Revenge of the Spellmans

I'm loving this series. It's written out like reports & dossiers. Family dysfunction along with working in the same business. I can't wait to read the next one

Private investigator Isabel Spellman quit her job with her family's detective business and is working part-time as a bartender at her friend Milo's bar while trying to decide what to do next. She's also been through one block of court-ordered therapy and has been passed by that therapist on to another. Milo persuades Isabel to take on a relatively simple case for one of his friends, whose wife is acting mysterious and bringing home expensive items. Meanwhile, Isabel's brother David returns from a secret trip and stops going to work. Isabel finds out David has a secret apartment in his basement so moves in without his permission. Isabel's sister Rae's been accused of cheating on the PSATs and has finally made Detective Henry Stone angry enough he is no longer speaking to her. Isabel can't sleep in her new home due to her fear of being found by David, so takes naps on buses. She tails the wife, only to be tailed herself. If that isn't bad enough, her car keeps disappearing. And her feelings for Henry Stone just can't stay put. Once more Lisa Lutz provides readers with a fun-filled whodunit which is more about the wacky Spellman family than the actual mystery, but readers won't mind one bit. The Spellmans are a fascinating, dysfunctional family with individual quirks and laugh-out-loud personas. A definite must-read for those who enjoy a good dose of humor along with a good book.

After reading the first two Spellman books by Lisa Lutz, I was extremely pumped up to read the third. Unfortunately, my public library decided it didn't need to to purchase this one, so I had to request it from inter-library loan. I love the characters and how much they are built up from book to book - I am actually going through withdrawal now that I don't have any others to read. The problems weren't quite as complex as the first two (though one of the "mysteries" was hard to understand even after it got explained to me), and I really really really got tired of the footnotes telling me that the previous books were "available in paperback!" (Really. Chances are if someone is reading the third book, they've read the others or will be interested in checking them out after they are finished - I was reminded what seems like 25 times of the books availability and it actually started to take away from my reading experience.) The ending of the book left me hanging - I couldn't believe it was done because of the way some of the relationships were at a stand still. According to her website, Lisa Lutz is working on a 4th book (The Spellmans Strike Again), but it's not available until March 2010. I guess for now I'll have to settle for what I've got and make myself forget about how much I want to read the next installment for awhile.

Revenge of the Spellmans is the third installment in the series, and although you do not have to read the other two books first, it is recommended that you do for the greatest enjoyment! Revenge focuses on Izzy Spellman as she struggles with defining herself as adult while her family and friends grow and change around her. After her "stalking" escapades in Curse of the Spellmans, Izzy has a part-time job in a bar owned by her friend Milo, court ordered therapy, a beautiful new apartment where she is a secret tenant, and a car that keeps disappearing. Izzy's sense of unrest in heightened by the different things going on in the lives of her friends, changing her relationships with Petra, Milo, Morty, and Henry. Izzy agrees to investigate a case for her friend Milo, and decides that her success or failure to solve the mystery will also decide her future career--she will re-join the family PI firm only if she can solve the case. While following a suspect, Izzy realizes that she herself is being followed, and begins to spy on a competitive PI firm. The real fun with the Spellman books is beyond the mystery story, and with Izzy's family and friends. Her brother David is having a mid-life crisis, her sister Rae is immersed in teen-age angst, her parents worry about (and investigate) all three Spellman children. The antics are what Spellman readers would expect, and more--visits to the police station, impounded cars, parent / teacher conferences, wilderness experiences, Buddhist temples, lots of candy, meditation centers, and investigating family, friends, and friends-of-friends. Revenge of the Spellmans is a wonderful addition to the series. The story is varied, with unexpected twists, and the characters develop in ways that are surprising yet

I'm not going to go into detail- I'll leave that for better reviewers. But I will say this, I'm a huge fan of Janet Evanovich and the Stephanie Plum Series, especially the first half, but Lisa Lutz and the Spellmans have shoved Plum down the list. This is a great new series, Revenge of the Spellmans being the third installment. There's laughter, thriller, suspense, heartache, hope and everything else in between (what, that's not enough to entice you?). This is a keeper, along with the first two, and I would recommend all three for all readers, no matter their favorite genre. It's one of those series that everyone can fall in love with. The only issues I have are: one, the ending always seems too soon for me, and two, I have to wait a year for the next book.