A review by theartsybookwitch
Off the Air by Christina Estes

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

"Attention is the drug of choice in local news."

A "cozy" mystery debut from Christina Estes. When Jolene Garcia, a journalist, gets wind of a high-profile radio host was found dead, she vies for the control of the narrative. Wants that exclusive found in media. 

I initially found myself interested because of the mystery, because of the media. But this just fell flat for me. While I am not a journalist, I felt a major disconnect to Jolene, and how she went about everything. To me, like a lot of others, this felt less like a pure mystery novel and more about the journalism, and the media side of a tragedy. The mystery fell more political and I feel like journalists should at least try to be neutral. Though I know it's never the case. 

With Jolene, I had a hard time relating to her. She took advantage of everyone around her, and her ignorance pushed things over the edge. 

As this is Estes's debut, I feel like she'll accomplish more in coming novels, and I can't wait to see where she goes from here. 

tws // provided by the author; references to abandonment, ageism, animal cruelty, child neglect, classism, homelessness, racism, sexism, sexual coercion, and substance abuse. 

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