Talk of Iowa

Iowa City suspense authors bring their unique backgrounds to their writing

By Charity Nebbe,

Samantha McIntosh, Dani Gehr, Neve Kelley

Published June 5, 2026 at 7:00 AM CDT

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Best-selling author Tim Johnston was a master of the thriller. He passed away in May.

To mark his passing, we’re revisiting a conversation from 2025 with Johnston and author Anna Bruno. We talk about their books Distant Sons and Fine Young People and the art of writing suspense.

Then, the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County reopened the Rails West Museum after a year and a half of renovations, where people can explore a historic train depot and train cars. We’ll talk to the museum’s site manager as well as the site manager of the Squirrel Cage Jail.

This show was originally produced July 21, 2025.

Guests:

Tim Johnston, author
Anna Bruno, author, teacher, University of Iowa Tippie College of Business
Sydney Blum, site manager, Squirrel Cage Jail
Madison Barben, site manager, Rails West Museum

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Charity Nebbe

Charity Nebbe is the host of 'Talk of Iowa'. She also hosts IPR's podcasts 'Garden Variety' and 'Unsettled'. Since 2010, Nebbe has interviewed, conversed with, and shared ideas from guests of all backgrounds and locations, and has helped listeners better understand, appreciate, and explore their state and the world around them. Nebbe has a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University.

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Samantha McIntosh

Samantha McIntosh is an award-winning talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Cloud State University. Since 2022, McIntosh has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.

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Dani Gehr

Dani Gehr is a talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University. Since 2022, Gehr has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.

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Neve Kelley

Neve Kelley was a 2025 summer intern with IPR's talk show team and a senior at Oberlin College studying English, environmental studies and education. She is originally from Peoria, Illinois. Some of her favorite things to do in Iowa include going to shows at Codfish Hollow and the Englert, visiting different coffee shops and taking yoga classes.

See stories by Neve Kelley