Righteous: An IQ Novel

Two cases with powerful personal aspects challenge Isaiah “IQ” Quintabe, known in his Long Beach, Calif., community for his crime-solving abilities, in Edgar-finalist Ide’s outstanding sequel to 2016’s IQ. The most painful open wound in Isaiah’s life remains the hit-and-run death eight years earlier of his older brother, Marcus, which Isaiah witnessed. His perseverance in seeking justice seems to have paid off when he locates the car that killed Marcus, but new evidence that Marcus was deliberately targeted raises a slew of troubling questions. The revelation comes just as Marcus’s girlfriend, Sarita Van, reenters Isaiah’s life to request help; her half-sister, Janine, a Vegas deejay, has racked up gambling debts that can’t be paid off. Since Isaiah still carries a torch for Sarita, he agrees to help. 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. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM. (Oct.)