The Calendar Man: A Scandinavian Dark Advent novel set in Greenland: 1

I have read most of Christoffer"s books and storied. They all give an insight to the customs and people of Greenland from a personal perspective. His stories are all entertaining, different and hold the readers attention.

After reading the stories of Petra and David and how they came together, I felt a bit lost without them, so I moved to this book to find out what happened. I am glad David I’d still there, albeit not in the flesh. It makes this new set of stories special. I did get annoyed with Petra being so slow to identify the “Calendar Man” as it was obvious it could only be one of two characters. However, there were other unexpected twists. I am also now understanding a conversation I had online with Chris, the author, who said he could see similarities between Greenland and Scotland. Thanks Chris. I’ve got it now. Good book, well written. A writer who writes books because that is what he does, not prospective screenplays. Well done.

Written in the first person, this tale set in Greenland takes us from the lady police commissioner's loss of her man from cancer to a horrifying murder, the first of a serial killer's puzzle which she must solve in order to catch the killer. The commissioner is someone we admire as she "walks the walk" toward finding answers that will keep the people safe. Interestingly, immigrant groups of both Chinese and Danish work with the police since their people in most cases speak their own languages and observe their own customs. I like that aspect of the story for it shows we are all adapting to a period of cultures in transit, people struggling to adapt and to be accepted by the locals. There is subtle intrigue, danger in a land at its darkest season when daylight is short and night is very long, and ... is there someone within the police force, giving the serial killer information and prolonging the search? To top it off, there's a public referendum coming up. A killer on the loose could influence voters to stay home where they are safe, thus defeating the referendum. The commissioner has to juggle all aspects of the politics while solving the case and just when her heart needs to grieve for her lost partner. She handles it well, with strength, and her team rallies around her, guiding the case to a conclusion. I like this story although I would prefer less self-examination. The author is a Dane very familiar with Greenland but he's not a local and that colors the tale.

This is the first book I've read by this author and it didn't disappoint. The clock is ticking on a mystery that's both personal and international. Petra struggles to solve the case while barely holding herself together after the loss of her partner. Absolutely brilliant.

Another triumph by Petersen. This story takes place in the future when Petra is Police Commissioner and Greenlanders are voting on self rule. Various dead bodies turn up ostensibly to stop the frightened would be voters. Petra is grieving deeply for Maratse who had recently died. The author gently and deftly weaves the plot with an amazing sensitivity to feelings and long held relationships. His love of Greenland is wonderful to behold!