Josh's Reviews > Righteous

Righteous, the second novel in the modern urban Sherlock Holmes-like series featuring the talented and super smart Isaiah Quintabe also known as IQ, sees the likable protagonist somewhat less-self assured and vulnerable than in its predecessor. The death of his older brother, Marcus, still a raw wound that fails to heal, only this time 'round, Isaiah is doing something about it.

Exploring the darker corners of the criminal underworld, Isaiah and his sometime sidekick, Dodson, duke it out with gangsters, murderers, and human sex traffickers in Las Vegas as they work a dangerous case to help an old flame and link to happier times in Isaiah's past.

Author Joe Ide does a great job at balance Isaiah's personal investigation into his brother's death and the current case he's working with Dodson to formulate a well rounded and entertaining novel with subtle linkages throughout.

I also liked the way Dodson was written, as the novel progresses he evolves from an acquaintance to sidekick to friend. With more page time, Righteous sees the sidekick becoming a more well-rounded and important character in the series; a contributor rather than a quick fix schemer.

My rating: 4/5 stars. Righteous has more 'bang' than its predecessor in terms of large scale violence, however, to fully appreciate what's going on, read IQ first; the death of Marcus and the impact that has on Isaiah is keg cog in the narrative.