Brilliantly logical African-American teenager Isaiah Quintabe, private detective, is the protagonist of Joe Ide’s debut novel, which recently won a Shamus award. This street-smart Sherlock Holmes lives in a rough patch of East Long Beach, California, surrounded by colourful characters – especially his dope-dealing, trash-talking pal Juanell Dodson – and their banter is priceless. In the audio version, narrator Sullivan Jones nails it. Isaiah and Dodson pull off a series of robberies, then land a high-profile gig: investigating a strange canine attack on a leading rap star. Insightful and highly entertaining. A second Isaiah Quintabe novel, Righteous, will be published in the UK October 19. Read our full review of IQ on audiobook here.