Off the Air is the debut mystery novel by real life reporter Christina Estes.
Written in first person, from the viewpoint of Jolene Garcia, a Phoenix reporter, we get a behind the scenes look at the cutthroat news industry, as she tries to solve a mystery, while drumming up new tidbits to satisfy the television station she works for.
While I enjoyed the story overall, I really wavered on whether or not I liked the main character, and I think I fell on the side of not. As I contemplated the reasons I didn’t care for her character, it made me wonder if the things I disliked about her character are also the things that make a good reporter.
Aside from not liking Jolene’s character, I found the story kept my interest for the most part. The only thing I found odd were the random bits of history about buildings and historical events that the author felt the need to explain, but which really had nothing to do with the story. I found they really distracted me from the story, and didn’t add anything valuable.
If you’re a mystery lover I would recommend giving Off the Air a try, I think it was a decent debut. I enjoyed the book enough that I will give the author another try in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and all thoughts are my own.
Off the Air will be available on March 26 2024
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