Off the Air by Christina Estes #bookreview #mystery

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Title: Off the Air

Author: Christina Estes

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: March 26, 2024

Page Count:  295

My rating: 2 1/2 stars

About the book:

Equal parts thought-provoking and entertaining, Off the Air introduces Jolene Garcia in Emmy Award–winning reporter Christina Estes’s Tony Hillerman Prize–winning debut.

Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, splitting her time between covering general assignments—anything from a monsoon storm to a newborn giraffe at the zoo—and special projects. Stories that take more time to research and produce. Stories that Jolene wants to tell.

When word gets out about a death at a radio station, Jolene and other journalists swarm the scene, intent on reporting the facts first. The body is soon identified as Larry Lemmon, a controversial talk show host, who died under suspicious circumstances. Jolene conducted his final interview, giving her and her station an advantage. But not for long.

As the story heats up, so does the competition. Jolene is determined to solve this murder. It’s an investigation that could make or break her career—if it doesn’t break her first.

Off the Air by Christina Estes is a debut mystery novel. This one may be considered by some as a cozy mystery but I really didn’t get that overall cozy vibe with the main character being a professional journalist and their job to chase down leads and crime.

Jolene Garcia is a television reporter working in Phoenix, Arizona where she covers all kinds of news and stories. Jolene is always looking for the next big break when she finds out there was a death at a local radio station. Jolene immediately dives into the story trying to find out just who died and if it was a possible murder.

Author Christina Estes is making her debut with doing exactly what she should with following the old advice write what you know. You see before taking the leap as an author Christina Estes has spent twenty years in journalism and that fact was obvious within the pages of Off the Air. Now as much as really knowing your stuff could be a good thing I found with Off the Air it fell a little on the it’s a bad thing side because I would often feel I was reading a how to in journalism. I wanted the characters and story to speak for themselves more than they did with the almost step by step instruction going on. Overall that said this one landed at two and a half stars for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

Christina Estes received the Tony Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery Set in the Southwest for Off the Air. Her novel featuring a Phoenix TV reporter investigating the murder of a controversial talk show host was inspired by Christina’s award-winning reporting career.

During 20-plus years in Phoenix, Christina has covered presidential campaigns, public policy, education and business. Her stories have ranged from the whimsical – like a fish visiting a dentist – to the weighty – such as witnessing a lethal injection. Having worked for several local TV stations, Christina now reports for the NPR member station in Phoenix.

Learn more about Christina at http://www.christinaestes.com