The crime rate in
East Long Beach is sky high and the police aren’t having much
success. Isaiah Quintabe, IQ, is a brilliant high school dropout
trying to do what he can to help his neighbors. He solves crimes for
those who can’t pay except with a cake or a casserole. However, Isaiah
needs money for his other projects, and his bank balance is getting
low.
When his
ex-roommate, Dodson, turns up with a case that could pay big bucks,
Isaiah doesn’t want to take it, but finally he’s persuaded. Black
the Knife, a well-known rapper, is terrified for his life. A big
black dog found his way into the rapper’s house and tried to kill
him. It’s an unusual murder weapon. Isaiah is hooked, takes the
case, and he and Dodson form an uneasy partnership to protect the
rapper and solve the crime.
A detective and his
sidekick is a usual pairing in mysteries, but Isaiah and Dodson are
somewhat unique, if only for the setting. Isaiah solves crimes by
thinking logically about what he sees. Dodson is a conman. He’s
more intuitive and makes a good counterpart for Isaiah.
The story is told in
two time periods, the present and scenes from Isaiah’s early life.
Although I often find stories told in two different times become
boring because events in one time are much more interesting than
those in the other, the author does a good job moving quickly between time periods to keep the action going. The introduction of Isaiah’s
early life is important to understand his desire to solve crimes and
his relationship with Dodson.
The plot features a
creative killer who tries odd ways to get to his victim. I thought
that was one of the best parts of the story.
I recommend this
book if you enjoy a detective who searches for clues and a fast paced
plot.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
No comments:
Post a Comment