Eleven Days: Amazon.ca: Donald Harstad: Books

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From Amazon.com

Reflecting 26 years as a deputy sheriff in northeastern Iowa, Donald Harstad's first book, a topnotch thriller about an Iowa deputy sheriff named Carl Houseman, is full of convincing details of everyday police work and is told in such a droll, natural voice that you'll swear you've met both author and hero. "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." In other hands, the story (a series of ritual murders, a Satanic cult, the possible involvement of a local clergyman) might seem over the top. But Harstad's dead-on, no-nonsense manner makes it all very convincing--and extremely readable. --Dick Adler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

The first half of Harstad's good-natured debut may read like Fargo meets Dragnet, but this police procedural turns downright explosive once deputy sheriff Carl Houseman gets to the heart of the strange murders that are tearing apart his small Iowa farming town. The action begins when a 911 call leads Houseman to the site of a ritual murder with multiple victims and no witnesses left in sight; further evidence reveals that an infant may have been sacrificed and that other victims will follow. The first round of police work leads Houseman and his colleagues to the members of a devilish cult, but the serial killer remains at large until Houseman comes to suspect the town pastor and his wife. What follows is an intriguing, suspenseful showdown at a local church. Harstad's deceptively sparse style is full of hard-boiled drollery, even when mundane details threaten to crowd the plot. If the labyrinthine network of Satanic cult members gets a bit too involved, the descriptions of the police work rival Wambaugh's best, and the action scenes maintain a precision that keeps the tension high. After 26 years' police work in northeastern Iowa, Harstad seems poised for a successful second career.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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The call came into County Communications from an unidentified source, believed female, possibly under fifty. Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

61 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (61 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A superb achievement....., Nov 21 2003

By	Nehal D. Patel (St. James, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Reads like Nonfiction, Oct 29 2003

By	Beverly J. Scott "Author and avid reader" (Ankeny, IA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

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

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5.0 out of 5 stars Murder in the Heartland, April 11 2003

By A Customer

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.....

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic police procedural
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... Read more

Published on Feb 19 2003 by Eric C. Welch

5.0 out of 5 stars Eleven Days Goes By In A Minute!
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. Read more

Published on Feb 12 2003 by sweetmolly

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
This is a really great book. I am from NE Iowa and can realate to the area that the story takes place. Read more

Published on Jan 9 2003 by Jenn Miller