About the Book
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.
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. Sullivan Jones is a voice talent and Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator.
Review :
A stunner . . . I applaud Joe Ide for keeping the spirit of Holmes alive inside the complex and interesting character of IQ and look forward to his next adventure.-- "Ray Palen, BookReporter"
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)"
He's the real deal.-- "Carl Hiaasen"
Ide brings to life the diverse community of East Long Beach without creating stereotypical caricatures, but rather by creating people with full backstories and lives in a crime novel where no one is necessarily all good, but everyone is human.-- "Jamie Canaves, BookRiot"
Ide is the real thing. This column was late, because I couldn't stop reading my advance copy.-- "Allison K. Hill, Long Beach Press-Telegram"
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"
Introducing one of the best loved detectives in the recent annals of crime fiction... a shot of adrenaline for Sherlock-style mystery lovers.-- "Dwyer Murphy, Lit Hub"
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"
The game's afoot once again for 20-something genius sleuth Isaiah Quintabe. . . . [Ide] keeps your head in the game throughout with his witty style and edgy storytelling, both of which show greater assurance than in his first novel--and even bigger potential for the future. A thrilling follow-up to one of the more auspicious detective-series debuts in recent memory.-- "Kirkus Reviews"
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!
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"
"[A] scorcher...Ide manages to combine light and dark 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."
-- "Booklist (starred review)"
"Chronological uncertainty heightens the suspense of talented author Joe Ide's impressively written, page-turning second novel."
-- "Wall Street Journal"
"Ide is quickly proving himself the heir to Elmore Leonard, with an added knack for Sherlock-style deduction. His hero, Isaiah Quintabe, still works out of South Central LA, but in Righteous he heads to Vegas for a tangle with a Hong Kong-based triad. This is one of the most innovative PI series in recent memory, and Ide is rightfully earning a devoted following of readers."
-- "Literary Hub"
"Ide keeps Righteous on a righteous path of compelling storytelling, allowing his characters to flourish while exploring the worst of human nature...Righteous elevates the author--and his characters--to a new level."
-- " Associated Press"
"Ide's sense of humor, his effervescent dialogue, and his knack for moments of emotion [are] all still present here, terrific news for readers."
-- " USA Today"
"Narrator Sullivan Jones, reprising his role as IQ, consequently takes on every manner of thug himself: Mexican street gang members, loan sharks and their heavies, Rwandan drug dealers, and Chinese hit men. The various players become increasingly entangled, keeping both IQ and his narrator busy. But no worries: Both rise from the chaos triumphant. At the end of the story, the author signals new adventures ahead for IQ. Let's hope Jones will be the one delivering them. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award."
-- "AudioFile"
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"
Ide more deeply crafts his dynamic character and the conflicts that plague him. Like Ide's first novel, Righteous is dark, smart, and layered. It also displays brilliant humor. . . . With only two books under his belt, Ide has proven he's first rate when it comes to writing great crime novels.-- "Jen Forbus, Shelf Awareness"
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)"
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"
