Code 61

Praise for
Code 61

“STUNNING.”

—
Deadly Pleasures
, Best U.S. Crime Novel of 2002

“YOU HAVE TO LOVE CARL.”

—
The New York Times Book Review

“The endearingly wry first-person narration is
splendidly handled; and the characterization—
especially Gorse—is very good.”

—Colin Dexter

“Harstad knows how to sustain a readable story
while showing a remarkable talent
for depicting lifelike characters and
believable dialogue.”

—
Star Tribune
, Minneapolis

THE BIG THAW

“Compelling … [with a] spectacular finale … Harstad
writes ‘cop talk’ that's not only believable but
often (intentionally) funny.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Escape the urban thriller to the heartland with
Harstad, a real rising star.”

—
Booknews
from The Poisoned Pen

“Plenty of laughs, skewed violence, and marvelous
takes on how weird Iowa winters can be—in
the third, and best, procedural featuring easygoing
Nation County Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman,
from a former Iowa deputy sheriff who
knows the territory inside out.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“A truly great storyteller … He sets up the story
beautifully, with intense suspense, an intriguing
investigation that has all the authentic trappings, and a
believable cast of police personnel. He gets better and
better with each book.”

—
Library Journal

“It's fascinating to follow Harstad's hero-narrator,
Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman of Nation
County, Iowa, through a crime scene. Houseman
proceeds with absolute confidence, making
the slightest depression in the carpeting intriguing,
treating the reader to insights gleaned from
physical evidence that only a firsthand authority can
render…. Harstad is one of the most reliable and
riveting police-procedural writers in the business.”

—
Booklist

KNOWN DEAD

“Instantly propels him into the top ranks of
mystery writers.”

—
Booklist

“A complicated little conundrum of a plot that keeps
Houseman, the Feds, and the reader guessing all the
way through … An author who knows his territory.”

—
The New York Times

“A series to watch.”

—
The Plain Dealer

“Crackles with the electricity of an adrenaline-laced
shoot-out.”

—
The Denver Post

“Hard-core procedural fans will find Carl's second
case authentically … realistic.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“Harstad … advances the scary (and perversely
entertaining) notion that people are just as cuckoo
in the heartland as they are in the wicked city.”

—
The New York Times Book Review

ELEVEN DAYS

“A hell of a first novel.”

—Michael Connelly

“[Harstad's] dry, even droll account of these macabre
crimes makes them all the more terrible.”

—
The New York Times Book Review

“With one startling twist after another, this grisly
but cunningly sophisticated story is truly
frightening…. A debut spellbinder.”

—
San Francisco Chronicle

“A major achievement and thriller debut by an
ex-cop; a novel that smells and feels right.”

—
TimeOut

“Downright explosive! The descriptions
of the police work rival Wambaugh's best.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“The very best procedural novels are those that follow
police personnel through the solving of a
crime from its discovery to evidence-gathering to
the apprehension of the guilty…. As a former
deputy sheriff from Iowa, Harstad has the procedure
down…. Deputy Carl Houseman is the epitome
of a police officer, and his humanity, intelligence,
and ability place him at personal risk as the
case races to a heart-stopping climax.”

—
Library Journal
(starred review)

Also by Donald Harstad

Eleven Days

Known Dead

The Big Thaw

And coming soon in hardcover from Doubleday

The Heartland Experiment

To Erica Harstad, our daughter,
whose excellent mind, quick wit,
and honest appraisals make her
the most reliable of critics
.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my thanks to those who so generously shared their time and thoughts with me as I worked on this book.

First, to Larry and Maria Brummel of McGregor, Iowa: Their gracious permission to tour their marvelous house set the scene for much of what follows.

To my friends in London: Rachel Coldbreath, who shared many thoughts on the legends and history of vampires in literature, and gave encouragement; Julian Richards, for his friendship and knowledge of the legends and the people who believe them; Grebbsy McLaren, for a fine sense of humor and permission to use a bit of verse; and to Zu, who added insights and a point of view that is uniquely hers. Their warm welcome during an excellent evening in a London pub was much appreciated.

I'd also like to thank a remarkable set of individuals who populate alt.v on the Web. Singling out individuals is very difficult, but B. J., Llewellyn, Catherine B. Krusberg, Julian, Grebbsy, Klattau, Emrys, Jet Girl, Chiller, Tiernan, William R. Thompson, and Elizabeth Miller are but a few. They have been the source of much fascinating discussion regarding vampires in legend and literature. All, of course, are exempted from responsibility for any of the misconceptions on my part.

To a remarkable group of young women from Elkader, Iowa, who were interviewed in order for me to obtain a solid base regarding their possible reactions to a set of circumstances in this book, I especially want to express my thanks. They—Courtney Zaph Bently, Rachel Kuehl Jaster, Carrie Persoon, Barbie Gnagy, Nicole Reimer, Hillary Klingman, and Courtney Burns—pro-vided the background for events in the lives of characters Hester Gorse and Darcy Becker. They were invaluable.

I would like to express my most sincere appreciation to the Valerie Williams Co'Motion Dance Theater, and dancers Valerie Williams and Annie Church, for allowing me to observe a class and hours of rehearsal. Their ability to express and project attitudes through body language was a revelation, and added dimension to the characters of Jessica and Tatiana.

I would like to thank Shannon Bryant for answering my questions regarding potential sources for advice. She started the whole ball rolling for the characters who inhabit the Mansion. I would also like to thank Kate Bryant for her timely advice regarding flute playing and a certain piece of music. Your Uncle Don appreciates you both.

For a fascinating discussion of vampires and related subjects, I would like to thank Julieann Thilmany Theis, who also allowed me to read her master's thesis.

I wish to express my thanks to all those law enforcement personnel who serve in the Midwest. Their professionalism and devotion to duty, and their continuing willingness to share accounts of their work, make these stories possible.