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Harvest of the Heart
Little Elsa Danforth has a very special and unusual connection with her mother. When she is four years old, as a result of this unique empathy, she is traumatized when her mother is the first victim of a serial killer later known as the Harvester. Although the horrific memory is suppressed, it has a dramatic impact on the rest of her life.
She and her father learn to move on and find happiness, but each fall the Harvester strikes again, reviving the pain. Despite this and other heart-wrenching tragedies that befall her, Elsa develops into a strong, loving, and determined young woman, though one with a darkness lurking inside her mind.
Bored FBI Cadet Paul Demerov answers a call that changes his life and triggers a meteoric rise that links his career with the murderous reign of an infamous serial killer. As years pass and the Harvester kills again and again, the nightmares start; a mysterious red-head haunts his sleep. Can he save her from the monster that wants to harvest her heart?
Twenty years after her mother was ripped from her life, the Harvester continues to claim victims and elude the FBI. Elsa takes the law into her own hands, adopts an alias, and devotes her life to killing the Harvester, drawing him out by making herself a potential victim. Training, discipline, and tapping into that darkness within her, have made her a dangerous weapon; a weapon that finds more than one target.
She and her father learn to move on and find happiness, but each fall the Harvester strikes again, reviving the pain. Despite this and other heart-wrenching tragedies that befall her, Elsa develops into a strong, loving, and determined young woman, though one with a darkness lurking inside her mind.
Bored FBI Cadet Paul Demerov answers a call that changes his life and triggers a meteoric rise that links his career with the murderous reign of an infamous serial killer. As years pass and the Harvester kills again and again, the nightmares start; a mysterious red-head haunts his sleep. Can he save her from the monster that wants to harvest her heart?
Twenty years after her mother was ripped from her life, the Harvester continues to claim victims and elude the FBI. Elsa takes the law into her own hands, adopts an alias, and devotes her life to killing the Harvester, drawing him out by making herself a potential victim. Training, discipline, and tapping into that darkness within her, have made her a dangerous weapon; a weapon that finds more than one target.
236 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2011
About the author
Michael Selmer
2 books22 followersMichael was born and raised in Maryland. He and his wife of thirty-five years, Kathleen, moved to Wyoming in 2010. In his leisure time, he runs and reads, both to excess. He has run numerous marathons, including Boston and, in August of 2010, completed the one hundred mile Race Across the Sky in Leadville, Colorado.
The Author's working life has been a smorgasbord of careers and occupations: UPS driver, mall cop, maintenance man, cabinetmaker, woodturner, master electrician, business owner, and more. All his life, he dreamed of being a writer. Writing was something he dabbled with in the little spare time he had while he and his wife raised their four children. With the children grown and bringing along families of their own, the urge grew to take that leap of faith into a writing career.
In January 2011, the stars aligned and circumstances finally allowed Michael to pursue his passion. The result was like the bursting of a dam- the 125,000 word rough draft for Harvest of the Heart poured onto the page in just seven weeks. With the help of Bill Thompson, who has worked with such authors as Stephen King, Peter Straub and John Grisham, Michael honed his craft and his manuscript. He is excited that 2011 will yield the first fruit of his new writing career. And the tree is full of blossoms.
The Author's working life has been a smorgasbord of careers and occupations: UPS driver, mall cop, maintenance man, cabinetmaker, woodturner, master electrician, business owner, and more. All his life, he dreamed of being a writer. Writing was something he dabbled with in the little spare time he had while he and his wife raised their four children. With the children grown and bringing along families of their own, the urge grew to take that leap of faith into a writing career.
In January 2011, the stars aligned and circumstances finally allowed Michael to pursue his passion. The result was like the bursting of a dam- the 125,000 word rough draft for Harvest of the Heart poured onto the page in just seven weeks. With the help of Bill Thompson, who has worked with such authors as Stephen King, Peter Straub and John Grisham, Michael honed his craft and his manuscript. He is excited that 2011 will yield the first fruit of his new writing career. And the tree is full of blossoms.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 8, 2012
A tense and disturbing thriller with a unique female protagonist
Harvest of the Heart begins with the murder of Elsa Danforth's mother on her fourth birthday. This would be traumatic enough for any child, but Elsa has a strange connection with her mother, and this bond results in Elsa experiencing the horrors of her mother's brutal murder through their psychic connection. Elsa's mother is just the first victim in a killing spree that lasts for years, and the serial killer becomes known as The Harvester. The killings happen in September or October each year, and the FBI are struggling to understand the motives of the killer, and what is so special about this particular time of year.
Meanwhile, young Elsa is growing up. She becomes a strong and spirited girl who excels at running. The story follows her life as she grows, and gradually it becomes clear that her principle objective is to kill the Harvester, so that he can't destroy the lives of any more young women.
A young FBI agent has similarly developed an obsession with the Harvester - but despite some intricate planning and warnings to people to stay off the streets in the danger period, the Harvester continues to elude him.
Michael Selmer writes well, and the book flows from descriptive passage to dark and terrifying revelations about the Harvester. Some of the scenes of murder are gruesome in their detail, but cleverly written. Elsa's character develops nicely from childhood to adulthood, and the novel has an excellent climax, with an unexpected ending.
For me there were one or two slight gaps in the story. We learn of Elsa's connection with her mother early on, but the relevance of this disappears on her mother's death, to be reignited momentarily towards the end. It felt as if this could have had more significance as the story progressed. We know what the Harvester does, and some reference is made as to why - but I never felt that I entirely understood his motivation, or why this only happened once a year. What Selmer did very well, though, was demonstrate the escalation in the horror of the murders, if not in the frequency.
During Elsa's growing up period, the writing was fluid and the story was interesting, but it became slightly disconnected from the main theme, with the focus moving away somewhat from the Harvester's activities.
That said, I would recommend this book as a very good read, and these are minor points in an otherwise excellent story.
Rachel Abbott from The Kindle Book Review
Harvest of the Heart begins with the murder of Elsa Danforth's mother on her fourth birthday. This would be traumatic enough for any child, but Elsa has a strange connection with her mother, and this bond results in Elsa experiencing the horrors of her mother's brutal murder through their psychic connection. Elsa's mother is just the first victim in a killing spree that lasts for years, and the serial killer becomes known as The Harvester. The killings happen in September or October each year, and the FBI are struggling to understand the motives of the killer, and what is so special about this particular time of year.
Meanwhile, young Elsa is growing up. She becomes a strong and spirited girl who excels at running. The story follows her life as she grows, and gradually it becomes clear that her principle objective is to kill the Harvester, so that he can't destroy the lives of any more young women.
A young FBI agent has similarly developed an obsession with the Harvester - but despite some intricate planning and warnings to people to stay off the streets in the danger period, the Harvester continues to elude him.
Michael Selmer writes well, and the book flows from descriptive passage to dark and terrifying revelations about the Harvester. Some of the scenes of murder are gruesome in their detail, but cleverly written. Elsa's character develops nicely from childhood to adulthood, and the novel has an excellent climax, with an unexpected ending.
For me there were one or two slight gaps in the story. We learn of Elsa's connection with her mother early on, but the relevance of this disappears on her mother's death, to be reignited momentarily towards the end. It felt as if this could have had more significance as the story progressed. We know what the Harvester does, and some reference is made as to why - but I never felt that I entirely understood his motivation, or why this only happened once a year. What Selmer did very well, though, was demonstrate the escalation in the horror of the murders, if not in the frequency.
During Elsa's growing up period, the writing was fluid and the story was interesting, but it became slightly disconnected from the main theme, with the focus moving away somewhat from the Harvester's activities.
That said, I would recommend this book as a very good read, and these are minor points in an otherwise excellent story.
Rachel Abbott from The Kindle Book Review
January 7, 2012
Awesome read, I couldn't put it down. Very well written, I felt if I was there watching the story unfold. (me yelling warnings at the characters did as much good as my husband yelling at the tv during a football game)If you like mystery/thrillers READ this book.
January 3, 2012
Technically 4.5 by Doubleshot Reviews rating scale, but DEFINITELY worthy of rounding up!
Harvest of the Heart is a fantastic thriller/mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. Author Michael Selmer knows how to write a character you can believe in and care about. In fact, there were several characters within the book that I felt a very strong connection to and wanted to see succeed in their quest for justice against The Harvester. Was justice served? Well you will just have to purchase the book and find out.
Spanning a period of 20 years, we, the readers, get to watch as young Elsa grows from little girl to a young, beautiful, athletic and intelligent woman. Through Selmer's talent as a writer, we feel Elsa's pain, happiness and determination as events in her life shape her into the woman she will become. I only had one minor irritation with Harvest of the Heart and that was due to some circumstances that, without going into detail, I found highly unbelievable, but upon reaching the end of the book I got the reason behind the situations.
Much like a runner needs to pace themselves to reach the end of their route to avoid tiring out too quickly, the story was well told and paced. I did not notice any flaws or tells that easily gave away any major plot point, which can easily happen in a thriller. Harvest of the Heart is well worth the purchase price, but be warned it is part one of, at least, a 2 part series. I know I sometimes hate reading a book not realizing that there will be more to come and then being left hanging.
Harvest of the Heart is a fantastic thriller/mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. Author Michael Selmer knows how to write a character you can believe in and care about. In fact, there were several characters within the book that I felt a very strong connection to and wanted to see succeed in their quest for justice against The Harvester. Was justice served? Well you will just have to purchase the book and find out.
Spanning a period of 20 years, we, the readers, get to watch as young Elsa grows from little girl to a young, beautiful, athletic and intelligent woman. Through Selmer's talent as a writer, we feel Elsa's pain, happiness and determination as events in her life shape her into the woman she will become. I only had one minor irritation with Harvest of the Heart and that was due to some circumstances that, without going into detail, I found highly unbelievable, but upon reaching the end of the book I got the reason behind the situations.
Much like a runner needs to pace themselves to reach the end of their route to avoid tiring out too quickly, the story was well told and paced. I did not notice any flaws or tells that easily gave away any major plot point, which can easily happen in a thriller. Harvest of the Heart is well worth the purchase price, but be warned it is part one of, at least, a 2 part series. I know I sometimes hate reading a book not realizing that there will be more to come and then being left hanging.
November 25, 2011
Harvest of the Heart is a fast-paced suspense/thriller that weaves in elements of heartwarming romance and heart-wrenching tragedy. I love stories that feature fierce female leads, and Elsa had me hooked. She is a wonderfully complex character that drew me in from the first page. She struggles with a darkness that begins to grow in her when she is a child and her mother is the first victim of the Harvester. She finds comfort and relief from the darkness in her running, and through relationships that help her grow into a strong woman despite several punches life throws at her. The darkness weighs on her more with each passing year the Harvester kills, until it threatens to consume her. The result of that struggle with darkness makes for one of the best climaxes I've ever read. Best of all, Harvest of the Heart leaves a perfect opening for a sequel - which I am already anxiously awaiting!
December 15, 2011
I was lucky enough to receive a sneak peek at "Harvest of the Heart" a while back and I was instantly drawn into the plot and the lives of the characters as it unfolded. I found it to be suspenseful (somewhat predictable but in the most unpredictable way), riveting and nearly impossible to put down. A true page turner, Selmer's descriptive writing provided such vivid visualizations that while reading I often was transported to the places Elsa was - the mountains of Wyoming or the trail on one of her runs - and could "see" everything unfold. This was most definitely a great addition to my book collection and one that I have no doubts I will go back and revisit again. Thinking someday the cover of this book just might read, "NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE"
September 5, 2018
I really enjoyed all the running and descriptions of running, especially in Wyoming. The main character lost her way at the end though in my mind.
July 27, 2012
I enjoyed this novel even though I found it to be a little long. However, it doesn't come across as a mystery, suspense, or thriller novel. I also didn't feel it to be gruesome or horrifying.
The characters are very well-developed, and the story is written quite well. The author manages to pull at your heart strings several times as you can feel Elsa's grief each and every time she loses someone close to her. Towards the end you can't help but cheer for Elsa as she becomes a vigilante.
When I finished, I still didn't understand the reasoning behind Elsa's connection to her mother, or her premonitions of death. Also, it would have been nice to know what motivated the villain to kill his victims.
As mentioned earlier, I thought the book was a little long. So it was very surprising to me that Elsa's story will continue in book number two. Will I read it? I can't really say.
The characters are very well-developed, and the story is written quite well. The author manages to pull at your heart strings several times as you can feel Elsa's grief each and every time she loses someone close to her. Towards the end you can't help but cheer for Elsa as she becomes a vigilante.
When I finished, I still didn't understand the reasoning behind Elsa's connection to her mother, or her premonitions of death. Also, it would have been nice to know what motivated the villain to kill his victims.
As mentioned earlier, I thought the book was a little long. So it was very surprising to me that Elsa's story will continue in book number two. Will I read it? I can't really say.
December 6, 2011
This is the book that got me back into reading. Before reading HotH, it was about 5 years since I've read anything besides work-related reference books.
Harvest of the Heart pulls you in right from the start and never lets you go.
If you like King and Koontz, this book is for you. I don't think any of their books were as enjoyable as this one.
Harvest of the Heart pulls you in right from the start and never lets you go.
If you like King and Koontz, this book is for you. I don't think any of their books were as enjoyable as this one.
Want to Read
September 11, 2012I don't know if I'll read it but it can't be all bad in the heroine's named "Elsa"
November 14, 2012
Too predictable....Elsa has too many tragedies to avoid being the protagonist.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews