Five Decembers

James Kestrel

Mystery and thriller · Noir

Print length: 429 pagesTitan Books Limited, 2021

Description

In December 1941, Honolulu detective Joe McGrady begins investigating a homicide as the United States approaches war. The clues carry the case beyond Hawaii, sending him across the Pacific and away from the woman he loves. Five Decembers follows the widening distance between the detective’s starting point and the places his investigation takes him, setting a criminal inquiry against a moment of immense historical change. At its center is McGrady’s pursuit of the case despite separation and uncertainty, as a local homicide becomes a far-reaching journey across the Pacific during the opening of the war.

Reading profile

About this profile

Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).

Writing: How much attention the sentences and language require.
Ideas: How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
Structure: How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
Background knowledge: Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
Emotional intensity: Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.

Writing style

Atmospheric · Descriptive · Direct

Pace

Moderate

Tone

Atmospheric · Melancholic · Suspenseful · Tense

Structure

Linear

Focus

Character · Mystery · Plot

Emotional intensity

4 / 5

Reading complexity

1–5 · higher means more demanding

Writing: 3 / 5
Ideas: 3 / 5
Structure: 3 / 5
Background knowledge: 2 / 5

Themes

IsolationJusticeLoveWarWork

Book details

For the print edition listed above.

Publisher: Titan Books Limited
Language: English
ISBN: 9781789096118

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