A Book A Week

"Most of us have to play the hand we're dealt but you and that mind of yours? You can deal your own hand, play whatever game you want to play, and there's nothing out there can stop you but yourself."

I've seen many reviewers comparing the main character of this novel to Sherlock Holmes. While Isaiah Quintabe, or IQ for short, does use his intellect and deductive reasoning to solve problems, the similarities stop there. IQ has had a rough life. After the sudden death of his brother and only living family member, Isaiah was forced to drop out of high school and take on various odd jobs to support himself. Instead of using his brains to excel, he put them to use pulling off simple burglaries that no one in his East Long Beach, California neighborhood would ever suspect him of.

Fortunately, those days are behind him. Now IQ has taken the advice of his deceased brother and started to put his smarts to good use. The community relies on him to solve any cases that get overlooked by the police or that they don't want to formally investigate. In this crime ridden neighborhood, the requests are plentiful. Isaiah takes as much or as little as people can afford in exchange for his services. He believes that money should not be a deciding factor of justice.

When his friend and not quite upstanding citizen Juanell Dodson recommends him as an investigator for a rap superstar, IQ can't resist the potential payday. Someone in the rap mogul's tight circle wants him dead. With body guards, producers, ex wives, and one angry pit bull, the list of potential suspects in pretty murky. Of course, IQ wants to solve the case and save the rapper's life. Beyond that, however, the potential windfall could give him the freedom to assist his struggling community in ways beyond his wildest dreams.

In IQ, author Joe Ide imagines a unique take on a standard investigator that manages to respect the history of the genre while providing it with a fresh perspective. It is impossible to not be drawn in by IQ's complex emotions and desire to positively impact his world. The novel shifts between the present day mystery surrounding the rapper with flashbacks to Isaiah's life immediately following the death of his brother. While I'm beginning to grow weary of this narrative technique in modern fiction, these sections provide a depth to the characters that would not otherwise exist. The book ends up being a little more character driven and less of a mind twisting mystery than I expected. In fact, I'd argue the characters here outshine the story that they've been placed in. Still, it is these deeply drawn characters that help elevate the book from any shortcomings. IQ is a promising debut that will hopefully mark the beginning of a fascinating and highly entertaining new series.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.

(2016, 34)