The Spellman Files: A Novel

by Lisa Lutz

2009

Status

Available

Publication

Pocket Books (2009), Edition: Reprint, 480 pages

Description

Fiction. Mystery. Humor (Fiction.) HTML:From the award-winning author of The Passenger comes the first novel in the hilarious Spellman Files mystery series featuring Isabel "Izzy" Spellman (part Nancy Drew, part Dirty Harry) and her highly functioning yet supremely dysfunctional family of private investigators. Meet Isabel "Izzy" Spellman, private investigator. This twenty-eight-year-old may have a checkered past littered with romantic mistakes, excessive drinking, and creative vandalism; she may be addicted to Get Smart reruns and prefer entering homes through windows rather than doorsâ??but the upshot is she's good at her job as a licensed private investigator with her family's firm, Spellman Investigations. Invading people's privacy comes naturally to Izzy. In fact, it comes naturally to all the Spellmans. If only they could leave their work at the office. To be a Spellman is to snoop on a Spellman; tail a Spellman; dig up dirt on, blackmail, and wiretap a Spellman. Izzy walks an indistinguishable line between Spellman family member and Spellman employee. Duties include: completing assignments from the bosses, aka Mom and Dad (preferably without scrutiny); appeasing her chronically perfect lawyer brother (often under duress); setting an example for her fourteen-year-old sister, Rae (who's become addicted to "recreational surveillance"); and tracking down her uncle (who randomly disappears on benders dubbed "Lost Weekends"). But when Izzy's parents hire Rae to follow her (for the purpose of ascertaining the identity of Izzy's new boyfriend), Izzy snaps and decides that the only way she will ever be normal is if she gets out of the family business. But there's a hitch: she must take one last job before they'll let her goâ??a fifteen-year-old, ice-cold missing person case. She accepts, only to experience a disappearance far closer to home, which becomes the most important case of her… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member ajramsden
Part of what attracted me to this book was a friend described it as Harriet the Spy for adults. This hilarious pseudo mystery is more about the Spellmans, a family of private investigators, than solving any real whodunits. Izzy, the middle child of the Spellman clan is 28 and has had just about
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enough with her family and the family business. Her parents are her bosses, her older brother a lawyer who gets them work, her younger teenaged sister is addicted to “recreational surveillance,” and her uncle is a terrible drunk but can tail a car and pick a lock like a professional. The fact that they nearly all live under the same roof and the term “privacy” is a foreign concept does not help matters. When Izzy starts secretly dating a guy her parents don’t approve of and pay her younger sister, Rae, to keep an eye on her, Izzy decides it’s time to get out. In order to leave the business, Izzy must solve one final case, but suddenly there’s a new mystery at home to solve with the disappearance of another family member. Complete with high speed car chases, stakeouts, break ins, wiretaps, and blackmail – usually involving a Spellman against a Spellman, this was a fun read and I look forward to reading more of this author.
While the main character does have a rebellious past and drinking, smoking, and drug use are discussed, in comparison with some other books written specifically for teens I did not feel like the content was too adult. Though, to be honest, this didn't feel like the typical type of book most teens would want to read and probably has a better audience among the college-aged crowd.
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LibraryThing member Lisa2013
recommended for: those who enjoy light mysteries, dysfunctional families & black humor

The Spellmans are one of the most unconventional dysfunctional families ever in a book, and they are hilarious. They are outrageous and over the top and have very peculiar ways of showing love. This delightful
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book is really, really funny, if you have a weird sense of humor, which I guess I do. It is interesting that what I’d consider disturbing and child abuse in real life can, in a book, cause me to feel affection for all of the characters and send me into frequent peals of laughter.

The friend who recommended this to me knew I’d love it, because when we were young, we did a bit of “detective work” of our own.

This is for the most part a joyous romp and one of those just for fun reads. A bonus for me is that it takes place in San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Except!: Toward the end it gets very serious in three sub-plots and does so in a way that feel incongruous with the rest of the story, even though for one instance the reader is warned what will happen from practically the beginning of the book. One of these three sub-plots I did enjoy, the other two not so much as one was sad and the other (at least temporarily) heartbreaking.

I do wish the story had remained fun throughout. However, there are two more Spellman family books currently available and I am eager to read them.

The author even manages to have a bit of fun with the acknowledgement pages and the author profile in the back of the book.

This is a unique book and I recommend it if it piques your interest as it did mine. I just took some time to get to it; I’m glad that I finally read it.
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LibraryThing member bugeyzz23
A thoroughly enjoyable book about a family of PIs. Lisa Lutz writes with an ease and such dry wit, that you find yourself literally laughing out loud!
LibraryThing member superblondgirl
This book was so good - one of those "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime" "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" sorts of books that defies category and is really fresh and edgy without trying too hard. It was also laugh-out-loud funny, which is, of course, rare in books. Absolutely worth a
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read.
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LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
I read this after I read #2 and #3 so I'm backtracking, but I very much enjoyed this first novel about the Spellman family. Although their family is so over the top at times, underneath there is a real ring of truth. I like that about this book - it's funny but also real. Now I'm waiting anxiously
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for #4.
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LibraryThing member khuggard
I typically don't grab books from the mystery section, but I am so glad that I made an exception for The Spellman Files. The Spellman's have got to be one of the quirkiest and most memorable fictional families. Though there are a couple mystery's in this book they are only a diversion from the
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antics of the Spellman's who all work for the family-owned private investigators business. The nature of the business makes family members extremely suspicious, even of each other, with hilarious results. Everyone installs deadbolts on their bedroom doors, parents chase daughters in high-speed car chases, and siblings bribe and blackmail each other to keep secrets. This is well-worth reading and I am looking forward to the sequel.
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LibraryThing member MyBookBarn
Look out Plum's! Here come the Spellman's! Being an Evanovich fan I have always looked for a similar series of books. Although I have found a couple series that I like they are not really comparable to Evanovich's Plum Series. That is...up until now! Within the first few pages I was hooked! Finally
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another who-dun-it, funny series! My only complaint...I didn't want to see this book end! Nevertheless I was finished reading within two days.

The characters are all funny & enter...more Look out Plum's! Here come the Spellman's! Being an Evanovich fan I have always looked for a similar series of books. Although I have found a couple series that I like they are not really comparable to Evanovich's Plum Series. That is...up until now! Within the first few pages I was hooked! Finally another who-dun-it, funny series! My only complaint...I didn't want to see this book end! Nevertheless I was finished reading within two days.

The characters are all funny & entertaining. I couldn't wait to read the second book of the series & immediately ran out & bought it. Needless to say, the next book was also devoured within two days! If you're a fan of Evanovich or like to read P.I. based storylines this book is for you!

Funny, fast paced, entertaining read! Definitely quickly became another of my favorite authors/series!
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LibraryThing member Altamari
I loved this book! Isabel Spellman and her quirky family of private investigators were incredibly enjoyable characters to follow. And if anyone has been around teenagers they will find alot of familiarity in Rae Spellman. I think you would enjoy this if you are a fancy of Evanovich's Stephanie Plum
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series.
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LibraryThing member chicamimi
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the style of writing, the quirky characters, and the family dynamics at work (I mean, how awesome is a book that has a fourteen year old holding her uncle's favorite shirt for ransom???). My only issue was the ending - it was quite abrupt. But highly recommend.
LibraryThing member Jac8604
Has to be one of the funniest books I've ever read. No dull moments or characters in this one.
LibraryThing member phoebesmum
Izzie Spellman is 28, single, lives with her controlling parents, and works for their detective agency. Given her history of juvenile delinquency, her parents don’t trust her. In fact, Izzie doesn’t even trust herself; all she has to rely on is her care of her little sister, who nobody in the
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family wants to see go the same way. When her sister vanishes, there’s nothing the family wouldn’t do to get her back.

Would-be sparky and sassy, but it falls flat. The characters are too wildly eccentric to believe, and the non-consecutive narration only gives the book a scattershot, unsatisfactory feel. Basically, everyone in the damned thing needs to just grow up.
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LibraryThing member tututhefirst
This one underwhelmed me. Our heroine, Isabel Spellman, is a Stephanie Plum type private eye, with lunatic parents who own a PI agency, a really stuck up big bro who is an attorney (since this is a family site I won't use the word I'd like to use to describe him), a teetering on the edge of
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sobriety/unsanity uncle, and a baby sister whose character is so bratty, precocious, obnoxious, and stupid that she literally cannot be believed. This group of dingbats goes careening thru solving their 'cases' by spying on each other for practice, spying on Isabel's potential beaus, and racing toward a less than believable ending. The plot dragsssss on , the characters don't develop --they only get more out of sight---and you just keep praying for it to be over! If you like Janet Evanovitch's books, you'll probably like this one. I didn't hate it, but I'd only give it 2 stars.
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LibraryThing member papersister
I've been putting off reading this book for a while and I don't know why (probably because my dad was reading it). I had a great time reading about the Spellman Family, private investigating and Izzy Spellman's very own life. It was a great combination of family, action, humor and mystery. I look
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forward to reading the sequels. I should listen to my dad more when he recommends books.
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LibraryThing member carmarie
I loved this book! The wit and humor was refreshing. The plot was good, but the ending and the double twist? was okay, but seemed a bit hurried without much suspense. But...Lisa Lutz has found a new fan! I eagerly await her next book!
LibraryThing member wholewatermelon
It was ok. The book focused way more on the family's dysfunction than on the mystery. Most of the characters were annoying, and their fighting grew tiresome.
LibraryThing member hoot
I bought this novel thinking that it would be like the Stephanie Plum series. I was surprised to find out that not only is it not really like the Stephanie Plum series at all, but that it is an excellent first novel in a series. This book was a total page turner!

I cannot say enough good things
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about this book. Liza Lutz hit the nail on the head with balancing the mystery aspect of the novel with the other themes, family and relationships.

Parts of the book were really quite funny. I loved the trials and tribulations that the lead character Isabel always managed to get herself into. She is not a very good liar, but seems to make her lying ability even worse by piling lie upon lie. She finds herself in some of the most ridiculous situations possible.

The family business is Spellman Personal Investigations. Mom and Dad, Rae who is 14, Isabel who is 28 and David who is 30 all work for or previously worked for (David) the company.

Their once vibrant, now deadbeat uncle comes to live with them and help with the family business which throws the entire family balance into a tailspin. Ray likes to disappear on Lost Weekends and always has to be retrieved from some nasty situation by his family.

At one point in the novel the business card that Isabel uses is displayed, the number on it is real! I of course decided to call, and the number takes you to an answering service for Spellman Investigations! How fun is that?

This series is not Stephanie Plum, but it doesn't need to be. Its an excellent book, keep an eye out for more from the Spellmans.
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LibraryThing member woolenough
Having stumbled across the most recent book in the Spellman series, I had to go back and start with the first in order to be properly introduced to our heroine, Isabel "Izzy" Spellman. The sadly imperfect middle child in a family of private investigators (except for older brother David, who has
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joined the "normals" as an attorney), Izzy struggles with her identity, her career choice, her boyfriend choices, and her family members.

Should be a sob story, but it's not. This book is original, outrageous, and hilarious. As Izzy careens from one adventure to another, she is rarely at a loss for a witty quip, often to her own detriment. And yet, among all the humor and craziness, a picture of a loving and caring family emerges. And that's what makes this book a winner.
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LibraryThing member silenceiseverything
I originally read The Spellman Files in 2007 and loved it. So, I decided to read it again since it's been three years. And it was just as hilarious, just as zany, and just as all-around awesome as the first time I read it. Only that time I couldn't be bothered to write a review. Now, I am.

So, Izzy
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Spellman is basically a trainwreck-ish character, but that's why she's so loveable; because she has the POTENTIAL to be normal. Is she ACTUALLY normal? No. But that's okay. That's part of her all-around charm. In fact, I love the fact that she's far from perfect. It makes her more relateable. Plus, she's sarcastic and that's the language I'm most fluent in and therefore, love the most.

Now, the rest of the family...I mean, jeez. I seriously understand why Izzy had all of those angry and violent impulses. I would too if they were my family and I'm a pretty calm and zen-like person most of the time. But I think even I would want to repeatedly slam their heads against the wall. They were just so infuriating in that completely loveable and great way. The rest of the family was also really fun...in that dysfunctional sort of way.

So, I highly recommend The Spellman Files (and the subsequent sequels). It's extremely hilarious. I remember laughing within the first page when I first read it and laughing again while re-reading it. In fact, I think I've laughed more while re-reading just because I can't help but want to warn Izzy and tell her "You think THIS is bad? Your family gets sooo much more worse down the road much to my amusement." However, I should say that The Spellman Files isn't really much of a mystery. It's sort of mystery-lite and the mystery isn't a big deal in the book. Still, The Spellman Files is amazing, zany, wacky, and (it bears repeating) hilarious. Just an all-around entertaining read.
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LibraryThing member jedziedz
This has to be one of my favorite books of the year so far. The Spellman Files is funny, fast paced, and amazingly entertaining. Izzy is the perfect main character, part of a completely dysfunctional family yet a unique individual on her own. All of the Spellmans are intriguing characters whose
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antics will make you laugh out loud. A wonderfully comedic character piece filled with action, The Spellman Files is not to be missed.
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LibraryThing member picardyrose
Sort of cute. The premise -- family detective agency -- is fun, but the execution is overblown: the little sister is too much and the heroine's fixation on the dentist gets positively creepy. But the mysteries are sound. I look forward to the next one.
LibraryThing member kathy_h
QUITE fun...incredibly snappy dialogue, entertaining albeit jaded heroine. very interesting family dynamic, and i particularly liked izzy's younger sister, rae. i enjoyed it even tho i felt it went on a bit too long. i found the writing style to be a bit annoying as well.
LibraryThing member bellalibrarian
This is a hiliarious story about a family of private investigators. Told from the viewpoint of Izzy, the troubled 27 year-old investigator, readers are entertained by Izzy's growing list of exboyfriends, the continuing wars between Izzy's alcoholic uncle, Ray and Izzy's younger sister, Rae, and the
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continuous surveillance that Izzy's parents keep her under. In this family it means nothing to slash a tire or knock out a tail light in order to escape pursuit.

This was a hilarious read. I cannot wait to read the next one, "Curse of the Spellmans."
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LibraryThing member tiffanyhebb
Very easy read, got my interest from the beginning. Isabel was on the verge of being too unlikeable by the end, though, and I need the main character to be someone that I can pull for pretty easily.
LibraryThing member coyle220
This was recommended to me by a co-worker when I told her I wanted to read a mystery. "This one is funny," she said. And it is. Izzy Spellman is a reluctant heroine, in my book (no pun). Her P.I. parents, her brother and little sister all lie, blackmail, spy, and bribe each other. Izzy wants a
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normal life (with a dentist boyfriend?) but she also likes car chases and spying on people. The San Francisco setting is very fun and the author does a great job of developing the characters of the family to have many more adventures. I hear there is a new Spellman book coming out in March.
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LibraryThing member smik
Think of one of the oddest families you know, and I bet it comes nowhere near the Spellmans. 28 year old Izzy Spellman works for her parents, private investigators, and has done since she was 12. Spellman Investigations specialise in surveillance. Of their three children Isabel (Izzy) has been
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without doubt the most trouble, a rebel almost since birth, and a constant subject of interrogation and even surveillance herself. Izzy's history of defiance contrasts with the apparent perfection of her older brother David, but he has managed to break away, leave home, and leads an independent life as a lawyer. By contrast Izzy's younger sister Rae began her first surveillance training before she could read, and is, at 12, in real danger of going the same way as Izzy. Life in the Spellman household is a constant war, with one battle after another between Izzy and her parents, Izzy and Rae, including also skirmishes with Uncle Ray who lives with them. Izzy's life is under constant inspection by her parents and she would like nothing more than to leave home, on her own terms. This book is lightly connected to crime fiction. Investigations are recounted, but it won't satisfy the serious genre devotee. Some have called it chick-lit, and there are elements of humour, just not really what I like to read.
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Awards

Anthony Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2008)
Alex Award (2008)
Macavity Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2008)
Barry Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2008)
Dilys Award (Nominee — 2008)
Gumshoe Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2008)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2007-03-11

Physical description

480 p.; 4 inches

ISBN

1416594175 / 9781416594178

Barcode

1602115
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