Where to Start: The Ideal Entry Point
With dozens of novels, novellas, and short stories set in the harsh climates of the far north, diving into Christoffer Petersen’s bibliography can feel like navigating an Arctic blizzard. For the absolute best reading experience, you should begin with the Greenland Crime series. The debut novel, Seven Graves, One Winter (2018), serves as the perfect introduction to both the unforgiving Greenlandic environment and the author's signature style. It introduces Constable David Maratse, a retired policeman turned subsistence hunter who is reluctantly dragged back into the line of duty. Reading the core Greenland Crime novels in publication order allows you to experience the natural evolution of the setting and its recurring characters.
The Main Greenland Crime Sequence (David Maratse)
Constable David Maratse is the heart of Petersen's primary universe. The series is best read in publication order to preserve character development and the unfolding political dynamics of Greenland:
- Seven Graves, One Winter (2018)
- Blood Floe (2018)
- We Shall Be Monsters (2018)
- Inside the Bear's Cage (2019)
- Whale Heart (2020)
- Warrior (2021)
- The Greenland Manifesto (2022)
- The Untamed (2024)
- Man Hunt (2025)
The Greenland Missing Persons Spin-off (Petra Jensen)
Constable Petra "Piitalaat" Jensen is introduced early in the David Maratse sequence (specifically in Seven Graves, One Winter) as a newly graduated police officer. She quickly became a fan favorite, leading to her own massive spin-off series, Greenland Missing Persons. These books are technically novellas, but they form a highly serialized, chronological narrative tracking her career. They should be read in publication order, starting with The Boy with the Narwhal Tooth (2020) and running through to The Ballad of Heart Mountain (2025).
For readers who prefer longer formats, Petra also stars in her own series of full-length novels (often referred to by fans as the Dark Advent series), starting with The Calendar Man (2018). These novels feature Petra as a commissioner and are set in a slightly advanced timeline, making them excellent companion pieces once you are familiar with her constable days.
Understanding the Timelines and Caveats
While the primary Greenland Crime and Greenland Missing Persons series share the same universe, characters frequently cross over, and reading the short story collections can add rich context. However, there are two major caveats readers must know before starting:
- The Speculative Detour (Guerrilla Greenland): The Guerrilla Greenland series (beginning with Arctic State) is explicitly designated by Petersen as an alternative timeline. In this speculative scenario, the United States purchases Greenland, triggering a geopolitical conflict. Because this series alters character relationships and continuity, it should be treated as a separate "what-if" universe and read independently from the main crime books.
- Standalone Adventures: The Konstabel Fenna Brongaard series (beginning with The Ice Star) focuses on the elite Sirius Sledge Patrol. While it is set in the same freezing landscape, it can be read completely independently of the Maratse and Jensen series.
What to Know Before You Start
Petersen's books are praised for their cultural authenticity. Drawing from his seven years of living in Greenland—including a year teaching at the Greenland Police Academy—Petersen avoids touristy cliches, instead focusing on the resilience of local Inuit communities, the friction between Danish administration and Greenlandic sovereignty, and the sheer lethality of the Arctic climate. The environment is always a primary antagonist, whether characters are navigating a deadly piteraq storm or tracking a killer across a shifting ice floe.