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Dead Air
Dead Air: The Complete Season 1
Explore your true crime obsession in a whole new way with Serial Box’s latest multimedia innovation in storytelling from three of today’s hottest storytellers, Gwenda Bond, New York Times -bestselling author Rachel Caine, and New York Times -bestselling author Carrie Ryan.
"Fast-paced, captivating, and completely surprising, prepare to stay up way too late—you won’t be able to put this down." -Megan Miranda, New York Times -bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and The Perfect Stranger
Welcome to Dead Air, where M is for midnight, Mackenzie...and murder.
Mackenzie Walker wasn’t planning on using her college radio show to solve a decades-old murder, but when she receives an anonymous tip that the wrong man may have taken the fall, she can’t resist digging deeper.
It doesn’t take long for Mackenzie to discover gaps in the official story. Several potential witnesses conveniently disappeared soon after the murder. The victim, a glamorous heiress and founder of a Kentucky horse-racing dynasty, left behind plenty of enemies. And the cops don’t seem particularly interested in discussing any of it.
But when the threats begin, Mackenzie knows she’s onto something. Someone out there would prefer to keep old secrets buried and they seem willing to bury Mackenzie with them. Thankfully, she’s getting help from a very unexpected the victim’s son, Ryan. The closer she gets to him, however, the more important it is for Mackenzie to uncover the truth before he gets buried alongside her.
Read or listen to the ebook and audiobook of the serial novel Dead Air , and then check out Mackenzie’s podcast for a uniquely immersive experience. Does the truth lie in the serial, the podcast...or somewhere in-between?
"Fast-paced, captivating, and completely surprising, prepare to stay up way too late—you won’t be able to put this down." -Megan Miranda, New York Times -bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and The Perfect Stranger
Welcome to Dead Air, where M is for midnight, Mackenzie...and murder.
Mackenzie Walker wasn’t planning on using her college radio show to solve a decades-old murder, but when she receives an anonymous tip that the wrong man may have taken the fall, she can’t resist digging deeper.
It doesn’t take long for Mackenzie to discover gaps in the official story. Several potential witnesses conveniently disappeared soon after the murder. The victim, a glamorous heiress and founder of a Kentucky horse-racing dynasty, left behind plenty of enemies. And the cops don’t seem particularly interested in discussing any of it.
But when the threats begin, Mackenzie knows she’s onto something. Someone out there would prefer to keep old secrets buried and they seem willing to bury Mackenzie with them. Thankfully, she’s getting help from a very unexpected the victim’s son, Ryan. The closer she gets to him, however, the more important it is for Mackenzie to uncover the truth before he gets buried alongside her.
Read or listen to the ebook and audiobook of the serial novel Dead Air , and then check out Mackenzie’s podcast for a uniquely immersive experience. Does the truth lie in the serial, the podcast...or somewhere in-between?
457 pages, ebook
First published October 3, 2018
About the author
Gwenda Bond
53 books1,192 followersGwenda Bond is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the first official Stranger Things novel, Suspicious Minds, the Lois Lane YA series, and the romantic comedies Not Your Average Hot Guy, The Date from Hell, and Mr. & Mrs. Witch. She has a number of forthcoming projects, including a magical art heist book, The Frame-Up. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Publishers Weekly, Locus Magazine, Salon, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications.
She co-founded and chairs the nonprofit Lexington Writer’s Room, and lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe, and a veritable zoo of adorable doggos and queenly cats. Visit her online at www.gwendabond.com or join her newsletter at www.gwendabond.substack.com.
She co-founded and chairs the nonprofit Lexington Writer’s Room, and lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe, and a veritable zoo of adorable doggos and queenly cats. Visit her online at www.gwendabond.com or join her newsletter at www.gwendabond.substack.com.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 3, 2018
This was a really clever and compelling story, that had me always eager for the next episode. I think it would definitely appeal to fans of Serial or books like Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski. Recommended!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
July 11, 2018
Absolutely fantastic. One of the best reads this year and I’m so thrilled it won’t end with season 1. Fans of Serial and all true crime shows will love this.
I will read anything Gwenda Bond writes and it comes as no surprise that I am absolutely OBSESSED with her latest Serial alongside Carrie Ryan and Rachel Caine.
Dead Air is so much more than a “Serial” port. Serial Box fully takes advantage of their unique method to create not just a story but an experience for readers. Serials are already coupled with text + audio and Dead Air comes with the added bonus of the podcast featured in the story! Such a cool element. It’s like you’re immersed.
In Dead Air, we meet Macy, and her alter-ego Mackenzie. See, Macy is a quiet, non-imposing type while Mackenzie puts herself out there - literally on the air - to bring justice to Peg’s murder.
The internet has made amateur sleuthing a possibility for just about anyone. I mean, we just saw a decades old case get solved because someone’s distant relative uploaded their DNA online to find their ancestors. We also live in the age of Netflix true crime dramas, where the court of public opinion gets to try not only the defendant but the experts involved in the case. Dead Air is a perfect complement to the current landscape.
Gwenda, Rachel, and Carrie did such a fantastic job laying out the details of the crime that I actually googled to make sure it wasn’t a real case.
And, of course, this wouldn’t be a Gwenda Bond story if there wasn’t a romance that becomes complicated. I don’t want to say too much but I am totally shipping the couple in this story.
I can’t wait to listen to the matching podcasts (but wait - there’s more!) and return to the world of Dead Air…until season 2.
I will read anything Gwenda Bond writes and it comes as no surprise that I am absolutely OBSESSED with her latest Serial alongside Carrie Ryan and Rachel Caine.
Dead Air is so much more than a “Serial” port. Serial Box fully takes advantage of their unique method to create not just a story but an experience for readers. Serials are already coupled with text + audio and Dead Air comes with the added bonus of the podcast featured in the story! Such a cool element. It’s like you’re immersed.
In Dead Air, we meet Macy, and her alter-ego Mackenzie. See, Macy is a quiet, non-imposing type while Mackenzie puts herself out there - literally on the air - to bring justice to Peg’s murder.
The internet has made amateur sleuthing a possibility for just about anyone. I mean, we just saw a decades old case get solved because someone’s distant relative uploaded their DNA online to find their ancestors. We also live in the age of Netflix true crime dramas, where the court of public opinion gets to try not only the defendant but the experts involved in the case. Dead Air is a perfect complement to the current landscape.
Gwenda, Rachel, and Carrie did such a fantastic job laying out the details of the crime that I actually googled to make sure it wasn’t a real case.
And, of course, this wouldn’t be a Gwenda Bond story if there wasn’t a romance that becomes complicated. I don’t want to say too much but I am totally shipping the couple in this story.
I can’t wait to listen to the matching podcasts (but wait - there’s more!) and return to the world of Dead Air…until season 2.
September 25, 2019
Excellent character development, a solid mystery, and an interesting Serialesque podcast framework.
July 20, 2018
I really enjoyed this mystery, which I read for a work project. Set in the world of Kentucky horse racing, but told from a semi-outsider point of view, it manages to bring the girl sleuth into the present day with its podcast framework. I wrecked the serial format for myself by reading an ARC from cover to cover in 24 hours, but I forgive myself…and look forward to listening to it in its intended format when it comes out next week.
October 10, 2018
This was such an awesome format, especially for a murder mystery. Every episode ended on a cliffhanger and it was so neat reading bite-sized pieces of fiction every week. Don't get me wrong, there were some weeks I couldn't believe I had to wait until next Wednesday for more. But there's something fun about enjoying a little bit at a time.
And the podcast made things a little repetitive but the pros outweighed the cons. I liked that there was expanded content so it didn't feel like you were just hearing an audiobook version of each episode.
The mystery was fresh and thrilling. The characters truly felt alive and I was wholly invested in this investigation! Macy Walker felt like Veronica Mars reincarnated. I loved her voice and her determination.
I highly recommend Dead Air and I can't wait to see if there's more! GIMME SEASON 2!!
(You can listen to the podcast for free wherever you get your podcasts, I listen on iTunes. A new podcast came out every Tuesday after the episode release on Wednesday on SerialBox. SerialBox is an app and the serialized fiction comes at a price. But let's be real, it's no more expensive than an eBook or physical copy. I'm 90% sure you can read the first episode for free so check it out before you subscribe if you're unsure. I personally liked to read each episode then listen to the corresponding podcast once it released before reading the next episode. But feel free to listen to the entire podcast than read or just read or just listen to the podcast or do as I did! There's no wrong way. Enjoy! )
And the podcast made things a little repetitive but the pros outweighed the cons. I liked that there was expanded content so it didn't feel like you were just hearing an audiobook version of each episode.
The mystery was fresh and thrilling. The characters truly felt alive and I was wholly invested in this investigation! Macy Walker felt like Veronica Mars reincarnated. I loved her voice and her determination.
I highly recommend Dead Air and I can't wait to see if there's more! GIMME SEASON 2!!
(You can listen to the podcast for free wherever you get your podcasts, I listen on iTunes. A new podcast came out every Tuesday after the episode release on Wednesday on SerialBox. SerialBox is an app and the serialized fiction comes at a price. But let's be real, it's no more expensive than an eBook or physical copy. I'm 90% sure you can read the first episode for free so check it out before you subscribe if you're unsure. I personally liked to read each episode then listen to the corresponding podcast once it released before reading the next episode. But feel free to listen to the entire podcast than read or just read or just listen to the podcast or do as I did! There's no wrong way. Enjoy! )
July 9, 2020
Once again Serial Box productions created a fantastic story, riding that "dark horse" all the way to the winners circle! From choosing a great team of writers, to then adding Lynn Norris' awesome voice acting talent, Dead Air more than fulfilled my hopes! Lynn Norris jockeyed her way into being one of my favorite narrator's, and as a result, I found myself immediately absorbed by the story!
As a person who enjoys listening to podcasts this fictional podcaster Mackenzie, was someone that I felt a kinship to! Because of a mysterious, anonymous tip, Mackenzie opens her first podcast with a cold case, the murder of the heiress to a horse-racing dynasty. Mackenzie suggests that maybe justice hadn't been served when the case was originally tried, and that the wrong man was now behind bars! I loved the immediacy of the story: from Mackenzie's podcast, to Reddit fans posting their own ideas and theories, and they had plenty of questions too... driving Mackenzie to delve deeper into the rabbit's hole! Little did she know how personally this case would touch both her and her family... This is the story of the business of horseracing, of doping, and of secret societies and murder! In case you can't tell this is now one of my favorite mysteries that I've read/listened to this year! Dead Air should definitely find its way onto your short-list of must read/listen-to books!
As a person who enjoys listening to podcasts this fictional podcaster Mackenzie, was someone that I felt a kinship to! Because of a mysterious, anonymous tip, Mackenzie opens her first podcast with a cold case, the murder of the heiress to a horse-racing dynasty. Mackenzie suggests that maybe justice hadn't been served when the case was originally tried, and that the wrong man was now behind bars! I loved the immediacy of the story: from Mackenzie's podcast, to Reddit fans posting their own ideas and theories, and they had plenty of questions too... driving Mackenzie to delve deeper into the rabbit's hole! Little did she know how personally this case would touch both her and her family... This is the story of the business of horseracing, of doping, and of secret societies and murder! In case you can't tell this is now one of my favorite mysteries that I've read/listened to this year! Dead Air should definitely find its way onto your short-list of must read/listen-to books!
January 8, 2019
I’ve been up sick all night, so what better way to pass the time than to finish a book? 🤢🤢
I was hooked from the first page on this one!!! I’m a lover of true crime documentaries and the ID channel. If you saw my DVR, you would think my boyfriend and I are weird, lol. Who’s with me? I feel like people’s stories deserve to be told and the killer brought to justice. The entire process fascinates me, as do the minds of these devious people who commit unthinkable crimes.
This book is about a college senior who recently suffered a tragedy. She catches wind of a past crime in her community that didn’t make sense. She began to investigate (because of her need for justice, control and a budding journalism career). She reports her findings in a podcast that quickly goes viral. What follows is a race to find the persons responsible and their reasoning before unseen forces take her and/or her podcast down.
Excellent story and I loved the characters and the setting. I give this one a SOLID 5 stars and I hope it will be a series!!! 🤞🏻🤞🏻I heard it was going to be!
*Please Note* The authors of this book wanted it to feel real, therefore you can “experience” the story along with the fictional audience! All of the mentioned podcasts are actually available to listen to!!!
I was hooked from the first page on this one!!! I’m a lover of true crime documentaries and the ID channel. If you saw my DVR, you would think my boyfriend and I are weird, lol. Who’s with me? I feel like people’s stories deserve to be told and the killer brought to justice. The entire process fascinates me, as do the minds of these devious people who commit unthinkable crimes.
This book is about a college senior who recently suffered a tragedy. She catches wind of a past crime in her community that didn’t make sense. She began to investigate (because of her need for justice, control and a budding journalism career). She reports her findings in a podcast that quickly goes viral. What follows is a race to find the persons responsible and their reasoning before unseen forces take her and/or her podcast down.
Excellent story and I loved the characters and the setting. I give this one a SOLID 5 stars and I hope it will be a series!!! 🤞🏻🤞🏻I heard it was going to be!
*Please Note* The authors of this book wanted it to feel real, therefore you can “experience” the story along with the fictional audience! All of the mentioned podcasts are actually available to listen to!!!
November 30, 2019
M is for midnight, Mackenzie, and…murder. And I’m in love with Mackenzie Walker.
Serial Box is doing something different. Books that are written like tv-series. Ten episodes with a showrunner and a writing room, with different writers for each episode and the possibility to read them or listen to the enriched audiobook versions.
Dead Air is about Mackenzie and her podcast about solving a twenty year old murder, so choosing the audio version was a given. And it was glorious! The book is extremely well written and plotted, with great characters, red herrings and all the tropes that come with a good mystery. But it’s also a podcast (which can be listened to for free where ever podcasts are played), uses social media as people in real life would do and raises the personal stakes for Mackenzie when she finds out the truth. There’s even Homme Fatale!
Dead Air is fantastically written by Gwenda Bond, Rachel Caine and Carrie Ryan. But the highlight for me is Lynn Norris, Who narration is so amazing, it’s like she is Mackenzie Walker.
And now I want a season two!!!
Serial Box is doing something different. Books that are written like tv-series. Ten episodes with a showrunner and a writing room, with different writers for each episode and the possibility to read them or listen to the enriched audiobook versions.
Dead Air is about Mackenzie and her podcast about solving a twenty year old murder, so choosing the audio version was a given. And it was glorious! The book is extremely well written and plotted, with great characters, red herrings and all the tropes that come with a good mystery. But it’s also a podcast (which can be listened to for free where ever podcasts are played), uses social media as people in real life would do and raises the personal stakes for Mackenzie when she finds out the truth. There’s even Homme Fatale!
Dead Air is fantastically written by Gwenda Bond, Rachel Caine and Carrie Ryan. But the highlight for me is Lynn Norris, Who narration is so amazing, it’s like she is Mackenzie Walker.
And now I want a season two!!!
October 14, 2018
This was a fun piece of fiction. It's about a citizen detective who has her own true-crime podcast. She starts off by dissecting a decades old murder which, she soon suspects, wasn't actually solved decades ago. Some of the twists and turns are familiar, but the overall story has some surprises as well, and the entire journey was enjoyable.
More to the point, I like Mackenzie as a protagonist. She's a complex enough character that there were times I didn't like her as a person, but I always found her believable (even when she did rock stupid things). I also enjoyed the presentation, and the companion podcast (which is the one she is making while the story enfolds). It's a fun read.
More to the point, I like Mackenzie as a protagonist. She's a complex enough character that there were times I didn't like her as a person, but I always found her believable (even when she did rock stupid things). I also enjoyed the presentation, and the companion podcast (which is the one she is making while the story enfolds). It's a fun read.
July 10, 2021
I grew up on Nancy Drew, but it's been a long time since those books, and it's really not a genre I enjoy reading nowadays. I had loved The Morganville Vampire series, and since the passing of Rachel Caine, I thought I would try out her other books.
This story is pretty good. It flows really well, and was a pleasant read. There was one part of the story that didn't quite have a satisfying conclusion. Makes me wonder if they had planned a sequel to this, that never worked out.
Audiobook - The narrator is good, and I enjoyed the production. There were audio sounds, like a phone vibrating, or horses neighing in the background. None of them were overwhelming, and was a nice addition to the atmosphere.
This story is pretty good. It flows really well, and was a pleasant read. There was one part of the story that didn't quite have a satisfying conclusion. Makes me wonder if they had planned a sequel to this, that never worked out.
Audiobook - The narrator is good, and I enjoyed the production. There were audio sounds, like a phone vibrating, or horses neighing in the background. None of them were overwhelming, and was a nice addition to the atmosphere.
November 27, 2019
I liked this more for the inventive format than for the actual story, I think. Dead Air exists as a podcast, a sort of fictional version of Serial. Then Dead Air the book tells the story behind the scenes of that podcast.
It's interesting to compare what the host shares in the public podcast vs in her private thoughts. The split in format neatly gets around the problem of most fake-Serial audio dramas, which have to increasingly stretch suspension of disbelief for why the entire dramatic action ends up recorded and posted to a podcast feed.
I just wish the murder mystery itself was more compelling, I'd like to see more fiction in this format.
It's interesting to compare what the host shares in the public podcast vs in her private thoughts. The split in format neatly gets around the problem of most fake-Serial audio dramas, which have to increasingly stretch suspension of disbelief for why the entire dramatic action ends up recorded and posted to a podcast feed.
I just wish the murder mystery itself was more compelling, I'd like to see more fiction in this format.
October 11, 2018
Im Großen und Ganzen war ich ganz zufrieden mit der Geschichte um Mackenzie Walker und ihren Podcast Dead Air, auch wenn es in den letzten Folgen etwas zu absurd bzw. zu einfach war? Die Autorinnen wollten den Fall einfach glatt lösen und darum noch ne Schleife binden, was ich jetzt nicht gebraucht hätte. Ein paar Aktionen von Mackenzie waren auch fragwürdig und haben ihrem Alter nicht ganz entsprochen... Jede Woche die neue Folge plus Podcastepisode war aber eine tolle Erfahrung, und von Serialbox werde ich sicher noch mehr abonnieren!
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Bewertung: 3,55 / 5*
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Bewertung: 3,55 / 5*
December 8, 2018
If you love true crime, podcasts and consider yourself a murderino then this book is tailor made for you! Apparently it was released as ten separate episodes but my library had this version which contains the entire season. This is a format I hadn't tried before and I was a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed it, although having the whole series in one go was essential. It would have been excruciating to have had to wait for each episode because this was relentlessly suspenseful. It was a really entertaining story and I honestly loved everything about it. I'm hoping season two is on the way!
January 27, 2021
I kind of stumbled over this while looking up what Carrie Ryan has done, since I really enjoyed her YA zombie book series about 10 years ago. I decided to give this a shot since I love podcasts, and I like the idea of a podcast with a book behind it showing everything you don't hear in the podcast.
The narrator's southern accent kept me going the first few chapters, mostly because I just can't bring myself to care about horse things? And I may not love true crime. But as MacKenzie digs deeper and things like a secret society come out, I was hooked.
The narrator's southern accent kept me going the first few chapters, mostly because I just can't bring myself to care about horse things? And I may not love true crime. But as MacKenzie digs deeper and things like a secret society come out, I was hooked.
December 12, 2018
This is a fun, fast paced mystery with enough heart and twists to keep me engaged. The different authors blended well.
I love Kentucky and it was cool to have a Lexington setting. I groused about the Derby section feeling off (that “oh, I forgot about Derby on Derby Day, better get going late...from Lexington to Churchill Downs” was weak), but otherwise it worked out. And, really, it was minor and had no bearing on story so...*shrug*.
Good stuff!
I love Kentucky and it was cool to have a Lexington setting. I groused about the Derby section feeling off (that “oh, I forgot about Derby on Derby Day, better get going late...from Lexington to Churchill Downs” was weak), but otherwise it worked out. And, really, it was minor and had no bearing on story so...*shrug*.
Good stuff!
January 25, 2019
Dead Air is an online serial that is able to be read or listened to on serialbox.com. I read part of the first episode but ended up listening to the entire season as it was narrated by Lynn Norris. This mystery tale is well written and engaging but I would encourage you to listen to it as much of the story revolves around the main character's podcast and the interviews she conducts with various people for that podcast. Well worth the 10 plus hours I spent listening to it.
December 25, 2018
I really was into the story in the beginning but I lost someone my enthusiasm and need (to read) for the story. It started off great and had a lot of elements that I loved but by the end of the story I was a bit disappointed in how it went. There are some clichés and overall wasn’t surprising but I did enjoy it. I listened to the audio of this.
May 16, 2022
I seem to be in the minority, but I thought this book was terrible. I bought it through audible, and the audio book is awful. The twangy accent for the main character drove me nuts, mostly because I live in Kentucky and we don't talk like that! It made her sound stupid. The story was also far too slow to keep me interested.
February 13, 2023
This should be your next listen, trust me. For my first audiobook (if it counts as one), it's incredible. And free on Spotify! It's thrilling, fast paced, and has great twists. Seeing Mackenzie change throughout the book and learning about horse racing were a plus. The book builds up until an ending that I thought was perfect, but still leaves you wanting more (hoping for a season 2).
July 21, 2020
I enjoyed this series. The character development is great, and solving the mystery is not predictable. The voice acting is spot-on. If you enjoy mystery, I highly recommend this. There is also an accompanying podcast that is downloadable in the podcast app of your phone.
September 23, 2023
2 stars
Pretty predictable ending. It took a while to really get into the story. Almost DNF. I stuck with it because I needed a break from the series I was reading. Worth a listen but not my favorite personally.
Pretty predictable ending. It took a while to really get into the story. Almost DNF. I stuck with it because I needed a break from the series I was reading. Worth a listen but not my favorite personally.
August 15, 2019
Loved this! This was the 3rd series I’ve “picked up” from Serial Box, and it had me absolutely engaged start to finish. Fed my Murderino soul.
January 9, 2023
The audiobook is chefs kiss. Loved the story.
January 22, 2023
The production of the audiobook edition is outstanding. I wonder if there is a second season?
Read
October 10, 2018This was the first serial I've listened too, but I really enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews