There's a new sleuth in the Los Angeles hood, and his nickname is IQ. This is perfect because IQ are Isaiah Quintabe's initials AND he's a brilliant consulting detective - along the lines of Sherlock Holmes.
Now in his mid-twenties, IQ had a life-changing experience in high school. Isaiah's beloved brother Marcus - who was raising him - got killed in a hit-and-run.....leaving the boy alone, bereft, and angry at the world.
Needing help to pay the rent, Isaiah let his gangbanger/drug dealer classmate, Juanell Dodson, move in.....
......and the two boys embarked on a life of crime.
Isaiah devised a clever scheme to rob retail shops, and the youthful felons soon had a storage unit full of expensive dog medications; high-end fishing equipment; costly hair extensions; pricey bike parts; and so on.....which they slowly sold for cash.
The sluggish rate of return didn't suit Dodson - who was reckless and greedy - and the drug seller embarked on a lone crime that had horrific consequences.
Isaiah cut out after this incident, and - over the next few years - worked at a series of jobs that endowed him with an admirable skill set. This led IQ to become the neighborhood 'fixer', and he did things like locating a runaway minor; finding Kruggerands hidden by an Alzheimer's patient; retrieving stolen wedding gifts, etc. IQ sometimes got paid in chocolate chip cookies or the like, but - for clients who could pay - Isaiah charged real money.....and made a modest living from his vocation.
Now, shady Juanell Dodson is back, and he wants IQ to take on a high-paying job. Rapper Calvin Knight, called 'Black the Knife', thinks someone is out to kill him.
Cal is is scheduled to record a new album, but is too frightened to go to the studio.....and remains holed up in his luxurious Los Angeles mansion. Cal is willing to pay $50,000 to discover who wants him dead, and Dodson figures he'll help Isaiah solve the case and share the fee.
Cal's entourage - manager Anthony and bodyguards Charles and Bug.....as well as music executive Bobby Grimes - depend on Cal for their income.
These tagalongs push the rapper to return to work but Cal - who was recently attacked by a vicious 130-pound pit bull in his own house - digs in his heels, takes a slew of drugs, and devolves into a hot mess.
When IQ and Dodson show up at Cal's home, the rapper's retinue makes it clear they have no use for Isaiah's sleuthing. But the detective studies the CCTV tape of the dog attack - and examines the mansion grounds - and reaches a conclusion about the hitman. Isaiah and Dodson then set out to find the killer and discover who hired him.
Things get very dangerous at this point because the hitman, named Skip, is a sociopath who has formidable skills with guns and dogs.
Moreover, there's a traitor in Cal's inner circle - an 'inside man' who's feeding Skip information.
Additional characters include: Deronda - a young woman who's looking for a sugar daddy; Noelle - Cal's hateful ex-wife; Harry - an elderly dog breeder and canine expert; Flaco - a brain-damaged young man; Junior - a vicious drug dealer; and more.
The book alternates between 2006 - when Isaiah and Dodson were juvenile delinquents and 2013 - when IQ and Dodson are investigating Cal's case. We also learn something about the backgrounds of IQ and Skip.....which helps explain their motivations.
"IQ" is a page-turner that's exciting AND funny. I love that gangsta Dodson is a great cook who wants to be an 'Iron Chef'; that IQ buys Flaco a lifesize cutout of Margaret Cho - his favorite comic; and that IQ easily holds his own against arrogant blowhard Bobby Grimes.
This is a great start to a new series, highly recommended to mystery fans.
Rating: 4 stars
I have this in my TBR pile--thanks to your review, it's just moved up to the top.
ReplyDeleteIt's so good Kali! I think you'll like it. :)
ReplyDelete