Smoke

Yet another madcap, funny, touching, and eventful book in this extraordinary series. Having fled Long Beach to recover from his breakup with Grace and too many taxing adventures, IQ stumbles into pursuing a serial killer while his erstwhile partner Dodson discovers he's a marketing genius who can make big bucks at a tony ad agency where he's interning for a washed-up creative. It's a wild ride, with lots of action scenes (maybe a few too many for me) and great humor and heart. This series is something else - in a good way.

Isaiah Quintabe returns! Smoke is the fifth novel in the series, and sees our protagonist and his growing supporting cast going through a number of changes and overcoming a series of challenges. A slightly different novel to the previous books in the series, I enjoyed it.

Note: Given that this is the fifth novel in a series that is, effectively, a single story, there are unavoidable spoilers in this review.

Following the events in Hi-Five (not to mention the other novels in the series) Isaiah is having a bit of a bad time of things. He’s suffering from PTSD, wanted by seemingly all of the various gangs operating in Long Beach, and struggling to stay focused and centred. He’s left the city, in an attempt to find peace. He’s left behind his two rocks: Grace, his girlfriend; and Dodson, his best friend and sometime partner. He’s fed up with the way he keeps finding himself in dangerous situations, threatening his own life and that of his loved ones. He manages to find some quiet and space to think, but it doesn’t last. It turns out, there might be a serial killer operating in the region… And, of course, IQ somehow finds himself involved in an investigation — dodging suspicious law enforcement, biker gangs, and his strong desire to stop getting himself in these situations.

One of the most interesting things about Ide’s series is that, as it has progressed, it has become far less focused on the titular protagonist. I’ve mentioned in my reviews for the previous two novels, that I was surprised at how Isaiah was taking up less and less space in the books. He’s still important, of course, but the author has been giving his supporting cast a lot more time in the novels. At first, this felt a little bit strange, but because his characters are so well drawn, I enjoy this development a lot. I’m particularly interested in Dodson and his ongoing struggles to balance his personality and how he understands his situation, with what others think is possible for him and his responsibilities as a father and partner.

Smoke is an interesting novel. I enjoyed reading it, and Ide’s writing remains engaging and colourful. There’s the now-familiar humour, and the less-than-polished action — his characters are not James Bond: they get beaten and knocked down, they make mistakes (sometimes many of them), and the various cases IQ’s been involved in aren’t always wrapped up neatly or tidily.

In this book, Isaiah’s “case” feels more secondary to the emotional and everyday drama that his characters are dealing with — in addition to Dodson, Deronda features more centrally. I enjoyed this change, because I tend to be less interested in serial killer narratives. I’ve also noticed that IQ’s approach to cases has shifted over the course of the series. In part, that’s because the stories have involved larger and more complicated plots — they’re not always conducive to the Sherlock Holmes-type deduction the early novels (not to mention the publicity materials) leaned on. I miss this, because it was really well done in the first novel. Hopefully we’ll get a bit more of this in the next book.

If you’re looking for an interesting crime series with a difference, then I would certainly recommend Ide’s IQ novels. They’re well-written, and offer interesting twists on many popular genre tropes and conventions.

I realized I hadn't read book 4 yet, so I got it from the library and burned through it so I could read this one (book 5 in the series). I really enjoy this series.

In this one Isaiah is on his own in northern CA for reasons that come about in book 4. (No spoilers!) He of course gets mixed up in a search for a serial killer. Along with that main plot line you've got stories for Dodson, Grace, Deronda, and TK. I have really grown to adore all of these characters.

It was very fast-paced and action packed which is how all the IQ books are.

I highly recommend these books if you want a gritty yet authentic thriller with fully realized and diverse characters.

Smoke
February 27, 2021

Book Review
Smoke
Joe Ide

reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads



This is the fifth book in this unique series, but my first foray into the world of Isaiah Quintabe (Queen-tah-bay) written by Joe Ide (EEE-Day). I was able to successfully jump onto to this fast-moving train and thoroughly enjoyed this character-driven adventure filled with wit, heart, and emotion.

Although this complex narrative is told in multiple points of view , the main protagonists remain Isaiah Quintabe (“IQ”) and his best friend and sidekick, Juanell Dodson. Both are faced with daunting crises in their lives, unrelated to their friendship and partnership.

IQ as a seventeen-year-old was faced with the gut wrenching death of his beloved older brother, Marcus, killed by a hit-and-run driver. Initially his bitterness resulted in a brief interlude with crime, but eventually in a search for clues to this senseless killing he achieved success as a street detective. His native intellect and burgeoning skills of deductive reasoning along with his almost photographic memory allowed him to link seemingly unrelated facts together to understand motivation and behavior. However, at this juncture in his life, he is suffering a form of PTSD, and is overwhelmed by the almost daily dealing with the infectious offal of humanity. Burnt out by the incessant dealings with gangs, killers, drugs, pimps, and never-ending corrosive conflicts of street life. He is on the road and on the run and destined to seek solace in the small town of Coronado Springs, which eventually proves to be a nexus point for anything but comfort.

Our second intrepid hero is Dodson who independently has reached a crossroad in his relationship with his wife, Cherise. He has been given an ultimatum to join the “real world”, and drop his street live existence, and provide stability for his wife and child. This diversion in the tale, could easily occupy a novel by itself. With humor and emotion, Dodson’s foray into the advertising world as an intern allows him to display his innate creativity; all based upon his nature as a hustler.

Ide proves to be an expert storyteller as he weaves effortlessly the multiple multi layered colorful characters into a complex and unexpected denouement. At one point, approaching a collision course nexus, Ide has an explosive array of his characters …. IQ, his girlfriend, Grace, a serial killer, Billy, and Ava (locked in pact to seek out the killer of her sister), Skip Hanson (hitman, recently released from prison and out for revenge), and the local sheriff. Ide’s usage of dialogue is masterful as he utilizes satire and sarcasm with a touch of understatement. He deftly alternates and mixes an elegant and almost poetic prose with bursts of street jargon. The death defying humous interaction between Dodson and his mother-in-law Gloria alone is worth the price of admission. It is truly amazing how many well-developed intriguing characters can populate one novel. How wonderful to have four earlier tales to immediately download and devour.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this marvelous adventure in exchange for an honest review.
This review published at Mystery And Suspense Magazine

IQ has left SoCal to tend his wounds and try and protect his loved ones. For that reason, this story focuses mainly on Dodson. So much so that I forgot about Isaiah and was startled when the story flipped back to him. Dodson and his mother in law provide some well needed levity as she tries to prepare him for a real job in the real world. (Btw, the only person I know who curls is Black. And really good at it!) Meanwhile, through no fault of his own, even while hidden away in a small town in the foothills, IQ is earlobe deep in a troubling situation. With every word, the reader can feel IQ's weariness as he is drawn into helping track down a couple of serial killers. This man needs a break! Sadly for him, and lucky for us, it doesn't sound like he is going to get one any time soon.