Book Review: Eleven Days: A Novel of the Heartland

Reviewed By: Luke Croll - RAM

Eleven Days: A Novel of the Heartland     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Donald Harstad
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural
Series: Carl Houseman # 1
Fourth Estate, 1998, £5.99
Classification: Adult fiction (Thriller)

Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman is called to a murder in rural Iowa. The locals say that the killer has to be from out of town, but Houseman soon starts to discover that the killer may well be from within. For a first novel, this really stands out from the crowd. Harstad has written a fast-paced, exciting novel with a great deal of humour. It is narrated by Houseman in the first person and it is certainly a quirky style. The Deputy Sheriff injects a lot of humour into what is a very nasty murder case, dealing with Satanism and ritual sacrifice, amongst other things.

The book is exciting throughout and there are enough twists and turns to satisfy the excitement of any thriller reader. The conclusion is suitably shocking and fits in with the rest of the book. It is immensely enjoyable and the high body count does nothing to detract from that. As Harstad has already written two more novels, I look forward to reading them as well.

Overall, this is a first-class police thriller and for this to be written as a first novel, I am amazed. Fast-paced, interesting, exciting and generally very readable, this is highly recommended.

Luke Croll - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Luke Croll - Conference interpreter and translator
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