There are a lot of fine reasons to discover Ide’s work, and seamless continuity is just one of them. 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 ... Ide writes about the hostility among ethnic groups — notably black gangs and Chinese triads (whose members’ affectation of American gang habits comes in for some mockery, though their toughness does not) — in ways that would be offensive if they weren’t equal-opportunity insults. The world of these books is one of constant trash talk, and Ide delivers it with style ... Will Ide lead Isaiah toward happiness? The book’s battles play out ingeniously, with Isaiah trying to figure out how he could have been so wrong about Marcus.
...[an] impressively written, page-turning second novel ... These dual quests are detailed in more or less alternating chapters, through multiple characters’ points of view. But are they taking place in the same time frame? And what might they have to do with each other, if anything at all? The reader follows a rich cast of villains and heroes through a multistate, bullet-riddled adventure involving street crime, turf wars and human trafficking, but in due course Mr. Ide provides plenty of satisfying answers—and in a satisfyingly clever fashion.
As good as IQ was — and it was terrific — Righteous takes a deeper look at Isaiah, delving into what has shaped this young African-American man and allowing the character to mature ... 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.
Ide alternates chapters between Isaiah's Long Beach investigation into his brother's murder and the duo's efforts in Las Vegas to untangle Janine from the deadly web she's caught in. The initial transition may catch readers off guard, but the flow quickly becomes evident and the plot's engaging action will keep readers riveted ... Like Ide's first novel, Righteous is dark, smart and layered. It also displays brilliant humor, especially through Dodson, who is never short on a colorful exchange packed with wit and sarcasm ... With only two books under his belt, Ide has proven he's first-rate when it comes to writing great crime novels.
As the story unfolds, Ide keeps readers’ attention with superb dialogue and character development, wrapped around the two complex cases his protagonist attempts to solve. The personal elements of both investigations add a dramatic feel to the plot, which builds on the success of last year’s IQ. With other darlings of the genre (Harry Bosh, Alex Cross, etc.) getting up there in age, Isaiah Quintabe is definitely a character to keep an eye on. Ide displays even more of the natural storytelling ability and talent that he flashed in his well-received debut, while also continuing to flesh out his characters and make them more relatable to readers. Joe Ide is the real deal…If you’re a fan of crime fiction and haven’t discovered this series yet, add it to your must-read list right away.
Ide’s debut, IQ (2016), 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 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. Anyone who loves Perry or Timothy Hallinan needs to hop on Ide’s bandwagon while there’s still room to sit.
The plots of these separate cases collide as much as they interweave, and Ide can sometimes go a little too long and deep on background info. But he 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.
...[an] outstanding sequel ... 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.
