The Distant Dead is a thoughtful mystery that showcases stunning prose and well-rounded characters. They are all grappling with some form of loss and regret. Their actions are a result of that pain, and it’s harrowing to read. My favourite character is Sal, a boy forced to grow up faster than he should. His story is heartbreaking yet his resilience shines through.

Dealing with themes like poverty, drugs, and addiction, this book is pretty heavy to read. I thought the way the mystery is crafted is compelling. The small-town setting feels stifling, where everyone knows everyone and their secrets. Although I find the ending has a twist too many, I understand what the author is trying to convey and I think it was effective. It’s a story about redemption, in whatever means possible. This book is perfect for fans of The Lost Man and The Searcher.

CW: child death, drug abuse

An unusual storyline that was a who done it with a twist. With a mix of ancient history blended with the supernatural and modern day it was a really interesting read with a good ending !

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this arc!

This book was really well written and enabled me to follow along very clearly.

Interesting and different book. Not a fast paced book, but one that is well worth a read. My only criticism is that it was a little on the slow side.

Wow... an absolute must read. The Distant Dead is a captivating page turner that gripped me from page one. Just like The Lost Girls, I could not put it down.

Full of twists and surprises this book kept me guessing. A compelling read with interesting, unpredictable characters and a riveting plot that keeps you reading till the early hours of the morning.

The Distant Dead by Heather Young is another debut novel that is a fantastic read! The amount of debut books that I have read in the last six months that I have found to be brilliant reads are ever increasing and this is yet another.
A psychological thriller, a burned body is discovered by a young boy, Sal Prentiss. The body turns out to be Adam Prentiss, a maths teacher at Sal's school, who was helping Sal. There are questions to be answered and they aren't easy ones. Did Sal just 'happen' to find Adam? Did he have a part to play?
Nora Wheaton, another teacher at the school thought she had found a kindred spirit in Adam and decides to find out the truth. She begins to dig into his past to find clues to who killed him, instead she finds a dark history that she knows only too well. She thinks it may lie closer to home with Sal not just grieving but also afraid. On her quest to earn Sal's trust she realises he may hold the key to Adams murder and her chance to have the life she wanted.
A dark and tense story that has a slow burn but that doesn't detract from the story. It gives us detailed back stories that highlight the problems such as drug issues, abuse and even difficult family relationships. These are not always comfortable reading but at least it is real and gritty...just like normal people's lives are. This makes the book such a real life read. I admire Heather Young for bringing these issues in her book.
The characters have been so well developed to a point that they create a greater depth to the story and that makes it an even better book just for that little reason too.
This book had me stuck to it without wanting to let it go for any length of time. The writing was mesmerising and although it isn't always an easy read I do think it powerful too.
Thanks to Random Things Tours, netgalley and Verve Books for my copy of the book

This is a well written book, but it took a lot of time to get into the story. Once it started though, it was worth reading. It is not a simple thriller/mystery book, it delves deeper and I really enjoyed reading the point of views of the different characters.

Thank you Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great and sad thriller on the thin line between love and hate. Over the years, two boys are linked by a series of accidents and events with each boy being treated very differently from the other. I was horrified to find out that the body burning in the desert was inspired by a documentary the author watched! Very remote and scary place in mid town America but the dynamics of those living there makes this a mighty fine read.

A body burns in the high desert hills. A boy walks into a fire station, pale with the shock of a grisly discovery. A middle school teacher worries when her colleague is late for work. By day’s end, when the body is identified as local math teacher Adam Merkel, a small Nevada town will be rocked to its core by a brutal and calculated murder.

This book is definitely one that is more than meets the eye. At first, you think it is a normal thriller/murder mystery, but as the book progresses and character development delves deep, it is so much more than the genre. It is a slow burner, do not think that this book is a quick, straight to the point book because it is not.- it is worth sticking with though!

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

I’d say this was a 3.5 but rounded up to 4 as the second half is much better than the first. It is definitely a slow burner, but sit tight and you will be rewarded.

I enjoyed reading from Sal (the young boy) and Nora’s (the teacher) point of view and liked getting to know Adam (the maths teacher) and the Prentiss brothers (Sal’s uncles) through both of their eyes. There are complex emotions and relationships between many of the characters and it was interesting learning more about them. My opinions of the characters were constantly changing and I was trying to guess why the math teacher had been killed and who knew details about it throughout.

The first chapter threw me as it wasn’t what I expected and whilst there are odd references to it throughout the book, I don’t really think it was needed in the story. Additionally some chapters are told by Jake, but he isn’t what I’d call a main character and it just seemed forced.

It’s a solid book, and whilst it could do with some pruning, it had a really good mystery running through the middle with a great ending.

A well written story of how two boys are linked over the years by accidents of different kinds, one boy becoming a god in the eyes of his people the other with the potential to act like god. An intriguing story of love and hate but love can turn to hate at any time.