A rather good police procedural with a rural Iowa setting as a plus.
592501
The writing is tight overall but a bit choppy in spots with short sentences and fragments, but they are for the most part appropriate to the situation where Harstaad uses them.  Carl, the main character, is realistic although in some places Harstaad spends a bit too much time in his inner thoughts.

Harstaad also does a good job with a large cast of characters but I did have trouble keeping some of them straight.

There is some gore and a good amount of violence in the book but none of it is there simply for shock value.

Ill be back for more in this series.
4500491
Really a nice read. The normal shot up retired cop living in a small town decides to be a detective when he is offered a nice steady income by the local lawyer. But killings start and they seem to be done by the person who shot him, but that person is in jail.
2588815
There is more description of the results of violence (this is about police detective work) and PG13 sex.  That said, the plot line is good.  I liked this one enough to seek out more by this author and plan to continue.  Also good enough that I don't rush through them but consider a reading session to be a reward.
2635941
When Homicide and Major Crimes is called out to investigate a stolen tractor, they're not exactly thrilled. But the new police commissioner considers rural crime a priority so they just have to suck it up. However, when it is linked to a possible murder in a vacant hangar at an abandoned WWII airfield, the disappearance of two local lads, and a gruesome discovery at the scene of a crashed lorry, the case becomes a lot more interesting for DCI Banks and his team.

This is the 22nd  Inspector Banks novel by author Peter Robinson and I read it under the title, In the dark Places. But regardless of title, it is clear that Robinson still knows how to write a compelling and intelligent police procedural. The thing I like about his novels - he's never flashy, there are no wild car chases through major thoroughfares, his characters, though well-rounded, aren't extraordinarily beautiful, witty, or able to solve crimes with little more than a random throw-away line apropos seemingly of nothing and the use of their little grey cells. They investigate crime scenes and follow the clues and put hard work into solving the case. There is, to be sure, some graphic and rather disturbing violence here especially as much of the story is set in abattoirs but this violence fits into the story and never feels gratuitous. Like the other books in the series, this entry is grounded in real possibility. There are lots of twists and the occasional dumb but human mistake by a character but it never stretches the credulity of the reader.

Banks himself is missing for part of the story and, this time, it is the lasses who get to have most of the fun especially DS Winsome Jackman who may have found a possible love interest. When Banks is present, his signature music obsession is also in evidence and, to be honest, I kind of prefer the title Abattoir Blues. It seems more fitting because it references not only the setting but the song by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (great song) which links it nicely to the last DCI Banks novel (and my favourite T-Rex song), Children of the Revolution.  But,  again, regardless of title, this is a well-written, intelligent, and satisfying mystery and I recommend it highly.
3335340
Ruth Rendell has twenty Detective Chief Inspector Wexford crime novels in her arsenal, and this was number four in the series. Wexford is a big, heavy man, not particularly good looking, happily married, who has one plain Jane daughter and a stunning one who is a famous stage actress. Rendell never really brings the wife to life; she's just there. Wexford is a conventional guy, not a boozer like many British police detectives. He spars with his sidekick, the prosaic Inspector Burden.
This mystery is built around the intense friendship between two working class men. One of them is a dodgy little lorry driver who has too much money for a man in his pay grade. Two police cases intersect: one is a murder and the other a highway accident with fatalities. Wexford goes about the job of interviewing witnesses thinking, "If only they knew that to him their revelations were but bricks in the house he was trying to build, rungs on the ladder of discovery..."
If you're alert, you can figure out fairly early on who the murderer is and what the connection is between the two cases. It's a well-told tale with insights into British life and the class system. Rendell keeps your interest with some flinty characters, interesting details embedded in the story, and a vivid town setting. Her characters often are unlikable, but there is a feeling of reality that comes across. These aren't stick figures or stereotypes--now if only she could breathe life and personality into Wexford's spouse. Not the best of the Wexford series in subtlety and grace, but with a few flashes of humor, it does nicely as an introduction to the series.
1525859
Robert Daniels's "Once Shadows Fall" is the first of a 2-book series featuring the two main characters and it was quite promising. Jack Kale is a retired FBI agent who now teaches at a university. Beth Sturgis is an active homicide detective. He's trying to work away from the crazy stress and other side-effects of his previous life. She's working on a case that is starting look like one of his worst cases which will bring them into each other's orbit.

Serial killer stories have been around a long time and for good reason: There are serial killers in the real world. However, it can sometimes wear a little thin though because the stories can start to seem merge into one blob of a story. Daniels does a fairly good job at distinguishing his thriller from the generic pack and that is much to do with the well described characters. Kale really has good reason to be messed up. Sturgis has good reason to need his help. There were a few times when I felt the plot was getting over-populated with details and characters but it ends up serving a purpose. There is genuine tension in the plot with some decent twists and turns. The pacing was good as was the dialogue and I appreciate that there was room for humor too. All in all, it was a good solid read that kept my attention from the first to last page.
3957116
The quiet town of Eastvale in Yorkshire is rocked by an anti-nuclear demonstration that turns violent.  A police constable named Edwin Gill is stabbed to death during the demonstration and Inspector Alan Banks is on the case.  Unfortunately, his superior is not the supportive and sensible Superintendent Gristhorpe but "Dirty Dick" Burgess, a sadistic, chauvanistic, hard-drinking CID Superintendent who has a hatred for "commies" and hippie-types.  Burgess roars into town and immediately starts threatening the locals, using his bullying style of interrogation to get results.
With Sandra and the kids out of town for a few weeks, Banks has plenty of time to follow a few leads of his own.  Most of his suspicions are centered around a commune known as "Maggie's Farm," where some sixties-type people live together.  One of the residents, Paul Boyd, is a particularly suspicious character, since he has a lengthy police record.  Banks wants to find out if Officer Gill was murdered deliberately or if his killing was merely a random act of violence.
"A Necessary End" is not notable for being a scintillating mystery.  The resolution of the story is a bit anti-climactic.  What Robinson does well is develop character.  From the brutal Dick Burgess to the gentle and loving Mara (who lives in the commune), each character comes alive as a result of Robinson's vivid descriptive writing and realistic dialogue.  I recommend "A Necessary End".  It is a well-paced novel that is also filled with colorful and authentic Yorkshire atmosphere.
1226034
What Farmer has done is to stage a complex mystery along the lines of Raymond Chandler's BIG SLEEP in the pocket universe of Peoria, Illinois, where he has lived most of his 80-odd years.  There is a lot of deliberate  humor, and it seems clear that a number of the characters are real denizens  of Peoria, depicted with their permission.  As for plot, a private  detective gets mixed up with one of the wealthiest families of Peoria, and  finds himself matched against a ruthless murderer who will stop at nothing  to exterminate the whole family. Farmer has deliberately and successfully  striven for a level of continuous action matching the pulp detective  fiction of the 1930s.  About the novel's only failing is a final summing up  that (as in THE BIG SLEEP) makes little sense and  leaves more loose ends  than a mop, and I suspect this is Farmer's deliberate choice.
1751874
Stuart Pawson's series of books featuring Inspector Charlie Priest is another enjoyable British police procedural to add to a list including Rankin's Rebus, Robinson's Banks, and
Lovesey's Peter Diamond.  Priest is the oldest Inspector in the country and plans to keep that rank since he's very much a hands-on detective.  His bailiwick is an imaginary town  H conveniently located east of the Pennine "Tops" somewhere in a triangle formed by Manchester, Halifax, and Huddlesfield.  In addition to being a dedicated cop with a finely tuned sense of morality, as well as a finely tuned sense of humor, he's also an artist and a keen walker among the hills and mountains of his beloved Pennines.  Maybe because of his sense of humor, his love of nature and beauty, Priest isn't burdened with the angst which characterizes Rebus and Banks.  His Huddersfield nick is also a fairly pleasant place to work since everyone seems to like each other and work together well as a team with none of the backbiting and jealousies that plague the other fictional detectives  Because of  the low key approach and Priest's laid back style, the books do not have quite the same level of gravitas as those featuring Rebus, or Cooper and Fry, but the crimes Priest and his team investigate are right out of the headlines and are violent and ugly.  This particular case involves an apparent suicide but it's strangeness makes Priest take a closer look.
Along the way, he uncovers a pattern a fraud and other serious crimes.

While it is not essential to read the books in order, I'd recommend doing since most of the characters are permanent and there are changes in Charlie's life. It's a highly enjoyable series and Priest is an attractive and likeable protagonist.
2518919
i enjoyed this book but found it a bit too dark for my taste. The characters are well developed and I found it easy to relate to them, perhaps a bit too easy considering the content. The plot was well developed and fast paced. I would recommend this book to folks that like a good mystery or police procedural, and are okay with more graphic descriptions of crime scenes.
4504156
Sometimes way over the realm of reality but there was a good story line that can be appreciated by followers of police fiction.
1348249
I really enjoyed the small town setting with the Amish community  nearby.  Always a bonus when I am not sure who the guilty party is until it is revealed.
431334
A missing doctor and missing dogs challenge small town police chief Samuel Craddock. when the doctor's mangled body is found, it appears that he fell victim to feral dogs. but craddock suspects something more nefarious is afoot. He fears that the purloined pets have been stolen by a dog fighting ring and used as bait. Instead of looking the other way, Craddock goes deeper.there are suspects aplenty and it seems that the physician had some dark and deadly  secrets. In the meantime, Craddock has his heart stolen by a puppy and encounters challenges in his love life.

Craddock is an engaging and honorable lawman. He is likable if not the most efficient or effective. the small town Texas atmosphere is nicely conveyed. Overall the mystery is pretty good and resolution satisfying. I liked the angle with the puppy and Craddock's disgust at the viciousness and cruelty of dog fighting. My problem with this book is the pace. It is too leisurely for my tastes. The suspense is significantly slowed by the many cozy mystery elements. If you prefer stories that are more focused on character and atmosphere than suspense and action, you will enjoy this more than I did. It is a relatively short book but the languid unfolding diminished my enjoyment.
3127843
THE FOURTH FIGURE is an entertaining police procedural, the fourth in a series featuring Belgian police commissioner Pieter Van In.  It works fine as a standalone, and I liked it quite a bit better than the previous book, FROM BRUGES WITH LOVE.  The translation from the original Flemish is excellent, though the novel itself--first published in 1998--is a little dated because satanism was newsworthy then and isn't so much now.

In the novel, Van In must determine whether a young woman's apparent suicide is actually a murder.  The woman had ties with a local satanist group, and a couple of male satanists who were close to her also end up dead.  Van In is not at his best as an investigator, because he's lost a lot of sleep over his expectant wife Hannelore's false labor, and because he's saddled with a sexy female journalist who has finagled permission from his superiors to shadow his investigation.  It doesn't help that Hannelore believes Pieter is pursuing a dalliance with the journalist.  Lucky for Van In, his sergeant and close friend Guido is able to keep him on track, so that the murder is solved and the mastermind Venex is brought to justice.

The plot is interesting, but the novel is neither a page-turner nor particularly memorable.  Because I like police procedurals in general, the Van In character in particular, and always enjoy the Old-World Bruges setting, I rate THE FOURTH FIGURE at 4 stars ("I like it" on the official Amazon scale.)
778202
Former Iowa Deputy Sheriff Donald Harstad has written another fine thriller/mystery/police procedural.  You need not have read the previous adventures, but it helps. The Nation County gang's all here. The coffee's brewing, and so is the plot: what if terrorists found a way to poison the beef bound for fast food burgers? It's initially disconcerting - flopping and wobbling like a Mad Cow - back and forth from a time certain to some time on an undisclosed date. But perseverance pays off and the reader comes to understand Who's On First, when, and why. The book  has the humour and self-effacing good nature of many rural mid-western law enforcement folks.  I heartily recommend it. As they say in the commercials: It's beefy, juicy, big and bouncy! Reviewed by TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer.
4706125
The author successfully handled the attitudes and conventions of the period without getting into the suffragist movement prominent at that time.  I suspect the back story might have been clearer if I had read the author's previous series about the inspector's daughter's father, but the book is definitely "stand alone" in terms of its plot and characterization.  The mystery was handled well, with enough clues that the identity of the murder is not a surprise, but although the murderer's identity is obvious a bit before the main character figures it out, there is sufficient mis-direction that the real murder remains one of a couple possibilities through most of the book.
The settings are particularly well established.
1067009
CHALK VALLEY is quite long for a first novel but Dan holds it all together quite well. It really is a police procedural commentating on the way cases are often bigger than the resources devoted to them. There are frequently disparate repositories of knowledge and slavishly following strict procedures and protocols often doesn't bring them together in a meaningful way.

The novel highlights the way Canadian jurisdictions often compete with each other, but also that local policemen are often not equipped either through knowledge or experience to run a more complex case.

Lead investigator John McCarty really doesn't have the capacity for the bigger picture. He is convinced the way to go is to sift all the evidence from phone ins etc, categorise the data, and then proceed. The problem is that this is time consuming, and doesn't really ask the investigators to think too much.

Ironically, there was a time, early in the novel, when, if McCarty had been carrying out his duties as he should have been, he would have nipped a crime in the bud and been able to take the serial killer before he killed another woman.

Add to that the fact that McCarty has personal problems.

In fact it takes a persistent RCMP Sergeant following his gut feeling and an experienced observer from Metro to set the ball rolling. Meanwhile the reader has always known who the murderer is.

A novel with this structure, where the characters don't make all the connections, but the reader is omniscient, is not easy carry off and the author does it pretty well.

I particularly liked the characterisation, the occasional touches of irony, and real human interest that surfaced.