book data
2,022 ratings,
3.86
average rating, 615 reviews
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published
March 13th 2007
by Simon & Schuster
binding
Hardcover, 358 pages
url
characters
setting
San Francisco, CA
literary awards
Alex Award (2008)
isbn
1416532390
(isbn13: 9781416532392)
description
Meet Isabel "Izzy" Spellman, private investigator. This twenty-eight-year-old may have a checkered past littered with romantic mistakes, exc...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 2,766)
All ratings
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5 stars (459)
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4 stars (893)
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3 stars (485)
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2 stars (87)
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1 star (23)
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avg 3.86
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in February, 2008
Beach read.
Funny read.
I-want-to-be-this-character read.
Lisa Lutz, if you ever read this, please don't take it the wrong way. By beach read I mean that I was completely entertained, laughed out loud a couple of times, and didn't want to move while I read it. Your book sucked me in and kept me there. When I had to put it down, the story and characters stayed with me enough so it was easy to pick back up. Izzy Spellman reminded me of Thursday Next ( The Eyre Affair) and J...more
Funny read.
I-want-to-be-this-character read.
Lisa Lutz, if you ever read this, please don't take it the wrong way. By beach read I mean that I was completely entertained, laughed out loud a couple of times, and didn't want to move while I read it. Your book sucked me in and kept me there. When I had to put it down, the story and characters stayed with me enough so it was easy to pick back up. Izzy Spellman reminded me of Thursday Next ( The Eyre Affair) and J...more
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bookshelves:
contemporary_post_1945,
female_author,
humor,
mystery,
no_cal_sf_bayarea,
private_investigator
Read in May, 2007
THE SPELLMAN FILES (Private Investigator, Izzy Spellman, San Francisco, Cont) – Poor
Lutz, Lisa – 1st book
Simon and Schuster, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9781415432392
First Sentence: I duck into the parking garage hoping to escape.
*** Izzy Spellman is a private investigator from a family of private investigators. Her parents sent Izzy and her brother David out on their first official surveillance when they were 12- and 14-years old respectively. Izzy eventually de...more
Lutz, Lisa – 1st book
Simon and Schuster, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9781415432392
First Sentence: I duck into the parking garage hoping to escape.
*** Izzy Spellman is a private investigator from a family of private investigators. Her parents sent Izzy and her brother David out on their first official surveillance when they were 12- and 14-years old respectively. Izzy eventually de...more
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Read in April, 2008
Lisa Lutz’s first novel, “The Spellman Files,” introduces readers to the lovable, albeit highly dysfunctional Spellman family. Be prepared to adore this zany cast of characters, that will butt their way right into your heart and have you laughing a long the way. A strong female protagonist with a meddling family may, at first glance, seem a bit blase’, but don’t be fooled, the writing, narrative and perspective work together like a well oiled machine generating the ideal reading experi...more
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Read in October, 2008
recommends it 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 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.
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4 comments
Read in February, 2008
Hilarious! I literally laughed out loud at least five times.
I knew nothing about this book when I picked it off the shelf as one of the local library's "Reader's Choice" books. I was pleasantly surprised about the subject matter: a family-owned private investigation business featuring a second child whose life is pretty average in almost every way.
I really enjoyed Lutz's writing style (very witty), and I especially appreciated that the "heroine" was ha...more
I knew nothing about this book when I picked it off the shelf as one of the local library's "Reader's Choice" books. I was pleasantly surprised about the subject matter: a family-owned private investigation business featuring a second child whose life is pretty average in almost every way.
I really enjoyed Lutz's writing style (very witty), and I especially appreciated that the "heroine" was ha...more
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Read in April, 2008
I've read several reviews that sang the praises of this book from first time novelist, Lisa Lutz. They were right, it was really fun. I polished it off in one sitting last night and I really hope there's a sequel.
The main character is Isabel (Izzy) Spellman whose family owns a PI firm. Her older brother is perfect, her younger sister is incredibly manipulative and literal and her parents constantly invade her private life. Actually, everyone in the Spellman family seems to be in ...more
The main character is Isabel (Izzy) Spellman whose family owns a PI firm. Her older brother is perfect, her younger sister is incredibly manipulative and literal and her parents constantly invade her private life. Actually, everyone in the Spellman family seems to be in ...more
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Read in May, 2007
Betsy lent me this one because she knows I love private dicks. The private dickery definitely made the thinly-veiled chick-lit more palatable, though I didn't find it to be a particularly great mystery (I figured it out ages before the end). I read the ARE, so it's possible they fixed some stuff before publishing, but there was a structural conceit of the book that I didn't like at ALL and I wish they'd axed. I think it was interesting that the only romantic relationship that the lead character ...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
Laura
This was a funny book. I was intrigued with the family dynamics, its like some horrible accident you don't want to view, but can't help looking. For me, it was like the really dark side of a Janet Evanovich story. Normally when a book is so laden with character development with only a side of plot, I don't really appreciate the story as much. However, this author carries it off, based solely on the fact that her book family is virgin territory (that is to say, hasn't been overdone to death)....more
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Read in July, 2008
This book was humorous and quick to read. Isabella Spellman, former juevenile deliquent, now a twenty-eight year old single female who still lives at home and works for her parents, is part of an eccentric family of private investigators. This book, which is the first in a series, introduces Isabella and gives background on her family, her mischievous teenage years , her past romantic entaglements, and her carrer as a private investigator. The book is written in the first person, and most of t...more
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Read in April, 2007
Is it a mystery? Is it a humorous novel? Well, it's both, and both are thoroughly entertaining. The narrator tells of growing up in a family of private detectives and the humorous dysfunction that results. When she tries to break free of the family business, they ask her to solve one last case. In the meantime, she tries to date (difficult due to her family's background checks and date tailing that ensue), and figure out exactly what it is that she wants to be doing with her life. I found ...more
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Read in January, 2009
Buku ini menceritakan keluarga Spellman yang membuka kantor detektif swasta. Tokoh utamanya Isabel Spellman (28 tahun). Suatu saat, setelah Isabel menjalin hubungan dengan Daniel Castillo, Isabel ingin berhenti bekerja untuk keluarganya, dia ingin melakukan pekerjaan yang normal saja. Ternyata hal ini tidak semudah yang dia duga. Selain satu tugas terakhir yang diberikan orang tuanya (sebagai syarat kalau dia mau berhenti jadi detektif), masih ada hal-hal lain yang membebaninya. Masalah dengan p...more
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Read in March, 2008
I loved this book. It's a mystery, technically, but it's also just a very interesting piece of writing. The main character, Isobel "Izzy" Spellman, is in the family business. That business is Spellman Investigations, a private detective firm that employes Izzy, her folks, her Uncle Ray, and sometimes her little sister Rae (older brother David decided to go be a lawyer, and is consequently quite successful and a little embarrassed by them). Anyway, to describe the plot here would be alm...more
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Read in January, 2009
In the Spellman family, it's perfectly normal to be suspicious of everyone. Privacy is nonexistent. Trust no one.
Unsurprisingly, this attitude has profound consequences for the relationships in the family. David is a perfect child, and as a very smart guy takes the first chance he can to get out of the house. Izzy is the wild child, but her rebellion stops short of actually moving away. And Rae grows up thinking everything is a matter for negotiation and expects to be paid for taking a...more
Unsurprisingly, this attitude has profound consequences for the relationships in the family. David is a perfect child, and as a very smart guy takes the first chance he can to get out of the house. Izzy is the wild child, but her rebellion stops short of actually moving away. And Rae grows up thinking everything is a matter for negotiation and expects to be paid for taking a...more
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Read in July, 2007
The Spellman Files, by Lisa Lutz. B-plus.
Downloaded from audible.com.
This is a rather strange book. I don’t know if it’s going to be a series or not. The Spellmans are a family wholly engaged in private detecting. Mr. and Mrs. Spellman met doing private detective work and got married and started their own business. Mr. Spellman, and his brother Ray, had both been cops for 20 years previous to his starting the business. The three children, including our protagonist, Isabelle...more
Downloaded from audible.com.
This is a rather strange book. I don’t know if it’s going to be a series or not. The Spellmans are a family wholly engaged in private detecting. Mr. and Mrs. Spellman met doing private detective work and got married and started their own business. Mr. Spellman, and his brother Ray, had both been cops for 20 years previous to his starting the business. The three children, including our protagonist, Isabelle...more
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Read in November, 2008
Tidak tahu kenapa saya suka sekali buku ini yah. Entahlah, tapi pertama kali terpesona dengan covernya yang attractive ( cover depan dan belakang lho ). Kemudian judul Files-nya ini yang bikin penasaran sepertinya ceritanya akan penuh dengan penyelidikan-penyelidikan yang menegangkan, banyak kasus-kasus tak teerpecahkan begitu (dalam bayangan saya sih), kemudian baca Prolog yang seru pakai acara kejar-kejaran dengan mobil dan memasuki bagian satu, saya mendapati seorang Isabel Spellman yang tern...more
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Read in February, 2008
I grabbed this book from the Readers' Choice section of the library on a whim. I read it in two days because I couldn't put it down. I loved it! The story, plot, characters, and style of the book were all very unique and funny, and I can't wait to read more from this author. Her next book in the series comes out in March.
Overall, I think the author is extremely talented and quick-witted. There aren't many book where I find myself laughing out loud, but this was definitely one of...more
Overall, I think the author is extremely talented and quick-witted. There aren't many book where I find myself laughing out loud, but this was definitely one of...more
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Have you ever read a book in which you just didn't connect with all the characters, but still found the book entertaining? I enjoyed reading this book, it was a light mystery, very funny, which I was in the mood for. But I just couldn't feel like I was reading about a real person. Perhaps there are people like the main characters, but her voice felt so different from my experience that it didn't seem realistic to me.
The main character, the first person narrative voice, is a 28-yr old woman...more
The main character, the first person narrative voice, is a 28-yr old woman...more
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I was curious about this book because it was written up in the New Yorker. The author never finished school and does not have a degree. So I was feeling bad for myself having two degrees and not being a published author, or any kind of success for that matter. That is until I started reading this book. I made it a few chapters in and decided that I had better things to do with my time then read a poorly written crime novel.
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Read in June, 2009
Já há algum tempo que não lia um livro tão divertido e que me arranca-se tantas gargalhadas! Gostei imenso dele!
Apresenta-nos uma família completamente louca! O negócio deles é a investigação privada, negócio salvo seja, porque para além da parte comercial, espiam-se uns aos outros. Nesta família tudo é possível! Encontramos perseguições alucinantes, onde a filha Izzy, completamente "destrambelhada", pois claro, tenta despistar a mãe ou o pai, que andam sempre a ...more
Apresenta-nos uma família completamente louca! O negócio deles é a investigação privada, negócio salvo seja, porque para além da parte comercial, espiam-se uns aos outros. Nesta família tudo é possível! Encontramos perseguições alucinantes, onde a filha Izzy, completamente "destrambelhada", pois claro, tenta despistar a mãe ou o pai, que andam sempre a ...more
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Read in May, 2009
I thought this was great-very entertaining!
From Booklist
Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series will enjoy this clever debut (the first in a series) featuring Izzy Spellman, an irrepressible 28-year-old sleuth who works for her parents' San Francisco PI firm. Members of the dysfunctional and relentlessly nosy Spellman clan include Izzy's 14-year-old sister, Rae, who engages in recreational surveillance (a fancy term for tailing people just for kicks), and her uncle Ray,...more
From Booklist
Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series will enjoy this clever debut (the first in a series) featuring Izzy Spellman, an irrepressible 28-year-old sleuth who works for her parents' San Francisco PI firm. Members of the dysfunctional and relentlessly nosy Spellman clan include Izzy's 14-year-old sister, Rae, who engages in recreational surveillance (a fancy term for tailing people just for kicks), and her uncle Ray,...more
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