Rating: 
Summary: Mr. Harstad's my hero!
Review: I snagged a paperback copy of this book on a whim, at the grocery store. Not only have I loaned it out to every dispatcher I know, and recommended it to others with whom I communicate on-line, but I pre-ordered Known Dead just from the strength of this story and the author's obvious appreciation of dispatchers. Yes, the story's a great read, written with an insight based on actual experience, and the protagonist - deputy Carl Houseman - is true-to-life, but this is the first police procedural I've ever read that acknowledges dispatchers as pivotal personnel in every aspect of law enforcement (particularly in small towns). Donald Harstad knows law enforcement in the Heartland and he also knows his dispatchers, what tasks they're expected to perform, how difficult it can be to juggle what information they can get versus what the cops want to know NOW! I was captivated from the first few pages during which the deputies responded to the initial report of the murder (and acted JUST like cops on the radio). No mere mention of "the dispatcher" here, as faceless source of information; Mr. Harstad recognizes the role his dispatchers play in EVERY bit of routine police work. From the perspective of my 22 years in Public Safety Communications, and as a lover of police procedurals, I can laud Donald Harstad for his accurate depiction of how cops get their information and how they work the system to take advantage of the skills of their partners behind the microphone. I've also read Known Dead and I can hardly wait to read his THIRD novel, which I understand just went to the publisher.... Echoing another reviewer: Write faster, Mr. Harstad! I want more!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome....just awesome.
Review: Not going to ruin it for anyone who hasn't read it yet but in a nutshell it's the best written crime drama I've ever read. It involves a gruesome murder of several people with heavy overtones of satanism, both passive and extremist. The cop dialogue and lingo is very believable and well written, giving credit to this man's experience on the force and his passion for his line of work. The plot twists are terrific and very well timed as is the humor involved. He doesn't try to make it too funny, as policing this kind of sickening inhumanness is not very funny at all. It is just littered in suttly, like cops would joke, adding to the authenticity. If your bag is crime drama written in law enforcement lingo, you will not find a finer novel than this. As it is the best book I have ever read, I look forward to getting a copy of his new novels as they come out. Keep up the fine work Mr. Harstad, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: A superb achievement.....
Review: Donald Harstad's first novel (inspired by true events) was absorbing. I first read this novel during the winter of my final year of medical school (when I was researching the dark aspect of the human experience). I curled up with this engaging tome for an entire weekend. It was time well-spent.
The novel begins with a bizarre & twisted murder scene in a rural Iowa farmhouse. The juxtaposition of this scene in the setting of an innocent, serene town sets the stage for the novel. The ensuing investigation w/ its twists & turns is certainly suspenseful. I enjoyed the section where an expert in satanically-inspired crime is imported into the investigation from the East Coast. His analysis of the nature of the crime is intriguing. Moreover, the novel also alludes to the different strata which exist amongst practitioners of Satanism; for instance, there are the mere dabblers in this dark art who view it as a diversion while there are the ascetic devotees who literally adhere to its principles and thus are more warped & dangerous. If I had written this novel, I would have explored the psychological factors driving the different characters in this novel, especially the elusive serial killer. Perhaps Mr. Harstad is saving this material for a sequel, a psychological study of the serial killer. This would make a fascinating novel as well. It's been 3 years since I first read this novel. I plan to revisit it soon. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy reading suspenseful novels dealing w/ occult themes. Address an email letter to Dr. Nicholas Lianna (nehalpatel1975@yahoo.com) for further discussion of this work. In his spare time, Dr. Lianna, M.D. (in the realm of internal medicine) has been investigating aberrant psychology, psychopathology in the domain of psychiatry, different modalities of bio- & psychotherapy, and other instances of the dark aspect of the human experience during the last several years. He is in the midst of constructing a compilation of his findings, analyses, & final conclusions.
Rating:
Summary: Reads like Nonfiction
Review: ISBN: 0-553-58148-1
Title: Eleven Days
Author: Donald Harstad
Publisher: Bantam Books
"Eleven Days," debut novel of ex-cop and Iowa author Donald Harstad is a blockbuster of a read. Harstad's experiences as a police officer shine through in his style, a style that reads like an official record of a crime. "Eleven Days" introduces us to Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman resident of Maitland, Iowa. The day officers discover mutilated bodies in an out-of-the-way farmhouse and the next eleven days of investigation consume the time and efforts of the town's police force.
Although top cops from around the state and even an expert from New York get involved in the inquiry, it is step-by-step, follow-every-lead good old fashioned detective work that opens the case and leads to its solution.
Harstad's narrative reads like a non-fiction case report, it is gutsy, true-to-life, in-your-face, criminal investigation. "Eleven Days" is action packed suspense with richly detailed characters, believable dialogue and a plot that keeps you turning pages all the way to the surprise ending and the unveiling of the perpetrator. I can't wait to pick up his next novel. Congratulations Donald Harstad on a magnificent debut novel.
Beverly J Scott author of "Righteous Revenge" and "Ruth Fever." Reviewer for Intriguing Authors and Their Books at http://www.funeralassociates.com/authors.htm
Rating: 
Summary: America's Heartland
Review: Something creepy is happening in America's heartland. 911 operators in Maitland, Iowa receive a call about a mass murder at an outlying farmhouse. when arriving there Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman finds a grisly murder scene. One day later they uncover a mass murder at another farm. Both of these scenes have Satanic overtones. Definitely something you wouldn't expect to find in the heart of America. Donald Harstad in his novel Eleven Days creates an every man character with Carl Houseman, with his understated ways and tongue in cheek humor. The environment of the station house and the various people who populate the story are both interesting and ordinary. Many of us know a Sally who wants more from life and Hester who constantly has to prove herself to the guy's club. The mystery itself is riveting and grisly. It leads the reader along at a fast pace until the final conclusion. For those who appreciate the genre it is an easy sell. Others may feel the gory details are excessive. Some readers may disprove of the "ordinary" characters and style of the author. To me this is part of the appeal of the book . I first read Known Dead by the author and wanted to read other books by Mr. Harstad and am glad that I did.
Rating:
Summary: Murder in the Heartland
Review: Donald Harstad has written a grisly and fast moving police procedural filled with well drawn characters and a likeable 'everyman' hero in Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman. A twenty-six year veteran of the Clayton County Sheriff's Department himself, Harstad perfectly captures the rural atmosphere of Iowa farm country. This tense and exciting novel shows how a world gone askew reaches all the way into America's heartland as it is confronted by mass slayings amidst satanic rituals and hidden amorality. It is the Bible belt gone wrong. Harstad creates a believable crime story and gives us a genuine feel for his setting. It is a place where a fax is 'hi-tech' equipment for the cops and the homes, or rather farms, are miles apart. We see everything through the eyes of Carl Houseman, from his relationships with his fellow cops to a realistic marriage where he and his wife barely see each other and have to make the most of the moments they do have. It is filled with humor and humanity in the face of the unthinkable. Eleven Days is the first in a series and an adrenline rush of a read, moving like a tornado through the sparse Iowa landscape. It is bloody and exciting. It is funny and disturbing. In other words, this is a great read. I will definitely be reading the second book in this series. If you've been looking for a good series to latch onto, this is your baby right here. But you better hang on.....
Rating:
Summary: Classic police procedural
Review: This is a spell-binding police procedural, Harstad's first novel. According to the cover, it was based on real events, and Harstad spent twenty-six years as a deputy sheriff in Iowa where the story takes place. (Amanda White, who knows the area, tells me the characters and scenes are very realistic.)
The story takes place during the eleven-day investigation of the particularly gruesome murders of four people at a farm in rural Iowa. Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman arrives on the scene after a 911 call to discover several people dead in what appears to be some kind of ritual Satanic cult murder. Carl is a good cop with good instincts, but the department doesn't have the resources to handle the investigation by itself, so the Iowa CID is called in along with an expert from New York.
Carl recounts the investigation with its spectacular denouement in such a droll and natural manner, you can't help but warm to him. He works nights and his wife teaches during the day, so the investigation, which begins to consume more and more of his time, causes some fraying at the edges of their relationship. "When I got home, Sue was a little angry," Houseman says about his wife. "I'd neglected to leave her a note about the meeting. Consequently, supper had turned out to be a problem. She'd taken care of it by making a taco-type soup, so it was still warm when I got there. She'd eaten."
The key to solving the murder hinges on what the local pastor knows. It was his involvement in a similar crime near Elyria, Ohio that brought the killer to the area. His identity will be a complete surprise. This one will be a hard act to follow. I have ordered more of Harstad's work.
Rating:
Summary: Eleven Days Goes By In A Minute!
Review: This roller coaster of a book builds tension into an appallingly great climax. If this is Mr. Harstad's debut book, I can't wait to get the next one. Carl Houseman is the laid back, politically aware sheriff of a small midwestern town. A ritualistic murder takes place with overtones of Satanism. Then another farm family is similarly attacked. The danger escalates, the list of suspects grows, and the undermanned Sheriff's department is stretched to the breaking point. Carl is a likeable guy with a not too happy marriage that you sense is mainly due to himself. He's a great friend, but his detachment is tough on close emotional bonds. The author obviously has insider knowledge of police departments, the politics, mechanics, and organization. I would have liked a glossary for all the 10-11's, 10-61's that peppers the dialogue. "Eleven Days" has a high gruesome level, which may put off some readers. However, most will be so totally absorbed in the accelerating frenzy of events, they will accept the violence. Great read!
-sweetmolly-Amazon[.com] Reviewer
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is a really great book. I am from NE Iowa and can realate to the area that the story takes place. It really kind of "[pulls] you in" so to speak, it is a hard book to put down. It is well worth every dime!!!
Rating:
Summary: A Terrific Read
Review: What a fantastic first novel. I'm a huge fan of the 50's crime novels of Jim Thompson, Ed McBain, John D MacDonald etc and to me this one was almost up there which is something I can rarely say about many writers today. Hardstad's laconic humour and relaxed style of writing is very appealing and I can't wait to read more.
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