Off the Air is a great mystery even if you don’t like the main character.
Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona. She works on a variety of stories, from fluff pieces to investigative reporting. When a local controversial radio host Larry Lemmon dies at his studio, all the media descends. Jolene finds out there are mysterious circumstances and is dead set on getting a scoop. When she becomes personally involved in the case, her life becomes on the line.
I’m going to be honest. I didn’t like the main character. She wasn’t much better than the other journalist she claimed to be separate from. While she tried to be objective in her reports, she didn’t care about messing up a police investigation. She thinks her career is more important than catching a killer. The book mentions the media and police working together but that’s not featured here and does not endure me to journalists. (Also, I have some bias because at the time I was reading the book and writing the review, Kate Middleton had to admit to having cancer because “journalists” wouldn’t leave her alone.)
The story is saved by Christina Estes writing. Her writing is what I would expect of a journalist: to the point without excessive, flowering wording. The novel is fast-paced, and the chapters aren’t bloated. This keeps the reader in the moment and on edge wanting to know whodunit.
Estes includes some journalistic tidbits in Off the Air showing the main character’s adeptness at her job even if you don’t like her. Overall, this is a fast-moving mystery that I enjoyed.
Publication Date: March 26
I received an ARC for review; all opinions are my own.
Stars in Her Eye 