Christina Estes Brings the Grit and Heart of Journalism to Her Vivid, Unforgettable Mysteries
PHOTO: Christina Estes, award-winning journalist and acclaimed mystery novelist, brings the vibrant complexity of Phoenix and its people to life in her books. Credit: Lauren Gilger
Award-Winning Reporter Turns Real-Life Experience Into Gripping Fiction
Christina Estes shares how her journalism career shaped her mystery novels, discusses her dynamic heroine Jolene Garcia, and reveals the real-world inspirations behind her award-winning, Phoenix-set stories.
Christina Estes is a storyteller of rare talent, weaving together the grit of journalism with the art of mystery writing in a way that feels both immediate and unforgettable. Her years as an award-winning reporter lend an authenticity and depth to her novels that is impossible to fake; you can feel the rush of deadlines, the tension of city politics, and the aching search for truth in every chapter.
In her mystery series featuring reporter Jolene Garcia, Estes brings to life a character who is tenacious, vulnerable, and fiercely committed to stories that matter. Her debut, Off the Air, winner of the Tony Hillerman Prize, dazzled readers with its sharp observations and vivid sense of place. Her latest, The Story That Wouldn’t Die, continues to showcase her rare ability to turn real-world complexity—development battles, media struggles, human displacement—into rich, compelling fiction.
Christina Estes doesn’t just write mysteries; she opens windows into the soul of a city, a newsroom, and a journalist’s heart. It was a true pleasure to sit down with her for this interview and explore the inspiration, heart, and hard-won wisdom behind her outstanding novels.
Christina Estes masterfully blends sharp storytelling with authentic emotion, creating compelling mysteries that honor both investigative journalism and unforgettable characters.
1- You’ve had an impressive journalism career. What parts of that experience found their way most directly into your mystery novels?
I draw on my experiences to take readers behind the scenes of local news and reveal the good, bad, and humorous aspects of deadlines, newsroom dynamics, and social media’s impact on journalism.
My debut, Off the Air, includes a personal experience. I was nominated for an Emmy for a feature story about a blowfish going to the dentist. I lost to a story about bubble wrap. In the book, it’s my main character Jolene’s loss. Some readers relate to Jolene’s disappointment, while others laugh.
In my new novel, The Story That Wouldn’t Die Real, real life conversations and conflicts inspired the story thread about developments and displacements. On a lighter note, the novel opens with an elevator incident that actually happened at City Hall. However, the mayor and all other characters are made up.
2- Your debut, Off the Air, dives into the cutthroat world of local TV reporting. How true-to-life is Jolene Garcia’s experience in the newsroom?
Jolene is sometimes her own worst enemy, putting extra pressure on herself, while alienating or frustrating those around her. Still, there is real pressure to do more with fewer resources as traditional media outlets face declining audiences and competition from social media.
Some of the characters are a bit over the top—like Jolene’s reporting nemesis—while others are a combination of people I actually worked with. Plus, some stories assigned to Jolene that she considers silly were actual stories assigned to me, like investigating nail salons and dry cleaners.
“I draw on my experiences to take readers behind the scenes of local news.” — Christina Estes
3- Jolene’s such a compelling lead—tenacious, sharp, and constantly pushing for stories that matter. How much of her character is drawn from your own life?
Like me, Jolene traded the green grass and four seasons in the Midwest for the Sonoran Desert in Phoenix. I immediately felt out of place when it came to geography, but also professionally because it seemed like all my news colleagues were much more polished and confident. I poured that into Jolene.
For her personal background, I relied on my experiences as a former foster parent. Jolene is hungry for recognition. By being the first to report exclusive information or break a story, she gets the acknowledgement she craves. Part of Jolene’s desire for recognition comes from her upbringing, which she doesn’t yet realize or chooses not to accept.
4- Winning the Tony Hillerman Prize is a big deal. What did that recognition mean to you, especially for your first mystery set in the Southwest?
What an honor!
Tony Hillerman’s novels are set on the Navajo Nation, which includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. His Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee series is often cited as the first regional mysteries to become national bestsellers.
Hillerman’s family created the prize to support unpublished authors writing about the Southwest and I am forever grateful.
“Jolene is sometimes her own worst enemy, putting extra pressure on herself.” — Christina Estes
5- In The Story That Wouldn’t Die, Jolene goes up against powerful interests to uncover the truth. What inspired that storyline, and what were you hoping to say with it?
For many years, my reporting beat focused on local government. I attended countless neighborhood and city meetings where passions and policies sometimes collided, especially in areas of development.
Phoenix has been among the fastest-growing cities in the United States for several years, and investors have cashed in. They can make a lot of money selling properties to developers who are also in the business of making money, which can lead to the displacement of long-time residents. When a city doesn’t have affordable and available housing for people of all income-levels, the community suffers.
6- Phoenix is practically a character in your books—it’s vivid, detailed, and complex. What makes it the perfect backdrop for your mysteries?
From a physical aspect, Phoenix offers urban and suburban settings, along with beautiful mountains and amazing sunsets.
From an emotional standpoint, Phoenix is my home—a place I never expected to stay past myinitial three-year contract in TV news. That was more than twenty years ago.
I’ve read many mysteries set in other big cities and want to read more based in Phoenix. I love coming across references or landmarks that relate to my hometown, which is why I include them—along with real Phoenix businesses.
7- There’s a clear tension in the novels between hard-hitting investigative journalism and click-driven media. How do you see that dynamic playing out in today’s newsrooms?
When it comes to local newsrooms, it can feel like a tug of war between legacy values and financial survival. On one side, you have stories that require time and energy in order to provide necessary context—for example, school board and city council meetings—not to mention investigative reports that can take months to produce. On the other side, is the financial reality that traditional media has been losing its audience for many years and so far, hasn’t been able to monetize their websites or social media platforms to make up for the loss. If they can’t increase revenue, they make cuts—eliminating positions and reducing reports that take time and resources.
In The Story That Wouldn’t Die, a character praises Jolene for covering a city council meeting and says something to the effect of, “I thought all you guys cared about was restaurant opening and closings.” I wrote that line because, in my experience, the most clicked stories on websites and social media often deal with restaurants. It’s important information about local businesses, which I also appreciate it. I just wish we had as much coverage—and interest—in city council, school boards, and other local matters that impact our daily lives more than most of us know. When no one is watching, asking questions, and publicly reporting, our community loses.
“When no one is watching, asking questions, and publicly reporting, our community loses.” — Christina Estes
8- You’ve covered everything from whimsical fish to executions. How has navigating such a wide range of stories influenced your voice and storytelling style in fiction?
Covering diverse issues and interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds has taught me to listen for what is not said and to dig beneath the surface, as my main character, Jolene does.
Broadcast reporting is written in a conversational tone, which appears on the pages of my books. The biggest challenge has been learning to craft a novel. As a reporter, I might have gotten thirty seconds or three minutes to tell a story. That’s very different from writing 300 pages.
