A review by steve_sanders
IQ by Joe Ide
3.0
In Isiah and Dodson, Ide crafts a lively and original variation of the Holmes/Watson archetype. The duo explore corners of Los Angeles, that most well-trod turf of the detective novel, that are seldom seen in the genre. In doing so, Ide demonstrates an ability to traverse the socioeconomic spectrum that is reminiscent of Richard Price and David Simon. As an origin story of an ongoing series, IQ shows a lot of promise.
The problem is that as a novel unto itself it offers an unsatisfying mystery that’s predictable to any reader with experience in the genre (I identified the hitman’s employer less than halfway through the book). In addition, Ide deploys less-than-fair means to keep his secrets by arbitrarily withholding crucial information (not identifying who a certain character is talking to in a critical phone conversation, for instance).
That said, Ide demonstrates considerable skill at character and world building, enough so that I imagine I’ll give the series another chance.
The problem is that as a novel unto itself it offers an unsatisfying mystery that’s predictable to any reader with experience in the genre (I identified the hitman’s employer less than halfway through the book). In addition, Ide deploys less-than-fair means to keep his secrets by arbitrarily withholding crucial information (not identifying who a certain character is talking to in a critical phone conversation, for instance).
That said, Ide demonstrates considerable skill at character and world building, enough so that I imagine I’ll give the series another chance.