Five Decembers
What it's about
In late 1941, Honolulu police detective Joe McGrady takes on a brutal double murder, and the trail leads him across the Pacific toward Hong Kong. Then Pearl Harbor is attacked, and McGrady is trapped behind enemy lines, where his search for the killer, and his survival, will take years and the help of people he never expected to trust.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. It's a crime novel, a war epic and a love story at once, and critics compared it to All the Light We Cannot See.
You'll love it if you liked
All the Light We Cannot See, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold or Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption
Good to know
It's long and sweeping, covering the whole war. It includes violence and torture.
Quick answers
Is Five Decembers worth reading?
Yes. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. It ranks #324 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Five Decembers about?
In late 1941, Honolulu police detective Joe McGrady takes on a brutal double murder, and the trail leads him across the Pacific toward Hong Kong. Then Pearl Harbor is attacked, and McGrady is trapped behind enemy lines, where his search for the killer, and his survival, will take years and the help of people he never expected to trust.
How long does it take to read Five Decembers?
About 11 hours (432 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Five Decembers won?
Edgar Award winner (2022).
What should I read after Five Decembers?
If you liked it, try All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré or Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand.
By the numbers
- Readers92 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller17 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz26 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Edgar Award winner (2022).
Where it ranks
Won
- Edgar Award winner (2022)
Reads as
Epic