Helpful Score: 7
An extremely fun, very readable, laugh-out-loud story of a family of private investigators. While some call it a mystery, to me it's more about the characters and their relationships with each other than it is about the mystery part of the story (which does exist, but is secondary). The characters have a realism you don't see often in books -- likable yet flawed at the same time.
The second book in the series (The Curse of the Spellmans) is even better. So if you like this one, definitely look for that coming out soon.
Disclaimer: Lisa Lutz (the author) is my husband's first cousin. So I've been privy to pre-releases and pre-reads. I really do love the books though, and I'm not just saying it because of the connection! Since I'll have some extra copies of the paperback Spellman Files, I'll put some out in the PBS world soon :)
The second book in the series (The Curse of the Spellmans) is even better. So if you like this one, definitely look for that coming out soon.
Disclaimer: Lisa Lutz (the author) is my husband's first cousin. So I've been privy to pre-releases and pre-reads. I really do love the books though, and I'm not just saying it because of the connection! Since I'll have some extra copies of the paperback Spellman Files, I'll put some out in the PBS world soon :)
Helpful Score: 5
I love this series! The Spellman family is a riot! The characters are so well developed and the plot is dead on! I have read the first and second of this series and am anxiously awaiting the next!
Helpful Score: 2
Too neurotic for me. The "antics" of this family made me want to bash all of them over the head with a brick. There is a "slight" mystery in here but the rest of the book just isn't worth it.
Helpful Score: 2
Great book, and an unbelievable debut. Loved everything about it, although the ending did make me a little sad. Can't wait for the next one in the series to come out.
Helpful Score: 2
Great read! My first book by this author and of this series. Great story and characters.
Connie A. (jazzysmom) -
Helpful Score: 2
Funny book. Great read. First in the series and can't wait for more. This is one goofy family, but somehow they don't really know it and just keep on going the way they do. Funny Funny Funny. This is a wonderful pick me up read. Time well spent.
Helpful Score: 2
very funny book. It took me awhile to get into it. It seemed to drag on for a while but I am glad I kept reading it was very funny and I couldnt put it down.
Helpful Score: 1
LOVED it was delightfully funny
Helpful Score: 1
The Spellman Files is about a lovable and very dysfunctional family of PI's. The story is told by Izzy Spellman and she holds nothing back in just how unconventional her family is. She tells us all about her unlucky love life, rocky relationship with her brother and of course her very funny little sister Rae. Along the way we get a glimpse into stake outs, arrests, bribes and thats just the tip of the iceberg.
I read this book on a dare from Fiction Fair reading group. To read a genre that you normally dont read so I gave it a go. I thought it was going to be the run of the mill chick lit book but I was pleasantly surprised. I've already downloaded book two onto my phone and look forward to reading it
I read this book on a dare from Fiction Fair reading group. To read a genre that you normally dont read so I gave it a go. I thought it was going to be the run of the mill chick lit book but I was pleasantly surprised. I've already downloaded book two onto my phone and look forward to reading it
Helpful Score: 1
This book was really funny! I love this authors writing style. Kind of reminds me of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, but better.
Helpful Score: 1
This is the first in a series of three Spellman books by Lisa Lutz -- I've read the first two and have the 3rd on order:
1. The Spellman Files
2. The Curse of the Spellmans
3. Revenge of the Spellmans
They are SO FUNNY! Seriously, I rank them up there with Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. They are about a dysfunctional family of private investigators. They are all very secretive about their own lives but all of them (except for the oldest brother, lawyer David) are nosy about each other, to the point of bugging each other, tailing each other, paying others to inform on each other, etc. They involve some incidental small mysteries that they are investigating, but the biggest part of the story is what is going on in their own lives and how they interact with each other. I HIGHLY recommend them!
1. The Spellman Files
2. The Curse of the Spellmans
3. Revenge of the Spellmans
They are SO FUNNY! Seriously, I rank them up there with Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. They are about a dysfunctional family of private investigators. They are all very secretive about their own lives but all of them (except for the oldest brother, lawyer David) are nosy about each other, to the point of bugging each other, tailing each other, paying others to inform on each other, etc. They involve some incidental small mysteries that they are investigating, but the biggest part of the story is what is going on in their own lives and how they interact with each other. I HIGHLY recommend them!
Helpful Score: 1
I love this, I love how messed up her family is and how they all deal with it.
Helpful Score: 1
Superb read ... had me in stitches for the entire book.
Light, zany, and fun. A nice summer read.
Kathleen W. (catsandbooks) reviewed The Spellman Files (Izzy Spellman, Bk 1) on + 68 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Very quirky story, but enjoyable.
Kristine S. (NHBookLover) reviewed The Spellman Files (Izzy Spellman, Bk 1) on + 293 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is a really fun series. What a dysfunctional family the Spellman's are. Isabel works for her parents' PI business. Her lawyer brother, David, is the perfect one. Who is David dating and why is he keeping her a deep, dark secret?
Izzy keeps track of her ex-boyfriends, how long their relaltionship was, what their "last words" to her were, their business, etc. When her much younger sister Rae disappears, the family calls in the police. The story begins with Isabel's statement to Henry Stone, the investigator on the case. Was Rae kidnapped? Is this pay back for an investigation the family was involved in? Why have their been no demands?
The characters are larger than life and the book is such fun to read! I want more!!!
Izzy keeps track of her ex-boyfriends, how long their relaltionship was, what their "last words" to her were, their business, etc. When her much younger sister Rae disappears, the family calls in the police. The story begins with Isabel's statement to Henry Stone, the investigator on the case. Was Rae kidnapped? Is this pay back for an investigation the family was involved in? Why have their been no demands?
The characters are larger than life and the book is such fun to read! I want more!!!
Linda A. (Springfieldreader) reviewed The Spellman Files (Izzy Spellman, Bk 1) on + 458 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book. The Spellman family will entertain you thoughout the entire book.
Marilynn L. (WildOrchid) reviewed The Spellman Files (Izzy Spellman, Bk 1) on + 222 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I had my doubts that I would enjoy this book when I first started it but to my surprise, I couldn't put this book down. I enjoyed the quirky characters but I have to admit, they aren't quite Stephanie Plum's family. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
Helpful Score: 1
I just finished reading The Spellman Files...and loved it. I laughed so hard in places that my daughter came to check in on me to see if I was okay...and the rest of the time I was so engrossed and entertained that I couldn't put the book down. If you love stories about extremely eccentric families and the crazy oddities in human nature...then you will love this book. I consider it ranked along with my all time favorites...Leslie Langtry's Bombay family of assassins and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. This book is guaranteed to tickle your funny bone and proved an enjoyable reading experience. Some mystery involved, but IMHO it is more about family dynamics and the craziness that ensues. Highly recommended.
Jenny C. (thehungrybrain) reviewed The Spellman Files (Izzy Spellman, Bk 1) on + 26 more book reviews
You want humor? You want crazy family? You want detectives? You want a heroine who loves Get Smart episodes and makes lists of everything in her life (including ex-boyfriends, of which she has over 10)? Then you definitely want Isabel (Izzy) Spellman. But really, any of her family will do.
Theyre all private detectives, you see. And in this family, snooping on each other is the only way to get any information. Its an art form that Izzy and her two siblings (older, perfect David and younger, junk food junkie Rae) are all taught from a very early age.
Izzy is...well, shes kind of a fuck up and was rather a nightmare of a child for her parents. But shes a brilliant detective. And shes trying. She really is.
The series is comprised of:
The Spellman Files
Curse of the Spellmans
Revenge of the Spellmans
The Spellman's Strike Again
I've read them all, and highly recommend the entire series.
Theyre all private detectives, you see. And in this family, snooping on each other is the only way to get any information. Its an art form that Izzy and her two siblings (older, perfect David and younger, junk food junkie Rae) are all taught from a very early age.
Izzy is...well, shes kind of a fuck up and was rather a nightmare of a child for her parents. But shes a brilliant detective. And shes trying. She really is.
The series is comprised of:
The Spellman Files
Curse of the Spellmans
Revenge of the Spellmans
The Spellman's Strike Again
I've read them all, and highly recommend the entire series.
Barbara S. (barbsis) -
First of all, I must say that the Spellman's are serious nutjobs! If they were real people, they'd all be sharing a room at the local sanitarium. All of the family members are part of Spellman Investigationgs and it has gone to their heads. Instead of investigating real cases: they investigate each other, they tail each other, they break headlights and tailights on each others vehicles. It's totally nuts. Kind of like a "Three Stooges" episode.
When the narrative finally gets to the Snow case it becomes interesting and keeps you reading but the family hoopla gets aggravating real fast. I guess it's supposed to be funny - and it is - but it gets on your nerves quickly. The story is in the first person of 28 year old Isabel Spellman but it reads like a teenagers diary. Except for the youngest (14), all the characters are between 28 and 50 but they all act like teenage boys one upping each other. I enjoyed the Snow mystery but I certainly would not continue the series. One encounter with the Spellman's is enough for me.
When the narrative finally gets to the Snow case it becomes interesting and keeps you reading but the family hoopla gets aggravating real fast. I guess it's supposed to be funny - and it is - but it gets on your nerves quickly. The story is in the first person of 28 year old Isabel Spellman but it reads like a teenagers diary. Except for the youngest (14), all the characters are between 28 and 50 but they all act like teenage boys one upping each other. I enjoyed the Snow mystery but I certainly would not continue the series. One encounter with the Spellman's is enough for me.
I thought this book was so fun! Very fast-paced and funny.
I really enjoyed this book. I don't consider it a mystery despite mysterious things happening in it. It was a fun read. I will read other books in this series and this author.
Marianne S. (sfc95) -
this is a great Janet Evonovich meets Sophie Kinsella book with a great new host of characters in the Spellman family. It is written in file format, with footnotes and alot of great little quirky lists. A fast, funny read that has a good story with it too.
It was an alright book. Very funny at times and a light read!
The Spellman family makes me laugh out loud! I can't get enough of Izzy Spellman and her antics.
This was a fun book to read and I look forward to reading others in the series. I thought the characters were interesting and the interaction at times comical. It is definitely entertaining and a good comic relief between more serious reads.
Laura S. (nisforneville) -
The characters are very amusing. An enjoyable read!
Fans of Janet evanovich will probably like this as well. I read it while on vacation and it was a great "lay by the pool" kind of read.
This book is an absolute scream. It's more the story of a wonderfully dysfunctional (or functional?) family of private investgiators than a mystery novel (although there is a bit of a mystery that plays a small role in the book). The characters are larger than life.... I imagined them to be like Dharma's family(of "Dharma and Greg") if they were private investigators. If you're looking for a quick read that will make you laugh, this book's the ticket. Can't wait to order the others in the series.
Loved this book -- a great, fun read, written by a pro so talented that I cannot believe this could possibly be her first book.
It's clever; it's written spectacularly well; the characters are vivid and fun; the framing device -- being grilled by a detective who wants to know the story -- works very well; and the solution to the mystery (like Evanovich, Lutz's mystery almost gets lost in the fun of the multiple other plots involving the character's mother and father, her little sister, and ex-boyfriends no. 8, 9, and 10) -- the punchline to the mystery, I say, it really satisfying and dramatic.
I need to send a note to Ms. Lutz explaining to her that she must start cranking out these delights, one a year, for the rest of her life, quick quick, let's go, I'm waiting here! just like her sisters-in-crime because she now has an avid, delighted, impatient, hungry audience!
Again, I can't believe this polished, sophisticated (on every level) novel is her first.
It's clever; it's written spectacularly well; the characters are vivid and fun; the framing device -- being grilled by a detective who wants to know the story -- works very well; and the solution to the mystery (like Evanovich, Lutz's mystery almost gets lost in the fun of the multiple other plots involving the character's mother and father, her little sister, and ex-boyfriends no. 8, 9, and 10) -- the punchline to the mystery, I say, it really satisfying and dramatic.
I need to send a note to Ms. Lutz explaining to her that she must start cranking out these delights, one a year, for the rest of her life, quick quick, let's go, I'm waiting here! just like her sisters-in-crime because she now has an avid, delighted, impatient, hungry audience!
Again, I can't believe this polished, sophisticated (on every level) novel is her first.
Nicole A. (nicolelovesagoodbook) reviewed The Spellman Files (Izzy Spellman, Bk 1) on + 5 more book reviews
I loved this book. Funny, creative and catchy. The stories are fun and I ved learning about the Spellman family members! Just ordered book #2.
Terrific book! Izzy Spellman is a hoot....
I love this book and the whole series. The books are laugh out loud funny, Izzy is smart and flawed and can't get out of her own way. These are fun capers that are also about someone who has found something that she's good at that may not be good for her. Just plain fun.
I loved this book. The authors sense of humor is really witty. I can't wait to read the whole series. I am disappointed that there are only 4 books.
Loved this book, love the series. I like the mystery and the humor. And little sister, Rae, will have you rolling in the floor laughing!
The characters in this series are engagingly strange. The writing is sort of a cross between Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, Hiiassen's characters, and the old TV show MASH. This first book gets everyone introduced and events rolling. The series just gets better with each book.
Is this "young Adult" fiction?
Have been searching for another light, entertaining, well-written series to get into. This series was recommended to me, and I'm so glad that I started on it. Love the eccentric, wacky, private-investigator family, all members remind me a bit of Kinsey Milhone on crack. Looking forward to moving on to book 2 in the series.
I LOVED this book. It was really funny and clever, with great characters. The best description that I can come up with is that it's like _Arrested Development_, but instead of the family being in the housing business, they're private investigators. I especially loved all of the _Get Smart_ references in it. I just really loved it!
I loved this book. It is very dry and funny. It is more about the Spellmans, a family of private investigaters, and their relationships with each other, than it is about solving mysteries. I am a big fan of the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum books, but this series has replaced the Stephanie Plum books at the top of my "Favorites List".
You can tell this book is written by a screenplay writer. It would be a great TV show or movie and reads that way. Fun, light read and a different twist on typical chick lit. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
The Spellman Files and it's collection are the best books ever! I love Izzy Spellman, she is a great charictar. She is a comedic version of Nacy Drew, never mind all the other goings on in her life! I really suggest this book serries to anyone who likes mystery novels, even if you don't like funny ones. I never thought that I would like a mysetery/comedy, but after reading this book, I would read another mystery/comedy serries any day!
I liked how the entire family is involved in the private investigation business, and they see nothing wrong with looking into their family members' private affairs.
This was a WL book that I happened to see at the library. I haven't laughed this hard in a mighty long time. The characters are well developed, and the plot just keeps getting thicker and thicker. Not Stephanie Plum slap stick, but there's room for both of these delightful women.
I really like this introduction of a series. I enjoyed how it was written like case files. What a quirky family & how irritating to be investigated all the time by your own parents. I look forward to reading the next book in the series
easy,fast read. didn't suspect the ending; funny.
If Stephanie Plum took downers she would be similar to Izzy Spellman, Private Eye. Like Stephanie, Izzy has a wild family who are all private eyes, working for dad, including the 6 year old who is often tailing people when she is not at Izzy's favorite bar. Enjoyable, funny easy read.
this is really funny. Read it before you read other books in the series.
The book jacket says "The Spellman Files is hilarious, outrageous and hip. At long last we know wht Nancy Drew would have been like had she come from a family of loveable crackpots." I found it was like reading Nancy Drew written by Kinky Friedman and I loved it.
