John Jantunen
John Jantunen has published 7 books across 2 series. The recommended reading order starts with fallingoverstandingstill (2012).
John Jantunen is a Canadian author who writes novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is best known for his novels No Quarter, A Desolate Splendor, and Savage Gerry. Jantunen believes that writers must fully engage with the world to create vital literature, using memory as a key tool and reading widely and deeply. Prior to settling with his family in Kingston, Ontario, he traveled extensively across Canada, living and working in nearly every region. These experiences have informed his writing.
His debut novel, Cipher, was published by ECW Press in 2014 and was shortlisted for a Kobo Emerging Writer prize. He followed this with A Desolate Splendor in 2016. No Quarter, Book I of The Tildon Chronicles, was nominated for a Shamus & ReLit Award in 2018. Savage Gerry, a thriller set in Northern Ontario, was released in 2021, followed by In For A Dime, Book II of The Tildon Chronicles, in 2022. Mason's Jar appeared in the spring of 2023.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Standalone Novels
- TagscrimeDescriptionfallingoverstandingstill is a novel that opens during a police raid, when a suspect's two pit bulls attack an officer. The officer shoots one dog, injuring it, and both animals flee into a neighbor's yard, where they maul three-year-old Christopher Allen. His death and the dogs' subsequent disappearance spark a desperate search for them in the wild lands surrounding Bracebridge, a picturesque cottage community. The novel, first published in 2012, weaves three parallel narratives that explore good intentions gone awry. As the search intensifies, the interconnected stories reveal how the events surrounding Christopher's death unfold. The novel, a standalone work within the Order of Standalone Novels series and spanning 213 pages, examines the consequences of actions and the search for the animals becomes a catalyst for uncovering deeper truths within the community. The question remains what will be revealed as the narratives converge and the hunt for the dogs continues.Publication dateOctober 19, 2012Print length213LanguageEnglishPublisherVocamus Press - John Jantunen
- Tags---DescriptionCipher is a novel that brings together disparate threads of debt and consequence. Curtis Mays, a local hero and former high school football star who chose military service over a professional career, returns home to find his city in mourning. A young girl, the granddaughter of Saskatchewan's wealthiest man, has died, and as Curtis begins to investigate, he realizes his own past actions may have played a role in the tragedy. The story weaves together the lives of a former nine-ball champion whose career ended prematurely, a boy left in a wheelchair after a motorcycle accident, a single bullet in a gun, and fires that have destroyed homes across Regina. An elusive best friend's sacrifice and Ruby Yee's notable black bean balls also become part of the unfolding events. As Curtis pieces together the circumstances surrounding the girl's death, he confronts the inescapable truth that some debts can never be repaid and that the past always catches up, no matter how far one tries to run.Publication dateOctober 1, 2014Amazon rating1/5Print length300LanguageEnglishPublisherECW Press
- Tagspost-apocalypticDescriptionThe collapse of civilization has left survivors scattered along the wilderness fringe of a land ravaged by war. Preyed upon by roving bands of sadistic ex-soldiers and at the mercy of a natural world turned against them, one family faces their final days. Hope arrives in the guise of their young son. Raised in isolation and taught by his father to survive at any cost, he is thrust headlong into a battle for the future of humankind after rescuing a girl fleeing from a savage cult bent on burning the world back to Eden. This chilling portrait of a family fighting to preserve their humanity in a cruel and merciless world is the 2016 novel A Desolate Splendor. The cult’s relentless pursuit of the girl raises the stakes for everyone. As the boy and the girl face the cult’s destructive agenda, they must confront the cult's deep-seated belief that the world must be burned to achieve Eden. The question becomes whether they can protect what remains of humanity from those who believe its annihilation is the only path to salvation.Publication dateOctober 11, 2016Amazon rating2.5/5Print length312LanguageEnglishPublisherECW Press
- Tagspost-apocalypticDescriptionThe End couldn’t have come at a better time for Gerald Nichols. Dubbed “Savage Gerry” by the media, he became a folk hero after shooting the men who’d killed his wife and then fleeing into the northern wilds with his thirteen-year-old son, Evers. Five years after his capture, Gerald is serving three consecutive life sentences when the power mysteriously goes out at the prison. The guards flee, leaving the inmates to die, but Gerald’s given a last-minute reprieve by a jailbreak. Released into a mad world populated by murderous biker gangs preying on scattered settlements of survivors, his only hope of ever reuniting with his son is to do what he swore he never would: become “Savage Gerry” all over again. Savage Gerry is a thrilling apocalyptic tale set in Northern Ontario against a backdrop of natural splendor.Publication dateApril 13, 2021Amazon rating3.7/5Print length344LanguageEnglishPublisherECW Press
- TagshorrorDescriptionMason's Jar is a novel that mashes up western, sci-fi, and horror genres against the backdrop of contemporary crises. Ten years after outlaw biker Clarence Boothe’s drug operation led to the death of Mason Lowry’s granddaughter, the ex-police chief is ready for revenge. But Boothe, recently released, has his own plans. In a near future where addiction to the drug Euphoral is epidemic, Boothe’s gang plunges the city into a waking nightmare by withholding its supply, fueling Mason’s fury. He launches a one-man assault on Boothe’s compound, only to be saved by Meghan, a teenage captive whose past might offer Mason a chance at redemption. The 360-page novel, part of the Order of Standalone Novels series, was first published in 2023. Can Mason find redemption in a city descending into madness?Publication dateJune 13, 2023Amazon rating3.5/5Print length360LanguageEnglishPublisherECW Press
Order of Tildon Chronicles Books
- Tagspost-apocalypticmysteryhorrorDescriptionRene Descartes, a recently released ex-con, lives in a ramshackle trailer near Hidden Cove, a secluded paradise for the country's rich and famous. A savage attack by the son of the fourth richest man in the country spurs Rene to a brutal act of revenge that threatens to ignite the entire area into a vision of hell on earth. As flames begin to engulf the opulent retreats, Deacon Riis, a small-town reporter haunted by his own past, begins to suspect that Rene may not be the one who set Hidden Cove ablaze. This 2018 novel, part of the Order of Tildon Chronicles Books series, is a story of escalating violence and hidden agendas. Riis suspects someone with a far more sinister purpose is at work: an individual intent on writing into life the apocalyptic world imagined by the late George Cleary, a local novelist who was convinced the end of times was imminent. The question remains who is orchestrating this destruction, and what is the true endgame of this fiery vision?Publication dateNovember 6, 2018Amazon rating2/5Print length384LanguageEnglishPublisherECW Press
- Tagshorrorpost-apocalypticDescriptionTen years after Dylan Cleary’s actions caused widespread destruction, reporter Deacon Riis has found a quiet life. His peace is interrupted when Dylan’s sister, Crystal, a successful writer and producer, invites him to a New Year’s Eve party. Crystal plans to adapt one of her grandfather’s apocalyptic thrillers for her next major film. On his way to Crystal’s retreat, Deacon receives a cryptic text: "It has begun again. D." Dylan is indeed orchestrating a series of violent attacks, mirroring events from his grandfather’s fiction. Deacon realizes his only chance to prevent a repeat of the devastation that nearly destroyed Mesaquakee is to fully commit to Dylan’s dangerous plan, even if it costs him everything he holds dear. In for a Dime, a 2022 novel of 383 pages, follows Deacon as he confronts this escalating crisis.Publication dateMay 31, 2022Print length383LanguageEnglishPublisherECW Press
Frequently Asked Questions about John Jantunen
John Jantunen's books can be read in two distinct orders: first, his standalone novels, and second, his series. The standalone novels, in order of publication, are fallingoverstandingstill (2012), Cipher (2014), A Desolate Splendor (2016), Savage Gerry (2021), and Mason’s Jar (2023). The Tildon Chronicles series also has a specific reading order: No Quarter (2018) followed by In for a Dime (2022). Readers can choose to start with any of the standalone novels or begin the Tildon Chronicles series with its first book, No Quarter.
A good starting point for John Jantunen's work is his standalone novel fallingoverstandingstill, published in 2012. Alternatively, readers interested in a series can begin with the first book of The Tildon Chronicles, titled No Quarter, which was released in 2018. Both options provide an entry into his writing style and thematic concerns. Other standalone novels include Cipher (2014), A Desolate Splendor (2016), Savage Gerry (2021), and Mason’s Jar (2023).
John Jantunen's standalone novels do not need to be read in any particular order. Each book offers a self-contained story. However, his Tildon Chronicles series does have a specific reading order. The series consists of two books, and they should be read in the order they were published to fully appreciate the narrative progression and character development. The first book is No Quarter (2018), followed by In for a Dime (2022).
John Jantunen writes both standalone novels and series. His standalone novels include fallingoverstandingstill (2012), Cipher (2014), A Desolate Splendor (2016), Savage Gerry (2021), and Mason’s Jar (2023). He has also written a series called The Tildon Chronicles, which currently consists of two books: No Quarter (2018) and In for a Dime (2022). This structure allows readers to engage with his work through individual stories or a connected narrative arc.
John Jantunen has written a total of seven books published to date. This includes five standalone novels: fallingoverstandingstill (2012), Cipher (2014), A Desolate Splendor (2016), Savage Gerry (2021), and Mason’s Jar (2023). He has also written two books in The Tildon Chronicles series: No Quarter (2018) and In for a Dime (2022). This output spans both individual stories and a connected series.
The first book John Jantunen wrote was fallingoverstandingstill, published in 2012. This novel is part of his collection of standalone works. Following this debut, he went on to publish Cipher in 2014 and A Desolate Splendor in 2016. His first foray into series writing began with The Tildon Chronicles, starting with No Quarter in 2018, and his most recent standalone novel is Mason’s Jar, released in 2023.
John Jantunen's most recent book is Mason’s Jar, published in 2023. This novel is part of his collection of standalone works. Prior to Mason’s Jar, he released Savage Gerry in 2021 and In for a Dime, the second book in The Tildon Chronicles series, in 2022. His continued output includes both individual stories and contributions to his ongoing series.
John Jantunen writes fiction that often explores complex human relationships and societal dynamics. His standalone novels and the Tildon Chronicles series delve into various narrative styles and thematic elements. While specific genre labels can be fluid, his work tends to fall within contemporary fiction and can incorporate elements of suspense and character-driven drama. He focuses on crafting intricate plots and developing believable characters within his narratives.
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We verified the reading order for John Jantunen's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: July 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “John Jantunen Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/john-jantunen