Distant Sons

“I happened across a terrific novel…and want to commend it to you: Distant Sons, by Tim Johnston. It’s a crime novel far more literary than that description suggests, with a big heart and violence to match.”–Sam Sifton, New York Times Cooking Newsletter“Excellent. Every one of his books just get better and better.” -Tim Budd, buyer at Prairie Lights–Iowa Public Radio/ Talk of Iowa“Complex characters … distinguish this literary thriller about a Wisconsin town’s unsolved mystery and the outsider who uncovers buried truths.”–People“Quietly elevates the fragile codes of honorable men.”–Kirkus ReviewsNamed a Best Mystery Fiction of 2023 by Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

Named a Most Anticipated Book of Fall 2023 by Kirkus Reviews, Novel Suspects, The Rap Sheet, & Thoughts From A Page Podcast

“Tim’s writing – lovely, smart, dark – reminds me a bit of Peter Heller, Dennis Lehane, and Ivy Pochoda…”–Blood & Whiskey (Neal Thompson Substack)“Set in struggling blue-collar America, Johnston’s newest novel, Distant Sons, will strike a chord with fans of Peter Heller, Liz Moore and Cormac McCarthy.”–Columbus Dispatch“The secrets run deep in the eloquent crime novel… a moving tale of friendship, attraction and long-term loss, told with quiet grace and emotional precision.”–Washington Post”[An] exceptional whodunit… Johnston is a talented and intelligent writer… This Tim Johnston fellow, he’s the good stuff.“–Washington Independent Review of Books”[A] wonderfully told story. Johnston had me fully invested… He masterfully wove together two distinct timelines and two completely different stories into one seamless gem of a novel that I highly recommend.“–Novel Visits”[A] suspenseful route through the emotions and changes of sons and fathers… a revelation about the cost and sometimes benefit of being flawed humans who care about others and struggle to find a way forward. That’s easily twice as good as a simple crime novel.“–New York Journal of Books”[E]loquent and riveting… Johnston expertly crisscrosses these lives in a poignant novel that is both character-driven and action-packed.“–Shelf Awareness”[S]hocking, beautiful and captivating.“–SheReads“Johnston brings the same attention to his novels that he does to his carpentry… a patient focus on the little things that matter, whether he’s describing a chair in an interrogation room or plumbing the depths of a character’s heart.”–The Capital Times“Richly satisfying… Three-dimensional characters and a multilayered–though not overly complex–plot make this small-town saga sing. Johnston continues to impress.”–Publishers Weekly“Distant Sons is a mystery about a serial killer, yes, but it’s also not that at all: It’s a heartbreaking story about family, failure, and the fallout from violence. Tim Johnston has crafted a riveting novel that takes us into struggling blue collar America, and locates the hope hidden inside devastating loss. A beautiful book.” –Janelle Brown, bestselling author of Pretty Things“An exceptional novel.”–Library Journal“This book kept me up at night. Eerie, unsettling, and addictive.”–Ash Davidson, author of Damnation Spring“Tim Johnston returns in dazzling form with DISTANT SONS, an intricate, haunting novel sure to resonate with fans of Dennis Lehane, Peter Heller, and James Lee Burke. Johnston’s plot is tense and his pacing swift, but he’s after bigger game here, with questions of identity, intentions, and legacies merging in a tale that will linger long after it is finished. He’s also one of the finest prose stylists in the game, stacking polished sentences with a master’s touch. Don’t miss this one.” –Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of An Honest Man“Tim Johnston’s Distant Sons is the kind of novel that inspires writers like me to want to step up our game. His prose is both elegant and raw, with characters so real you want to sit down and have a beer with them. Mr. Johnston is a writer with a gift, and if you haven’t had the pleasure to read him, I highly recommend picking up this book.”–Allen Eskens, bestselling author of The Life We Bury and Forsaken Country“Tim Johnston has once again raised the bar for the literary thriller. Distant Sons is elegant and edgy, refined and complex. It excavates the truth from the darkest recesses of the past and shines a light towards the possibility of a redemptive future.”–Ivy Pochoda, author of These Women and Sing Her Down