Off the Air: A gripping psychological thriller with a shocking twist

by Shelby Shaw

A psychological thriller featuring a broke rookie reporter, a small Kentucky TV station being torn down, and the beloved anchor who vanished from its parking lot thirty years ago — where the warmest person in the building is the one you should fear most.

She thought she was digitizing dead tape. She was digging up a murder.

I got the worst job in television. Six hours from anyone who knows me, buried in a basement, cataloging thirty years of a dying station's archive before they demolish the building. Nobody wanted the work. Nobody wanted me. Except Polly — the news director who pours my coffee, tells me I'm good at this, and is the only person in this town who makes me feel like I matter.

Then I found the tapes of Eden Mills. The morning anchor who left for work one pre-dawn morning and was pulled out of her own parking lot, never to be seen again.

Everyone knows the story. The creep who couldn't take no. The cold woman who inherited her chair. I chased them both, and I was wrong both times.

Because the whole town spent thirty years watching the loud, obvious danger. And nobody once turned around to look at the quiet, capable woman in the booth — the one nobody ever had a reason to doubt.

I feared the right man. I trusted the wrong woman. And I'm about to make Eden's exact mistake.

Click Read Now or Buy Now to step inside a dead-of-night newsroom where a thirty-year-old lie is finally about to air — and the person who's been kind to you all along is the one who's going to kill you for it. You will not guess who did it until it's far too late.

Featuring these

Overqualified heroine who saves herself with the skill everyone despisedDual-timeline structure that reframes everything on the final pageThe warm, trusted ally you'll never suspectA cold-case murder cracked by pure reasoningSmall-town secrets and a killer hiding in plain sight
Psychological Thriller
unreliable trust, dual timeline, cold-case murder, who-is-the-villain, hidden-in-plain-sight killer, feared-the-man-trusted-the-woman, workplace suspense, twist ending
slow-burn dread, mounting isolation, gut-punch reveal, analog-era cold-case tension
HEAT no on-page romance, pure suspense
Freida McFadden, Riley Sager, Ruth Ware, Shari Lapena
Standalone

185 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 11, 2026

Reviews

[Maja]

It was a nice enough mystery to keep me engaged for the roughly 200 pages of the book. Nothing that would stay with me forever, but as most of the times with Shelby Shaw, I did have a good time while reading. I was rooting for Kaelyn and let me just say, I know once again why I would never move to a small town somewhere in Kentucky.... 4 stars.

[Michelle Webb]

One of my favorite new authors is Shelby Shaw. Her books always have great twists and turns and keeps you page turning late into the night. I love trying to figure out what is happening only to find out I was totally wrong. I am constantly engaged with the storyline and the characters and feel exhausted in a good way when I finish a book by Shelby.

[Gabrielle]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed *Off the Air*! Shelby Shaw had me hooked because the whole time I was reading, I kept trying to figure everything out for myself. 😂 Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, something would happen that had me second-guessing my whole theory.

What I loved most was how easy it was for me to get into the story. I never felt bored or like I had to force myself through any part of it. I genuinely wanted to keep reading because I needed to know what was going to happen and how everything was going to come together.

I love a good mystery/thriller that actually keeps me guessing, and this one did exactly that. There were definitely some moments where I was like, “WAIT A MINUTE!!” 😂 I had such a good time reading it.

Shelby Shaw is quickly becoming an author I know I can pick up when I’m in the mood for a good mystery. *Off the Air* was definitely a win for me!

⭐️ **5/5 — I really enjoyed this one!**

[Mary]

This book started out strong with the prologue, lost me a little in the middle, but finished strong.

Kaelyn becomes a self appointed investigator of a missing news anchor from 30 years ago. Told in dual timelines from 2 POVs. Kaelyn pointed her finger at a couple different people until she settled on who was responsible. However, the reasoning behind the crime was surprising to me. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stefanie Verhelst]

A story that immediately grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go! The story is strong and athmosphere electric and suspenseful! Of course, this wouldn’t be a book from Sheby Shaw, if it didn’t have a surprising twist!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Billy Long]

I loved the book. It kept me entertained and guessing what was happening next and who was the villain