Customer Reviews

Eleven Days: A Novel of the Heartland

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I found this book to be one of the most intriguing novels I have read in a long time. As one who loves mysteries, I feel that Harstad has put Iowa on the map. I am a resident of the area of which he writes, and I found myself trying to figure just who was who in this book of all the people I know in the area. Thank goodness all of the people in this book are fictitious--at least I hope they are. Harstad's methodology in leading the reader to the real murderer is one of interest because nothing that exciting ever happens around here. I am looking forward to the movie.

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

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.

Don Harstad's "Eleven Days" is the by far the best book I read in 1999. The chilling detail and terrific narrative that Harstad brings makes him one of the best police procedure novelist. This and it is only his first novel. Harstad being an ex-cop gives you the gritty real cop of the world. I'm tired of most novels were the cops are perfect and do nothing wrong. Harstad's characters are more human.

Harstad also has the ability to let the reader know that something bad is going to happen when his characters cannot. The whole time reading the book I found myself saying "turn around" or "go back and double check". It truly made the book a chilling read.

There are parts in this book that are quite grusome, so this novel may not be for the squimish. Remember this is based on true facts which also makes it pretty scary in the more violent scenes. I strongly recommend!

I had read that this "thriller" was above-average and well written. After devouring it in a few short days, I must say I was very impressed. The novel doesn't fall into the usual cliche holes of many in the genre and the distinct and well-formed voice of the narrator gives the story tons of extra impact. Instead of a hard-boiled detective or a supercop, we get a real person along with small glimpses into his life, even if they are glimpses into typical Midwestern life.

There's nothing better than a good read that's well-written. That's what you'll get with Eleven Days.

As a big fan of "Fargo" but not too big a fan of mysteries, I read Eleven Days seeking some momentary diversion. Moments turned into hours when I found myself wrapped up in the search for a killer in a small town, where life is placid on the surface but exciting in the depths. The "real time" narration of the small town deputy provided fast-paced momentum as the story raced along with enough twists and turns to satisfy the most avid roller-coaster rider. Thank goodness there were also moments where the reader could catch his breath with a chuckle or out-right laugh at the more practical and mundane events in police work. It was a fun ride!

Donald Harstad has spent time behind a police cruiser's wheel. An ex-Deputy Sheriff, he knows what he's writing about - and he writes very well, indeed.

This is a police procedure book that stacks up against the best of Ed McBain. Told in the first person, the story rattles along at a good pace, never dull, and always giving the reader that delicious thrill of another twist being just over the next page.

The reader will warm to the hero immediately: he's all too real. A heavy smoker, a heavy eater, a man who's definitely not cast in the Hollywood hero role. He's a little more than Mr Average - he's very bright, very quick - but not a man of great ambition. In short - a hero we can all relate to. It's not until we get two-thirds through the book that we also realise he's middle-aged, with a daughter on college. His home life is chaotic, as he's a night-shift worker, and the very suburban dialogue he shares with his wife is witness, again, to his reality, and to the fact that his feet are planted firmly in the rich Iowan loam.

The murders are, at first glance, Satanic in origin. I was, at first, sceptical that this storyline could be maintained: Fox Mulder aside, there are very few satanic murders anywhere in the world. However, the story is not only sustained, but made believable by the developments.

If you like a good cop book, then try this out. The chances are excellent that you'll enjoy it.

Living in NE Iowa I appreciate the accurate and vivid descriptions. Better yet is Harstad's style of continuing dialogue to even more vividly portray the action of this compelling novel of crime, investigation, and resolution. You can guess at the ending, but when it comes the reader is amazed at the skillful and satisfying ending. The reader of mystery novels will appreciate this one, taking place in the heartland of America. The crimes committed by seemingly ordinary people and solved by seemingly ordinary people. No country hicks here.

Well worth the reader's $$ and time.

I loved this book! As a rural Deputy Sheriff myself, I know exactly where the author is coming from. His portrayals of the law enforcement personnel are right on the money. I have already ordered his next book. If it is half as good as his first, my money will have been well spent.

I found this book absolutely gripping from the first page, plunging straight into an evolving multiple homicide with the promise of horrors to come. The protagonist, Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman, is tasked to respond to the scene, a rural property. Harstad accurately portrays the clipped style of speech used by emergency responders during moments of tension. His descriptive style is sparing, allowing the reader to more easily picture the scene using their own imagination. What Houseman finds only leads to more mystery and indicates a crime involving demonic practices.

Harstad writes with a laconic style and introduces his secondary characters using a descriptive shorthand I found very appealing, vis; "Agent Hester Gorse didn't smoke. Thin and stringy, it also looked like she didn't eat, either." Houseman is portrayed as an experienced police officer who focuses on solving the crime as part of a team while also carrying out his usual duties. He's overweight, balding and his wife doesn't like his job, but he's street smart without being cynical, compassionate, and very astute, carrying his own weight in the investigation and able to make good deductions from the evidence. I found him a very sympathetic and well-rounded character.

I enjoyed the penultimate climax of the plot as I wasn't expecting it, but by that time I had (surprisingly for me) spotted the villain, although the climax proper wasn't disappointing. The epilogue tidies up all the loose ends quite nicely.

I found this book very hard to put down, and a very natural read, packed full of detail. Highly recommended.