Righteous

Joe Ide's follow up to last year's breakout debut IQ is a knockout. Long Beach's own Sherlock Holmes, IQ as he is known, solves crimes in his downtrodden neighborhood. Missing cats, stolen jewelry seem to be his specialty. In this latest book, alternating chapters have IQ looking into the murder of his older brother who, eight years ago, was run over by a car in a hit and run as well as helping his late brother's girlfriend's sister get out of a complicated caper in Las Vegas. Full of wit, fast pacing, and great dialogue, Righteous is one of my favorite books this year.

I have a real soft spot for IQ. He's a product of his tough LA neighborhood who is haunted by his older brother's death and determined to find out why his brother died. In this second installment of what I hope is a long series, IQ closes in on what happened to his brother while also trying to protect the family of the woman both he and his brother loved. Mayhem, a minor gang war, and a budding maturity on IQ's part ensue.

Isiah Quintabe returns in his second adventure. IQ discovers the car that killed his brother, Marcus, in a local junkyard and he uncovers the fact it was not a hit-and-run as the police thought; Marcus was murdered by the person driving the car. This sets IQ on a path of destruction through his south-central LA neighborhood. IQ also get a phone call from Sarita, Marcus' former girl friend, asking him to save her father and step-sister, who are on the run from Tommy Lau, a Chinese gangster. Dodson and IQ head to Las Vegas to rescue Ken and Janine; Ken is Tommy's lieutenant in a chain of human misery and Janine is in over her head with gambling debts. So IQ is focused on helping Sarita, a woman he has had a crush on for years, which also comes full-circle to solving the case of Marcus' murder. Excellent plotting and great character development. I am looking forward to more adventures with IQ.

IQ vs. the Locos gang members from East Long Beach, the 14K Chinese triad gangsters and a Las Vegas loan shark

I enjoyed the first book in this series - IQ - featuring Isaiah Quintabe and liked this second book even more.

IQ is an unusual private investigator in East Long Beach, doing a paying job once in awhile to pay bills but often doing pro bono work, being paid with a chicken, a sweet potato pie or whatever whoever he helped could pay.

He's been working on tracking down the killer of his older brother, who was murdered by a "hit-and-run" driver ten years ago. In the middle of looking into this, he's approached by his brother's old girlfriend (who he still has a major crush on) and he and his frenemy, Dodson, get roped into a bizarre case with all kinds of criminal elements being involved.

This was a thrill-a-minute rollercoaster ride of a story with bizarre but believable characters. I recommend it highly - after you've read the first book.

I received this book from Mulholland Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I loved "IQ" and it's new take on a Sherlock Holmes character in the middle of East L.A.. "Righteous" continues my love affair IQ and his sidekick Dodson. We learn more of the backstory of IQ and how he came to be the man he is today. His character becomes more nuanced and three-dimensional in this sequel. Dodson also becomes a more significant character in this unlikely partnership. Definitely recommended but I would read IQ first to get the full backstory. Besides which, why rob yourself of the pleasure of the first volume in an outstanding series.