By clicking “Accept,” you agree to the use of cookies and similar technologies on your device as set forth in our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy. Please note that certain cookies are essential for this website to function properly and do not require user consent to be deployed.

Descent

A Novel

Contributors

By Tim Johnston

Formats and Prices

Price

$18.99

Price

$24.99 CAD

Format

Format:

  1. Trade Paperback $18.99 $24.99 CAD
  2. ebook $1.99 $1.99 CAD

“Read this astonishing novel . . . The magic of his prose equals the horror of Johnston’s story.” —The Washington Post

​Don’t miss DISTANT SONS, the new literary thriller from Tim Johnston, available now.

The Rocky Mountains have cast their spell over the Courtlands, who are taking a family vacation before their daughter leaves for college. But when Caitlin and her younger brother, Sean, go out for an early morning run and only Sean returns, the mountains become as terrifying as they are majestic.

Written with a precision that captures every emotion, every moment of fear, as each member of the family searches for answers, Descent races like an avalanche toward its heart-pounding conclusion. 

“A compelling thriller that is both creepy and literary . . . Descent is not just a mystery. It is an emotional story of evil, fear, acceptance and irony.”—The Denver Post

“What makes the novel unforgettable is its sense of character, its deliberate, unadorned prose and Johnston’s unflinching exploration of human endurance, physical and psychological.” —Miami Herald

“A super-charged, addictive read.” —The Missourian               

“An original and psychologically deep thriller.” —Outside magazine

“Outstanding . . . The days when you had to choose between a great story and a great piece of writing? Gone.” —Esquire

“[A] dazzling debut . . . Exquisitely crafted.”  —The Dallas Morning News 

“Incredibly powerful, richly atmospheric.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune 

“[An] engulfing thriller-cum-western.” —The New York Times Book Review 

“Brilliant . . . As gripping as any Everest expedition.” —Peter Heller, author of The Dog Stars

On Sale
Dec 1, 2015
Page Count
400 pages
Publisher
Algonquin Books
ISBN-13
9781616204778

Tim Johnston

Tim Johnston

About the Author

Tim Johnston is the author of the novels DescentThe Current, the story collection Irish Girl, and the young adult novel Never So Green. He holds degrees from the University of Iowa and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is the recipient of the 2015 Iowa Author Award and currently lives in Iowa City, Iowa.

Learn more about this author