Joelle's Bibliofile

Joe Ide delights his many fans again with another exciting entry in his IQ series with Wrecked.  Ide’s version of a modern-day Sherlock Holmes in L.A. manages to be creative, funny, touching and thought-provoking.  In this third installment, Isaiah Quintabe (IQ) finally gets a chance to reconnect with a mesmerizing girl he encountered at the end of the last novel (Righteous).  Although IQ is so perceptive, calm and assured in his sleuthing abilities, he obviously lacks experience and confidence when it comes to connecting with a potential love-interest.  Fortunately for him, Grace initiates contact when she approaches IQ to enlist his help as a highly regarded detective.  She needs his aid in tracking down her mother who left under mysterious circumstances shortly after her father’s death many years ago.  Grace is certain she has seen her mother watching her recently, despite the outstanding warrant for her arrest.  IQ is so anxious to get close to Grace that he risks the displeasure of his new partner, Dodson, by accepting one of her paintings as payment.  Of course, this case will be more complicated than it first appears. IQ may be outmatched in a confrontation with a ruthless group of ex-military operatives who are also looking for Grace’s mother.  These people are leftovers from Abu Ghraib, ready to enthusiastically employ the “enhanced interrogation techniques” they learned there.  Meanwhile, Dodson has been trying to keep secret from IQ that he is being blackmailed for a past action by a man who is apparently completely unhinged.  The action in the IQ series is always fast-paced and the repartee often hilarious. This entry reflectively draws comparisons between the lack of regard for human life fostered in gangs on the street as well as in military “gangs” that have been allowed to cross certain lines with impunity.  Ide’s writing is clever, his characters are captivating, and his storylines are unique.  As with his other IQ books, Wrecked ends on a satisfying note but will leave readers clamoring for more stories about IQ and his friends.