If you have a certain genre of book you love to read, i.e. horror, you know that there comes a time when you're hunting around to find a new author who writes exactly the kind of book you would love to read. Among my favorite genre is the mystery. I thought I would introduce you to an author that I enjoy reading but whom you probably don't know. Donald Harstad is an Iowa author, a former police officer from Clayton County Iowa, now retired and writing mysteries set in NE Iowa. His first book was Eleven Days published in 1998. Since that time he has had five books published, all fictionalized accounts of his experience in law enforcement. The content of Harstad's books include his encounters with Satanists, vampires, drug dealers, thieves, the FBI and murderers. "All the stuff I do is based on what I've done or seen around here - even the vampires. We had people in Crawford County that thought they were vampires," he said. "I try to base most of my books on people and situations I have encountered but I try to change everyone's names," he added.
The Le Mars library, sadly, only has two of his books, "Eleven Days" and "Known Dead". But try one out first and see if not right about this author: His books are great! We can find other ones at Interlibrary Loan if you like them. I promise. You won't be disappointed.
"My name is Carl Houseman. I’m a deputy sheriff in Nation County, Iowa. I’m also the department’s senior investigator, and senior officer, to boot. I’d like to tell you about the killings we had in our county in the summer of ’96, and the subsequent investigation that stood the whole state on its ear. This is my version of what happened. It’s the right one" -from Eleven Days.
1 comment:
Donald Harstad is a fantastic police procedural author, I feel the best of our time! I have been very disappointed though as Mr. Harstad has not published a book in years? Why has he taken this leave? When can we expect a new novel about the unlikely midwest hero Carl Houseman again?
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