Rating: 
Summary: Bitingly Funny
Review: I picked up this book a few days ago on a trip up to Seattle. I have to say it took the first 150 pages to really get into the book, which is very technical in nature. Its obvious to me that Donald Harstad was a talented police officer in his previous incarnation. There was quite a bit of, in my opinion, useless dialogue that really seemed to be there to just fill pages. The story itself was at times intriguing but it tended to sputter out more often than not. A lot of the character development seemed wasted in the end which, in my opinion, was extremely anticlimactic. I hate to give this book such a terrible review because after all the lead-up I was really looking forward to a big payoff.
Rating: 
Summary: I have the worst luck buying books at airports...
Review: I picked up this book a few days ago on a trip up to Seattle. I have to say it took the first 150 pages to really get into the book, which is very technical in nature. Its obvious to me that Donald Harstad was a talented police officer in his previous incarnation. There was quite a bit of, in my opinion, useless dialogue that really seemed to be there to just fill pages. The story itself was at times intriguing but it tended to sputter out more often than not. A lot of the character development seemed wasted in the end which, in my opinion, was extremely anticlimactic. I hate to give this book such a terrible review because after all the lead-up I was really looking forward to a big payoff.
Rating:
Summary: Sterling Value in an Unassuming Package
Review: I stumbled on Donald Hardstad in his first novel, this is his fourth. He just keeps getting better. Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman, of Nation County, Iowa isn't overly impressed with himself, and I think he would probably be surprised that he has admirers nationwide. It is in his unassuming, sometimes droll (but never slapstick)assessment of the world of middle America -- specifically, homicide in middle America -- that draws the reader in and keeps him turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning. The gift of subtle underplay is rare in contemporary fiction, especially of the mystery/suspense genre, and Hardstad is a master. From the fascinating language of police radio talk to the invaluable assistance of a truly gifted dispatcher, to the nuances of crime scene investigation and interrogation, Deputy Sheriff Houseman provokes a paradox in the reader -- Houseman is just a regular guy like me, and at the same time he is a brilliant crime solver and commentator on the sublime value of life. Quite a lot from a small town (county) sheriff who has to put up with a hotshot, insubordinate rookie because there aren't enough officers to go around in this fast-paced story of blood-letting, sex, murder, cover-up, and vampires. At one point he is introduced to a fabulously wealthy, VERY IMPORTANT character, who opines that she at least expected the real sheriff, not just a deputy. In the end, it's the realy deputy Houseman who gets to the bottom of the plot and opens the way for the tortured young people to find some hope in the normal world. And by the way -- I can't stand fantasy/horror fiction and would never read a story about vampires if it weren't from one of my favorite authors. It was worth it. I hung on every word and finished the entire book in one sitting (well, lying), about 3 AM. Keep up the good work, Harstad, you should be a million times beter known than you are.
Rating:
Summary: The Real Harstad
Review: I'm not a usual mystery reader -- but as a librarian in a small town in Northeast Iowa I read his books to expand my horizons and invited him to speak at our library. Harstad won me over. Something the other reviewers didn't mention is his humor -- and the quirky personality in his stories. He represents our corner of Iowa in a way I haven't seen before (although the cases have been fictionalized they are taken from parts of incidents in his career and the atmosphere darkened -- he shows our part of the world to be surrounded by bluffs along the river and full of scrappy, hard-working and intelligent people ... and some strange people as well) People who visit are surprised how beautiful it is here (not at all what they expect from Iowa). Harstad lives here, worked here for over 20 years in the police department -- and when he writes about our landscape and our people he knows what he's talking about. Of course -- a novel focuses on the unusual (so don't think we're vampires) By the way -- the house in Code Sixty-One really exists and is only a block away from me. Sny Magill is a real place too. Enjoyable, personable mystery.
Rating:
Summary: `Tis the -Halloween- Season
Review: Is he or isn't he? Only his Dentist knows for sure. (A paraphrase of the old Lady Clairol Blonde ads) Is there a slithering pit of Vampires operating in Nation County, Iowa, and throughout the Upper Midwest?In this 4th excursion, former Iowa Deputy Sheriff Donald Harstad's Iowa Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman and crew still have the Coffee on and the mysteries perking. With a Midwestern knack for understatement, also included at The End of the book are "Some Useful Ten Codes" (That's a big "10-4!") I made a copy this Very Helpful list - doubles as a bookmark - to which to refer while reading other police procedurals whose authors are not so thoughtful of their readership. This book brought back memories of long-ago afternoons spent in front of the TV with the friends and fiends of *Dark Shadows.* Reviewed by TundraVision.
Rating:
Summary: `Tis the -Halloween- Season
Review: Is he or isn't he? Only his Dentist knows for sure. (A paraphrase of the old Lady Clairol Blonde ads) Is there a slithering pit of Vampires operating in Nation County, Iowa, and throughout the Upper Midwest? In this 4th excursion, former Iowa Deputy Sheriff Donald Harstad's Iowa Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman and crew still have the Coffee on and the mysteries perking. With a Midwestern knack for understatement, also included at The End of the book are "Some Useful Ten Codes" (That's a big "10-4!") I made a copy this Very Helpful list - doubles as a bookmark - to which to refer while reading other police procedurals whose authors are not so thoughtful of their readership. This book brought back memories of long-ago afternoons spent in front of the TV with the friends and fiends of *Dark Shadows.* Reviewed by TundraVision.
Rating:
Summary: A true origiinal
Review: Nothing in this book is phony. Donald Harstad is a true Iowa original and a darned good writer.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't finish it
Review: This is a long, boring novel. I really tried to finish it because I hate not reading a whole novel. I just couldn't wade through it. The dialogue is clunky and there is too much procedural. An investigation of a crime scene lasts 100 pages! Good luck with it.
Rating:
Summary: SUPERB
Review: This was a typical "Harstad." It was a page turner from the start. I look forward to reading the next Houseman adventure.
Rating: 
Summary: A most likeable cop
Review: With the title it has, I would never have even picked up this book if my sister-in-law hadn't given it to me because it is set along the Mississippi like KEEPERS OF THE RIVER. Yes, it's a vampire story but don't expect a real one. Too bad. I think the story would have been more intriguing if the vampire turned out to be genuine, but I suppose the author didn't want to risk leaving the mystery genre. With the hope of finding a Midwestern Dracula, I waded into a maze of technical police stuff but was carried along by amusing dialogue and a most likeable cop, Carl Houseman. He is an unique and engaging character. Unfortunately, the others are not so readily pictured and the ending was rather anticlimatic.
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