»An unusual tale from the edge of the world.«

»A novel that reads like an Icelandic Fargo drama. Crude, droll, bloody, very funny and with a multitude of surprising twists.«

»Kalmann, more Forrest Gump than Miss Marple, takes on the challenge. It's as lively as it is icy.«

»Joachim B. Schmidt’s novel Kalmann sensitively depicts Iceland’s answer to Forrest Gump – a guy who may be slow on the uptake, but who is, in his own unique way, a connoisseur when it comes to the art of living.«

»This is an incredibly funny, highly suspenseful, very beautiful and affectionate novel.«

»A gripping novel with a light criminal plot.«

»He lets the Icelandic world shine from within and you grow fond of the main character.«

»Kalmann is a wonderful non-crime novel, which, because the negated can persist in the negation, is nonetheless a wonderful crime novel.«

»Kalmann’s thoughts are often philosophical pearls, which amaze not just for their simplicity, but also their truth.«

»What makes this novel especially stand out is its linguistic style. Schmidt narrates entirely from Kalmann’s perspective.«

»Joachim B. Schmidt depicts his central character with great empathy, psychological tact – and humour. He pulls off his protagonist’s seemingly naive narrative style with great success.«

»A captivatingly charming blend of Fargo und Parsifal.«

»Joachim B. Schmidt’s novel is more than a crime novel; it’s a meticulously researched, unpretentiously narrated reportage of everyday life in a far, icy corner of the earth.«

»To know Kalmann is to love him.«

»Kalmann is a remarkable portrayal of a remote Icelandic community and the devastating impact of the decline of the herring and fishing industries. The tensions between this rural community and the latte-drinking townies of Reykjavík are sensitively depicted, as well as hostility and racism towards the Eastern European migrant workers.«

»There isn’t much that Kalli doesn’t know.«

»Schmidt reveals himself to be an incredibly empathetic and skilled narrator with a strong sense for light humour.«

»That a Swiss author could write the best Iceland mystery novel of the year is something you deem improbable only until you read this book.«

»Just because an idiot says something, that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless.«

»What makes Kalmann so unique is the language.«

»Joachim B. Schmidt, who lives in Iceland, has written an incredible, moving book with an unusual hero who instantaneously wins the reader’s heart.«

»An incredibly vivid sense of place, and a gifted storyteller.«

»Gripping, funny, empathetic, and cleverly structured.«

»This is a social novel, and a sensitive portrait of Kalmann – a young, self-aware Icelander who is very different to everyone else.«

»There’s a crime to solve, certainly, but that’s only a small part of this powerful novel.«

»The brushstrokes of humour are impeccable; the attention to detail turns this work of fiction into a tender portrait of the Icelandic landscape and its inhabitants.«

»A protagonist who is hard to forget, and who occasionally finds his wires crossed .«

»Kalmann (Gatopardo) is quite a character in his Icelandic small town, the likeable, not entirely normal – nor stupid – boy that everyone knows. But when it comes to a missing person investigation, he can offer the best explanation.«

»His abilities may appear impaired, but he impresses through his kindness and courage; attributes which are more important to solving the case than all the usual police paraphernalia.«

»Kalmann, the 33-year-old neurodivergent man and self-proclaimed sheriff of the remote village of Raufarhöfn, who narrates this endearing slice-of-life mystery, Schmidt’s English-language debut. The narrative charms of Schmidt’s unlikely detective will keep readers turning the pages.«

 

»This is a thriller in its form; […], but the main strengths are the portrayals, the humor, the scenery, the good conversations and the nature experiences. […] I did not get up from the couch until the last page had been flipped.«

»The thriller is light and fun, although the undertone is black and cruel.«

»A welcome addition to the Icelandic literary flora.«

»Joachim B. Schmidt’s novels show a sensitivity to how the accumulation of seemingly small events makes up the drama of human life«

»Your book is absolutely great!«

»A Swiss author writes a book that takes place in Raufarhöfn (!) and creates characters that are more Icelandic than anything Icelandic. What kind of magician is this?«