IQ

Joe Ide introduces Isaiah Quintabe (IQ) as a young, black detective who seems to take on cases for any reward, even just a chicken or baked goods!  His partner and sidekick, Juanell Dodson is completely different to Sherlock’s sycophantic Watson, and the relationship is full of conflict and often strained. 

IQ and Dodson are approached by a rapper Calvin Wright, aka Black the Knife, who offers them a huge financial reward in return for finding out who is trying to kill him.  IQ, desperate for cash reluctantly accepts. Their only clue so far is a video showing a monstrous pit bull trying to maul Black the Knife. This will lead IQ on the trail of a professional killer who not only loves his work but won’t let anything get in his way.

Every now and again you stumble into a book or series that grips you from page one, it doesn’t happen too often but IQ has done just that.  It’s clear that the inspiration for this is Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles, but this has a fresh edgy feel to it.  

This is storytelling at its very best. It’s a fast paced, thinking person’s thriller and I like the way Ide has introduced IQ’s background through flashbacks. It gives a great understanding of why he is driven to help people and helps you understand his moral code.

IQ is a man of many talents who has the ability to solve any problem from fixing a car like an experienced mechanic, to easily solving a puzzle that sometimes seemed too convenient.  The characters worked really well, they were complex and I felt I really understood their daily struggles even if they often had their own agenda. 

There are more than enough false trails, humour and ethical dilemmas to whet any appetite and this book did just that.  There is a huge amount of action packed in and remains until the final page. I sincerely hope there will be a sequel and I’ll be first in line if there is.