See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

14 used & new from £0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
A Long December
 
See larger image
 

A Long December (Paperback)

by Donald Harstad (Author)
No customer reviews yet. Be the first.

Available from these sellers.


1 new from £10.00 13 used from £0.01
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover Order it used

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Code Sixty-one

Code Sixty-one

by Donald Harstad
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £6.29
The Big Thaw

The Big Thaw

by Donald Harstad
4.4 out of 5 stars (5)  £11.99
The Known Dead

The Known Dead

by Donald Harstad
Eleven Days

Eleven Days

by Donald Harstad
4.5 out of 5 stars (11)  £4.79
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Fourth Estate Ltd; First Edition edition (1 Dec 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1841155470
  • ISBN-13: 978-1841155470
  • Product Dimensions: 23 x 15.2 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 484,633 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Review
PRAISE FOR DONALD HARSTAD: 'Harstad's books are terrific and really capture the atmosphere of small-town America, where the twentieth century almost seems to have slipped by unnoticed.' Independent on Sunday 'Harstad's first-hand experience ensures his storytelling always rings true.' Arena

A hotbed of federal activity erupts against the bleak backdrop of Nation County, Iowa when veteran Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman and Iowa DCI agent Hester Gorse find a victim of an execution-style killing on a quiet road near a hog farm. When CNN, the FBI, and numerous other governmental agencies swarm the rural county it becomes apparent that there may well be a terrorist connection and the local kosher meat plant its target. A stakeout results in Houseman and his three colleagues being pinned down in an old barn on a seemingly endless cold December night. Fending off fire and grenades from unknown assailants, the four-strong law enforcement team wait for back-up and the alleviation of operational red tape. Suspense builds through dexterous storytelling as background weaves cleverly around this tense white-knuckle standoff. Harstad, himself a veteran Iowan law enforcement officer reports the tale with ease presenting even the most mundane police procedures with finesse. His style is muscular in a been-there-done-that sort of way, which enlightens the reader on the warts-and-all graft of American policing. This book is fifth in the nail-biting Carl Houseman series and will thrill fans of razor-sharp, gritty cop thrillers. (Kirkus UK)

With 26 years as an Iowa police officer behind him, the retired Harstad handles his procedurals with absolute authority and his rural Nation County, Iowa, characters with a dry wittiness. Here, in his fifth Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman thriller (Code Sixty-One, 2002), one can spot what looks like an editorial hand at work in the opening fifty pages when a very long, slow, but amusing crime scene investigation, aflood with ritual detail, is livened up with interchapters woven from the much later big shootout with a wild gang of terrorists. Carl (55, six foot three, 280 pounds) and his DCI buddy Hester Gorse are called to investigate an execution-style homicide near a deep-country farm: the victim has been shotgunned from behind, with most of his head between the ears scooped out and now fanning the gravel. There's a lot to discuss about this crime scene, and as County Medical Examiner Henry Zimmer and the ambulance crew and Carl's surly boss Lamar arrive, it's old home week for Harstad fans. Is the crime drug-related? (The county, with its big new kosher meat-processing plant and influx of immigrants, now floats 18 different European tongues and weird-sounding varieties of Spanish.) The dead man turns out to be a plant worker but not the Mexican he pretended to be; he was Colombian, dealt in meth, and had some very, very bad friends. The day he dies the plant closes for a few days because its many illegal alien workers fear deportation. Soon a second plant worker dies of ricin poisoning: Were those Zionist pigs Hester and Carl poisoned as well? The two end up trapped in a barn surrounded by terrorists lobbing grenades at them. Meanwhile, red tape (this is actually a federal case) imperils their safety amid the explosions. Top-drawer Harstad, full of really cool dialogue. (Kirkus Reviews)

Product Description
Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman returns for the latest instalment in the fast-paced crime series. In a rural part of Nation County, the body of a dead male is discovered in a ditch with one gunshot wound to the head. What appears to be a routine investigation for Carl Houseman and his team turns into a mysterious case, as they learn that there is no way of identifying the dead man: no fingerprint records, no dental records, nothing. This is the cue for an FBI investigator to enter the scene; a new face from the bureau, who suspects it is the body of a Columbian terrorist. Meanwhile, a local meat-packing plant has been accused of passing off contaminated produce. In a town straining under the pressure of mass immigration, the Jewish plant owners suspect foul play. Can there be a connection with the Columbian corpse? Houseman and FBI agent Hester Gorse chase the leads once again in another nail-biting race to discover the truth.

See all Product Description

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Long December
41% buy
A Long December
£5.49
A Long December
33% buy the item featured on this page:
A Long December
The Big Thaw
26% buy
The Big Thaw 4.4 out of 5 stars (5)
£11.99

Customer Reviews


There are no customer reviews yet.   Create your own review
Video reviews
Video reviews
New feature! Amazon now allows customers to upload product video reviews. Use a webcam or video camera to record and upload reviews to Amazon.



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   
Related forums


Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category


Feedback


The Body Shop

The Body Shop - Vitamin C Skin Boost
Protect and boost your glow with The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.

Shop The Body Shop

 

Make A Wish

Get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List.

More info on Wish Lists

 

We've Got Converse

Converse
Stock up on your favourite styles with great deals on Converse shoes.

Shop Converse

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates