Righteous - (IQ Novel) by Joe Ide (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In this hotly anticipated follow-up to the smash hit IQ, a New York Times Critics' Best of the Year and winner of the Anthony, Macavity, and Shamus Awards, Isaiah uncovers a secret behind the death of his brother, Marcus.

For ten years, something has gnawed at Isaiah Quintabe's gut and kept him up nights, boiling with anger and thoughts of revenge. Ten years ago, when Isaiah was just a boy, his brother was killed by an unknown assailant. The search for the killer sent Isaiah plunging into despair and nearly destroyed his life. Even with a flourishing career, a new dog, and near-iconic status as a PI in his hometown, East Long Beach, he has to begin the hunt again-or lose his mind.

A case takes him and his volatile, dubious sidekick, Dodson, to Vegas, where Chinese gangsters and a terrifying seven-foot loan shark are stalking a DJ and her screwball boyfriend. If Isaiah doesn't find the two first, they'll be murdered. Awaiting the outcome is the love of IQ's life: fail, and he'll lose her. Isaiah's quest is fraught with treachery, menace, and startling twists, and it will lead him to the mastermind behind his brother's death, Isaiah's own sinister Moriarty.

With even more action, suspense, and mind-bending mysteries than Isaiah's first adventures, Righteous is a rollicking, ingenious thrill ride.

Review Quotes

"Righteous is action packed, cerebral and altogether engaging, and I predict a long string of follow-up novels in this fine series."--Bruce Tierney, Bookpage

"Brilliantly executed . . . Deftly weaving the search for Marcus's killer with various escapades in Vegas, Ide employs a clever mixing of time lines that will keep readers guessing until the explosive, bloody denouement. A winning combination of skillful writing and flawless pacing, this second series outing is packed with adrenaline-inducing scenes along with a colorful cast of violent and treacherous villains."--Library Journal (starred review)

"Call it what you will--ungraphic manga, comedy noir--but IQ, Joe Ide's debut featuring Isaiah Quintabe, was definitely original. . . . Righteous, the second IQ novel, is every bit as solid and smart as the first. . . . Ide writes wild dialogue, creates totally original characters and makes me laugh out loud at two in the morning. What more can you ask?"--Margaret Cannon, The Globe and Mail [Canada]

"Excellent... Ide keeps Righteous on a righteous path of compelling storytelling, allowing his characters to flourish while exploring the worst of human nature. Never once does Righteous go over the top as Ide keeps each plot point chillingly realistic... Ide's debut IQ showed what a skillful writer he is. Righteous elevates the author--and his characters--to a new level."--Oline Cogdill, The Associated Press

"He's the real deal."--Carl Hiaasen

"Ide's debut, IQ, was one of last year's best crime novels, and he follows it with another scorcher. . . . Like the great Thomas Perry, Ide manages to combine light anddark in wholly unpredictable ways, blending comic capering with real-life bloodletting in a manner that diminishes neither and taps a vein of deep emotion lurking amid the laugh lines and spurts of violence. Anyone who loves Perry or Timothy Hallinan needs to hop on Ide's bandwagon while there's still room to sit."--Booklist (starred review)

"Ide's sense of humor, his effervescent dialogue, and his knack for moments of emotion [are] all still present here, terrific news for readers."--Charles Finch, USA Today

"Joe Ide is the best new discovery I've come across in a long time. And Isaiah Quintabe is the kind of sleuth not seen on the mystery landscape before. Righteous is a riveting follow up to IQ."--Michael Connelly, author of The Late Show

"Joe Ide made many fans with his first book, which starred the young black PI Isaiah Quintabe. Its follow-up, in which "IQ" digs into the 10-year-old killing of his older brother, will no doubt earn Mr. Ide many more followers."--Wall Street Journal

"Last year, Joe Ide became the best thing to happen to mystery writing in a very long time. . . . There are a lot of fine reasons to discover Ide's work. . . . He writes thumbnail descriptions that rival Elmore Leonard's. . . . His dialogue, much of it unprintable here, has bite that puts him in the Winslow/Lehane league. . . . The world of these books is one of constant trash talk, and Ide delivers it with style. . . . It may be time for Ide to lay to rest Isaiah's Marcus obsession and give him other things to think about. I can't wait to find out what they'll be."--Janet Maslin, New York Times

"Outstanding . . . Ide again makes his hero's deductive brilliance plausible, while presenting an emotionally engaging story that doesn't shy away from presenting the bleakest aspects of humanity."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

One of the Best Books of the Year - NPR, Washington Post, BookRiot, Suspense Magazine, Amazon, South Florida Sun Sentinel, LitHub
A Goodreads Choice Award finalist!

About the Author

Joe Ide grew up in South Central Los Angeles, where his favorite books were the Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories. He held a variety of different jobs -- including Hollywood screenwriter -- before writing IQ, his debut novel, which went on to win the Anthony, Macavity, and Shamus awards. Joe lives in Santa Monica, CA.