Joe Ide grew up 1960s Los Angeles with two generations of his Japanese family in the East Adams neighborhood. In “Hi Five,” the fourth book in a series set in East Long Beach, the forces of darkness seem to be winning. If he doesn’t help with the case, Byrne’s goons threaten to cripple his girlfriend so she can’t perform with the Long Beach Symphony. But these are minor quibbles because “High Five” succeeds on so many fronts as it sets IQ and the series’ characters on an uncertain path down darker roads. Hi FiveJoe IdeAdvertisementMulholland Books: 341 pages; $27Woods is an editor, book critic and author of the Charlotte Justice mystery series.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 24, 2020 15:02 UTC