Customer Reviews

Code Sixty-One

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A step back from the big fireworks of secret government operations and terrorist plots of his last two books, Code Sixty-One still manages to rivet attention. Fans of crime scene investigation and suspect interrogation should love this story, as Senior Deputy Carl Houseman and his colleagues methodically investigate a nest of slacker vampires along the banks of the Mississippi.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of these novels is the fact that Houseman's personal life--aside from his diet--mostly remains personal. Harstad, while acknowledging the strain that police work puts on Houseman's marriage, saves the bulk of his words for the investigation of the crime and pursuit of the criminals.

Well-written and with enough thrills to keep from becoming a plodding recitation of a police training manual case study, Code Sixty-One is well worth a read.

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.

Having lived in the most liberal city in Iowa for close to ten years, this would seem like satire if the characters weren't just like people I'd met. If you can imagine Grant Wood meets "The Osbournes" with a healthy dash Joe Friday and Charles Manson, you'll get a good idea of what Carl Houseman's world is like.

Some mystery stories are good. Reading a nice Agatha Christie you sort of puzzle your way through and get to the end and feel, "well that was very nicely done." Reading a nice Harstad is more like watching the Munsters move to middle America.

It's funny and short enough to read in a day or three. It won't make you rethink your life, but it might make you rethink the idea that small towns are boring little places where nothing ever happens.

I am a retired police officer, having served for over 33 years in large and small jurisdictions. I was surprised when I began Harstad's book. I thought to myself: " This guy is one of us or sure has a great insight". While the story is fanciful, it was very well written and "gripping" throughout. I paid close attention to the language, the actions, the thought processes, the insertion of humor (sometimes of the 'graveyard-type) and case development. All these things were right on the money. I have and will recommend Harstad's books to other officers - active and retired. I also recommend his books to you if you are interested in both a well written, interesting tale as well as a peek into how "cops" think and act. Both thumbs up!!

Donald Harstad writes books in the first person, with alter ego Carl Houseman narrating the story that he's involved in. The result is a book that sounds like it was written by a veteran of Iowa law enforcement, which is of course what Harstad is. This is an interesting technique: there's no attempt at beautiful prose (James Lee Burke comes to mind) but rather a mundane as-it-happened reportorial style that's authentic feeling. Sort of like a hand-held camera in a movie during a chase scene...you think you're actually there, or hearing about it from someone who was.

In this installment, Houseman is first called to an apartment building where a very strange peeping tom is making trouble, then begins to investigate a strange killing in an even stranger house in Nation County. The killer at least appears to be a vampire, or he thinks he's one anyway, and several other participants believe he is also. This leads to much humor, dark and otherwise, and to several interesting plot twists.

Harstad's weak point, if there is one, is that his plots sort of meander at points, and this one does that halfway through the book. Things get bogged down in his mundane recountings of radio conversations (which he creates using the "ten" codes that they actually use on the radio in Iowa) and various procedural things that go on around a homicide. At times it can get excruciating waiting for something to happen, but the characters are interesting and the dialog's good.

I enjoyed this book in spite of the shortcomings listed above, and would recommend it.

I have read all of Mr. Harstad's books and found them all quite enjoyable. True, they are not of exceptionable literary merit, but the stories are intriguing and the characters add a lot to the story. I think they offer insight to life in the midwest, and a lot of detail about police work in that area. "Code 61" is a quick read with a rather unusual bad guy who could have really been expanded more in the story. He is discussed a lot peripherally, but not enough is said about his motive or background. Without revealing anything about the plot, I am a little confused about the title since it doesn't really tie in with the story all that well. I would also like to see the Hester Gorse character expanded. She is the tough, no nonsense state agent who assists Deputy Houseman in most of his cases. In any event, it is a good story and worth a read. I would caution readers that if you are not into "police procedural" novels, then this may not be for you.

Here is a book that would have been far better served if the acknowledgments had come at the end, rather than at the beginning. Since I never read flap copy (it's either badly written or gives away the entire plot), the acknowledgments page in Code Sixty-One basically gives the game away. With the subject of vampires clearly stated on that page (making this book sound like a fantasy or horror novel) it was only because I am such an admirer of Harstad's work that I was willing to continue reading.

That said and that misplaced (albeit well-intentioned) page notwithstanding, this is another nicely done book in the Houseman series. The various law enforcement people are well-drawn, particularly the deeply annoying Borman. And the young people who live in The Mansion and whose personal sorrows make them susceptible to belief in the unbelievable are written with sympathy, understanding and humor.

The villains of the piece are equally well-drawn, leaving one to ponder on the pitfalls of wealth, sexual aberrance and extreme delusion (to the point of madness). As always in Harstad's books, the narrative moves along at a good clip and there are enough quirky characters (good and bad) to populate a small town. There are however a couple of problems I had with this book. The first is that there is no mention of what became of Alicia Meyer, whose 911 call starts this novel. And secondly, although it's interesting enough, there's way too much time spent in the narrative and more information on 10 codes (police radio info) than is necessary. After a time, the radio communications got in the way of the narrative. Given that the author includes a bibliography of these codes in the back of the book, the narrative wouldn't have suffered from some judicious editing of these calls back and forth.

As a writer, Harstad is never mean-spirited, and his books reflect that. Code Sixty-One is no exception. It is compellingly readable.
Recommended.

I admit it, I am hooked on Deputy Carl Houseman and his colleagues in rural Iowa law enforcement. I normally don't read books dealing with the supernatural but couldn't put Code 61 down. The author's attention to detail makes the reader feel like he is part of the investigative team.

Deputy Houseman is my favorite fictional lawman. His insight and witty comments at the appropriate times holds the readers interest. Anyone who has not read the entire series is missing some good reading. I am looking forward to Harstad's next publication.

All Don's books are great, Code 61 included. No one has captured the real world of police work in rural America by Sheriff's Offices as he has. He has been a real deputy sheriff here in Iowa and knows what it's like to try to solve crimes and keep the peace where back-up is distant, high tech non-existent, and common sense your best ally. He understands, he's done it, he's been there. You are missing something if you don't read his books

I have been a reader of the Detective Houseman series since I discovered "11 Days" in 1999. I love the regular characters and the description of life in a smaller town (versus Los Angeles). Mr. Harstad has a great gift for writing truly page turning and in this book scary moments which caused me to turn on some lights while reading late into the night.

This is a muder mystery with what seems like a supernatural twist. I love that his characters are finally just people who are not the over the top creations of a Jeffery Deever (has it's place and time in entertainment). I look forward to each new novel as a visit with old friends (Carl. Sally, Lamar et al.)