IQ
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4.0 • 688 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
A resident of one of LA's toughest neighborhoods uses his blistering intellect to solve the crimes the LAPD ignores.
East Long Beach. The LAPD is barely keeping up with the neighborhood's high crime rate. Murders go unsolved, lost children unrecovered. But someone from the neighborhood has taken it upon himself to help solve the cases the police can't or won't touch.
They call him IQ. He's a loner and a high school dropout, his unassuming nature disguising a relentless determination and a fierce intelligence. He charges his clients whatever they can afford, which might be a set of tires or a homemade casserole. To get by, he's forced to take on clients that can pay.
This time, it's a rap mogul whose life is in danger. As Isaiah investigates, he encounters a vengeful ex-wife, a crew of notorious cutthroats, a monstrous attack dog, and a hit man who even other hit men say is a lunatic. The deeper Isaiah digs, the more far reaching and dangerous the case becomes.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Drop everything and start reading this smart, hilarious, and edgy thriller, which stars an unforgettable modern P.I. Thanks to his laser-sharp intellect, Isaiah Quintabe is known as "IQ" around the way—and he’s got a reputation for solving crimes the LAPD won’t touch. Beset by money troubles, IQ reluctantly takes on a case involving a reclusive rapper reeling from a bizarre attempt on his life. L.A.-bred Joe Ide was inspired by Sherlock Holmes, and this debut is suitably quirky and brilliant.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ide successfully makes his detective's brilliance plausible in this gripping and moving debut, which makes effective use of flashbacks. Isaiah Quintabe, whose reasoning scores on the Stanford-Binet intelligence test are near genius levels, has his life upended while in high school in East Long Beach, Calif. His beloved older brother and surrogate parent, Marcus, is killed by a hit-and-run driver, a tragedy that Isaiah witnesses firsthand. Isaiah, who becomes known by his initials because of his intellect, devotes himself to trying to identify the man who killed Marcus. With money running short, Isaiah takes in an unlikely roommate, schoolmate Juanell Dodson, who leads him into a life of crime. Eventually, Isaiah finds his calling on the right side of the law. He develops a reputation as an expert problem solver and takes on a high-profile assignment, to identify the person who ordered an unusual hit on Calvin Wright, the rapper known as Black the Knife. The plot has some over-the-top aspects, but overall the concept works.
Customer Reviews
Excellent
Such groove in the writing. Such a good plot. Very cool book.
Stereotype black images
Most of the characters seem to be stereotypical black images. Selfish, disloyal and lacking integrity. The main character seem to be lacking StreetSmarts. Why would you let the killer know he knew who he was, and what he had done and then not take precaution. Seemed a little foolish. He wasn’t even the one that figured out the mystery.
The main character was one of the few people in the novel that had morals, but lack the manhood to do what needed to be done. The story had potential but came off as a 1970s black exploitation film.
Uses Jesus name in vain. Can’t read
Wont read books defaming God or using curse words. This starts in the Prolog