Off the Air

Jolene Garcia is a news reporter for a station in Phoenix, Arizona. Competition in the local market is fierce and Jolene is under constant pressure from the station management to be the first one on the scene with the inside story and best headlines. When a local radio personality with very controversial and divisive opinions drops dead at his station, it is bound to be the story of the year, but Jolene is beaten to the first scoop by her competition. This makes Jolene determined to be the reporter who cracks this case. But she is embarking on a fraught venture - upsetting suspects, alienating her favourite cameraman, angering her connection on the police force and perhaps even endangering her own safety.

The author of this novel is actually a reporter, which gives the dialogue and narrative an authentic voice. The author knows her subject matter and this definitely comes across. The pace is quick and there is constant action as Jolene launches herself from one scrape to another. The complex battle of left versus right ideologies is on full display and it rings true for this novel set in the Trump era in a state right on the border with Mexico. This is a solid effort for a debut novel, although one aspect that could be improved is character development. Jolene has potential to be developed into a much richer character and it would be nice to learn more about her background and relationships in future novels.