This story was written as part of the WTOP Book Report series written by Terik King. Read more of that coverage.
Award-winning journalist Christina Estes steps into the realm of fiction with her debut mystery novel, “Off the Air” (Minotaur Books), introducing readers to the tenacious Phoenix, Arizona-based TV reporter Jolene Garcia.
Garcia finds herself at the center of a media frenzy following the suspicious death of Larry Lemmon, a controversial talk show host at a local radio station. Having conducted Lemmon’s final interview, Garcia and her station initially possess a competitive edge.
However, the arrival of an onslaught of national media outlets escalates the stakes, plunging Garcia into a cutthroat investigation that could define her career, or perhaps, threaten her life.
“It’s been 15 years (since) I said, ‘I’m gonna write a book,’” Estes said in an interview with the WTOP Book Report, providing insight into the book’s genesis.
“I just wanted to give people a look behind local news and what goes on. There are newsroom politics. There are wonderful newsroom relationships. There’s a bond, sort of a special bond, that you create working in a newsroom. Sometimes it’s great. Sometimes it’s not. And the pressure of all of the social media and the business reality of the constant corporate cutbacks … I put it in Jolene.”
Estes explained that she chose to ground the feisty, driven Garcia’s character in aspects of her personal experience as well: highlighting her Midwestern roots and her experiences as a former foster parent (making Garcia a former foster youth), creating parallels between Garcia’s journey and her own.
“I made her feel like a fish out of water because I felt like a major fish out of water when I moved to Phoenix,” Estes shared, reflecting on her personal connection to Garcia’s back story.
The character’s disadvantaged upbringing adds an extra dimension to her motivation, Estes said, because “she also is seeking recognition and attention that she didn’t get growing up. And that really leads her to sometimes behave in ways that maybe some people don’t like that can come across as abrasive or a little ‘too much.’ She doesn’t know when to stop, because … she is seeking recognition, often through her reporting, when she’s really looking for it with her family.”
This drives the character of Jolene to assume extraordinary risks in the name of finding Lemmon’s killer. Would the journalist Estes have acted in the same way? “29-year-old me might have,” Estes said, “Today? No. You mellow with age.”
“Off The Air” reads as a tribute to Phoenix itself, as Jolene’s quest for answers unfolds against a vivid backdrop of the people, places and the essence of what makes Phoenix unique. “I was able to actually put in a couple of my real-life references here in Phoenix,” said Estes, “and made them sort of Jolene’s experiences in the book.”
One such anecdote: a memorable Emmy nomination for a lighthearted feature about a fish visiting the dentist in Arizona. Estes (and Jolene) lost to another story — about bubble wrap. “I tracked down the guy that won,” Estes said, “I said, ‘I want to give you a belated yet sincere congratulations.’ And I sent him a book.”
Asked about the challenge of balancing her demanding day job with her literary aspirations. “I would say I did not juggle it very well,” Estes laughed, referring to “Off The Air”’s 15-year gestation.
That said, another Jolene Garcia novel is in the works, and Estes said the next one will arrive much sooner. “It’s been my dream to have a mystery series set in Phoenix. So yes … Jolene is working on yet another suspicious death. She’s convinced it’s suspicious. She’s trying to find out if that’s really the case.”
For those intrigued by the enigmatic world of local news and the relentless pursuit of truth, “Off the Air” beckons as a riveting read, offering a compelling blend of mystery, intrigue and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of journalism.
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