The Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

If you have not read any of Lisa Lutz’s delightful Spellman series books: (The Spellman Files, Curse of the Spellmans, Revenge of the Spellmans), then I highly suggest you do so this summer. Isabelle (Izzy) Spellman is our narrator and every book is done in a journal format with humorous footnotes and addenda. She is the oldest daughter in a private investigation family and that means she has “issues” with her parents, her younger sister Rae (precocious and cunning), her brother David (perfect lawyer and son). Having just completed the delightful third book, I highly recommend you start with the first one so that you have a complete overview of the characters. It will only make your experience an even funnier one. In the first book, Izzy Spellman launches her career as a private investigator while working for the firm of her outlandishly dysfunctional family as they search for her missing sister. In the second, Izzy struggles to retain her private investigator’s license after a pseudo engagement and her fourth arrest, a challenge that is further complicated by David’s marriage to her best friend Petra and Rae’s teenage angst. And in the third: Isabel pursues therapy while trailing her newest client’s errant wife, Rae faces skyrocketing expectations in light of her high SAT score, and Henry (the detective on Rae’s disappearance in the first) disrupts the family with a new love interest. Evanovich fans may find this series exactly what they need for a fix of fun—not as much sexual tension (ST) but there is some…but the laugh out loud moments are really excellent. Izzy’s voice is sarcastic and honest. These books are part farce and parody of the PI business/mystery and also a look at modern relationships. The pages easily turn as you wonder what is going to happen next to Izzy and to those around her.

In addition to fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books, Kathleen Bacus’s Calamity Jayne novels, Toni Causey’s Bobbie Faye series, and Leslie Langtry’s “Greatest Hits” romances featuring the Bombay family assassins will enjoy Lutz’s Spellman books.

Leane

Categories: Book Buzz,Book Reviews,Chick Lit,Mystery