Five Decembers

By: James Kestrel

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Winner of the 2022 Edgar Award for Best Novel

Nominee for Best Thriller in the 2022 Barry Awards

Hammett Prize 2021 Finalist

December 1941. America teeters on the brink of war, and in Honolulu, Hawaii, police detective Joe McGrady is assigned to investigate a homicide that will change his life forever. The trail of murder he uncovers will lead him across the Pacific, far from home and the woman he loves; and though the U.S. doesn't know it yet, a Japanese fleet is already steaming toward Pearl Harbor.

This extraordinary novel is so much more than just a gripping crime story—it's a story of survival against all odds, of love and loss and the human cost of war. Spanning the entirety of World War II, Five Decembers is a beautiful, masterful, powerful novel that will live in your memory forever.

Original cover art copyright (c) 2021 by Claudia Carafe, painted for Hard Case Crime

©2022 James Kestrel (P)2022 Podium Audio

Critic reviews

“War, imprisonment, torture, romance…The novel has an almost operatic symmetry, and Kestrel turns a beautiful phrase.” (The New York Times)

"Read this book for its palpitating story, its perfect emotional and physical detailing and, most of all, for its unforgettable conjuring of a steamy quicksilver world that will be new to almost every reader." (Pico Iyer)

Fantastic

This was a fantastic surprise. A great story set in difficult circumstances, interesting characters and very well written. The narration is superb as well. Highly recommended.

Excellent

I am so glad I read this book. it was so skillfully written and unpredictable!

An enjoyable 1940s mystery

I normally only read science fiction and fantasy, but had enjoyed mysteries with Nero Wolfe and Johnny Dollar in the past. So I decided to give this story a shot after seeing it had won awards. it was a great story with excellent narration. I normally only listen while driving to work, but I brought this story along with me with earbuds so I could finish it quickly. Looking forward to more from this author.

Awesome WW2 mystery thriller! Totally deserving of the Edgar.

Narrator was perfect for this book! I don’t understand some listeners’ complaints about his sharp cadence. It was perfect for this book. The story was great. I loved the main character Joe. I hope the author hurries up & writes another.

Great story. Wonderfully narrated

This was a great story that hits all your emotions. Drama, thriller, mystery and love beautifully woven together. Would read more by this author.

Great crime noir! Harkens back to Marlow and McDonald.

the historical aspect just added to the enjoyment. look forward to another from this author

Phenomenal

This one blew me away. Excellent voice actor and story. Will be watching this author.

One of best audio books I have ever experienced

The story, the reader, it was just all consuming. I hardly turned it off before finishing.

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Give this a thoughtful listen/read. it's worth the time. it's a very engaging experience.

The murder mystery is great, the rest is not

Let me explain the headline. The murder mystery at the heart of this book was truly interesting. Given that it's historical fiction, and not claimed alternative history, the author had some restrictions to work with given the timeframe. Those were well done. That some aspects of solving the crime ran that border of convenient coincidence and justifiable is true, but nothing to my mind was egregious enough to cause me to check out.

I'm not an expert on, e.g., the specific society of Hawaii on the eve of WWII, but I have always been interested in the overall history of that war. To my level of knowledge, it felt accurate enough. Another notch for the book.

But when the book left the investigation and the 'hunt,' I lost interest. I know every writing class says "make sure your protagonist is flawed." Well, sure. But in this case, I simply had to grit my teeth to avoid screaming out "just deal" while I was listening while doing my nightly walks.

The narrator was appropriate to the theme of the book, and those sections that drove me nuts weren't any worse nor better because of the narration. No narrator could've done anything to save those for me.