A former northeast Iowa law officer turned author is looking forward to the release of his latest book. Donald Harstad was a Clayton County Deputy Sheriff before beginning a successful career writing crime novels.
Harstad says his experience in law enforcement helps him keep his books authentic. While his books deal with crime, he says they aren’t murder mysteries.
He says you usually find out well before the book is over who committed the crime, it’s just a matter of proving it. Harstad says all the things he’s done in his career have helped him become a successful author.
He was a deputy for 23 years after being a dispatcher, and before that he had worked in Hollywood in the motion picture industry. His next book will deal with a current issue.
The book called “The Heartland Experiment” will be out in April and the story line involves a terrorist incident in Iowa. One of Harstad’s earlier novels, titled “Eleven Days,” is being negotiated for release as a movie, which could be filmed in Iowa. Harstad made his comments during a stop at the Oelwein Library.