A crime novel is expected to contain certain enduring tropes. Some writers fight these expectations, sometimes with a desire to transcend the genre, but more often with unease, feeling trapped within the boundaries of the label. Other writers embrace them, creating novels that effectively showcase the strengths of the genre.
Five Decembers, by James Kestrel, is such a novel, demonstrating a deep appreciation, understanding, and mastery for the crime genre.
The familiar elements are all there: a gruesome murder, a tough cop willing to work outside the low, a partner he’s not exactly friendly with, and lovers he can never seem to keep in his life. Kestrel manages to arrange these familiar tropes in such an expansive way that they feel fresh and natural again. The scope of the novel increases gradually, going from a gruesome crime in one city, to an adventure spanning three countries and five years. This is broader than the typical crime story, making the novel very satisfying.
The pacing always keeps you on your feet, never knowing what turns the story might take, nor dwelling too long in any place. The writing is tight, using every word to either set the mood, or to move the story along. Despite this quick pacing, we get a lot of space to dwell in our main character’s head. This helps set the emotional tones of the novel, through a sharp, gruff, and gloomy narrator ; by no means a departure from the typical crime novel hero.
We follow Detective Joe McGrady, Honolulu Police Department. We start in November 1941, with our gumshoe having been on the force only a short while. He hasn’t had a time to build up a reputation, but he does manage to get a big case assigned to him: the gruesome murder of a young man, found in a lush hillside farm. Sent alone to investigate, he encounters one of the perps, coming back to finish the job. McGrady’s Army training comes in handy in the resulting gun fight. After he finds another victim—a young Japanese woman—the case gets more complicated, especially after McGrady gets the feeling that a second murderer is on the loose. His holiday plans with his girlfriend, Molly, are shaken up by the growing case. The male victim turns out to be a nephew of a Navy Admiral, and McGrady ends up needing to chase the suspect to Hong Kong. Getting back home will prove difficult for our detective, as war breaks out in the Pacific.
The rich settings make for one of the more striking elements of the novel. We have beautiful descriptions of 1940s Honolulu: from gritty Chinatown, to the bustling Navy yards, to lush jungle landscapes and ocean views. Our author, Kestrel, spent a considerable effort in researching the background and details of the locations and time period. This immerses you in the story very well, with the accurate details grounding it in reality.
The scope of the novel also surprised me. What starts out as a local crime quickly turns into a global chase. Everything unfolds carefully and naturally from there, never making us feel rushed, but also keeping us on our toes. At the end, you look back at a much larger adventure than you might have anticipated, but this grandness never felt forced on you.
Familiar crime novel tropes fill the unusually grand scope well, making the story feel well anchored. Their deployment never feels forced, coming as a welcome homage to the classics, and as a means to speed up exposition. By spending less time on familiar elements, we get more space for the unique aspects of the novel. The details and flourishes of the setting have enough space to feel fleshed out, thanks to the familiarities of the genre having set the stage.
Our main character, McGrady, has all the typical traits of a pulp crime hero: witty, charming, forced to bend the rules, and a romantic, despite his tough exterior. We spend a lot of time in his head, either following his thoughts, or just seeing the world from his perch. His point of view adds a great amount of personality to the narration, while also stepping out of the way when needed. Unfortunately, McGrady is much more fleshed out compared to the rest of the cast. Some are introduced and disappear too quickly—perhaps victim to an edit cutting the novel in half, but that likely improved the novel’s pacing tremendously. Other characters seem to serve as mere vehicles for delivering expected scenes in the crime genre. We do have one great supporting character, acting as a focal point for the second half of the novel, and providing a lot of emotional depth to McGrady. They also serve as a means to give a very conclusive and satisfying ending to the novel.
As I’ve mentioned, Kestrel’s writing has benefitted from meticulous research and diligent editing. The result is a novel cut down to peak efficiency: every word is measured, and no effort is wasted to give us mood, character development, or plot advancement. As a result, Five Decembers is a real page-turner, with a gripping and expansive plot, that manages to include all of the cherished elements of a classic crime novel. The original setting of Honolulu and WW2 helped it stand out from other works in the genre. This unique character makes it a great read, not just for genre afficionados.