Let’s get this out of the way – yes, my mother named me after Dolly Parton’s famous song. As for my last name? That comes from my father. Using that word feels strange considering I’ve never met him. To be clear, I’m not looking for sympathy. Long ago, I accepted not having parents in my life. It’s fine. Really.

Besides, families take up time and energy. I don’t have extra to give because I’m determined to break the biggest story of my career. Maybe you know the story? Larry Lemmon was not only the most popular radio talk show host in Phoenix, Arizona, but he was a regular on national TV, cable shows and podcasts. Larry called for a wall along the southern border years before Donald Trump did.

Larry’s death is big news not just in Phoenix, where I report for a local TV station, but nationally – even internationally. How often does a controversial host collapse and die during a live broadcast? Since I conducted Larry’s last interview just days before he died, my news managers were ecstatic. They had visions of higher ratings, more clicks, more revenue.

It’s my job to keep us ahead of the competition. But today I’m failing, thanks to helicopter journalism. That’s what local reporters call it when national media fly in, exploit the situation, and fly off to the next tragedy. The national news and entertainment outlets have arrived with bigger budgets and they’re getting better scoops.

Which is why I need to cut this short. I will not be beaten. Yes, my name is Jolene, but you can also call me Persistence.

Off the Air
Genre: Traditional Mystery
Release: March 2024
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

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.

Meet the author
Emmy award-winning reporter Christina Estes received the Tony Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery set in the Southwest. Off the Air is set in Phoenix where Christina has spent more than twenty years reporting for local TV and radio stations. She currently reports for the NPR member station and is working on a sequel to Off the Air. Connect with Christina at christinaestes.com.