed or concealed.

This was an engaging contemporary mystery with intriguing characters.