Alamo North Dakota - A Dan Neumann Myster

Dan Neumann Mystery #2

by Phil Rustad

Semi-retired Minneapolis homicide detective Dan Neumann is happy to hear his best friend's voice until he hears Pete's ''I need your help, buddy. Grams is dead.'' Dan's shock turns to outrage when he learns surrogate grandmother was murdered. He assumes it was a random break-in until Pete's entire family is targeted. Finding out who and why is Dan's mission. The puzzle gets even more strange when the investigation reveals a pro hit man and a lethal U.S. Army gas stolen in the Balkans, which is an invitation to the FBI to take over. No matter. Jurisdiction means little to Dan -- this is personal. Following the evidence into a land of billion-dollar mineral rights contracts, Dan learns about the Bakken Oil Field and a twisted, ugly world of fraud and conspiracy inhabited by men whose greed respects no one. As nature's winter fury swirls around him, Dan faces the killer in territory he never expected to find himself -- ''about thirty miles from the middle of nowhere - Alamo, North Dakota.''

400 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

With a background in manufacturing in the Minnesota Ordinance Industry and a life long interest in Military and Weapons History, Phil Rustad has a unique perspective for writing a murder mystery. By combining state of the art technology with the age old inner struggle between our good and evil natures, he crafts a story that is both modern and ancient. In Dart, he examines the human drive to seek justice in a world that is daily redefining that word.

Reviews

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minnesota mystery author writing a story of murder, attempted murder, greed, OCD, a Mineral Rights deed, a con artist, and a the mystery of family connections that begins in Edina, Minnesota, and ends in Alamo, North Dakota. That's all. You'll have to read it to fill in the blanks. I think it would be a worthwhile read, even if you don't live in North Dakota or Minnesota, and even if you don't know a thing about Mineral Rights and the Bakken Oilfield. It is a window into how Big Oil acquires access to oil fields and harvests a one-time harvest in remote places. The book is both a mystery and an education into some real things most readers may not know much about. Unless they have been around murder, greed, OCD, mineral rights, oil drilling, and con artists etc.

[Connie Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phi Rustad is an exciting find. I know him as an AKC agility judge and exhibitor. I appended to purchase hisost recent 3 books at an agility trial. I have read two andam ready to start the third.they are a fun read.

[Judy Seguin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting storyline and character development. The only distraction for me was the explanation of every police procedure. Sometimes just saying what was done would have been enough.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phil Rustad

The second in the Dan Neumann Mystery series, Alamo North Dakota is an exciting page-turner that combines secret loves of the past with new wealth from oil fields in North Dakota as Detective, Dan Neumann tries to solve the murder of a close family friend.

Local readers will enjoy the many references from the Twin Cities (Minnesota), Fargo, North Dakota and Alamo, North Dakota.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very good book by Rustad, I hope his books catch on so they keep getting published. His stories are on par with John Sandford's but his characters lack a bit of the charisma. Don't get me wrong they are still well developed.

This particular book was better than "Dart", but just barely. It's not an Agatha Christie type whodunnit, you know early on who the culprits are but you are left wondering how the police and FBI are going to put the pieces together to catch them. It was a quick, easy, and enjoyable read.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good Minnesota-based cop book. It isn't quite John Sanford or Chuck Logan, but it captures a lot of Minnesota/Dakota lingo, humor, and basic decency. The basic crimes are solidly drawn and explained, the police procedure (tech stuff prominently included) is handled well, the cop banter is pretty good, and the sense of place is strong. I'll look for the first book in the series and wait for the third one later this year.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written by a friend and fellow dog show judge. Phil did a great job. The story is good and the dialog is really well written. The story is set in Minneapolis and Alamo ND....an actual town. Good job Phil!!!

[Luanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. I liked the North Dakota location and how current the story is with what is happening there now with the mineral rights. The characters are easy to relate to.

[Jeff Munson · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book, lots of twists and turns. If you are a mystery fan (I don't consider myself one, but that's how much I liked this book) you'll love this book!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Mn author Phil Rustad's 2nd book. I enjoyed it a little bit more than the first book, Dart. I'm looking forward to #3 as he's definitely getting better.