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The Spellman Files (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 15,764 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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 doors—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 go—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 life.
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"Absolutely LOVED this book! It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the wacky back and forth of the book's sequence of events but it hooked me in good. Read the 2nd book in the series the day after I finished the first (thank goodness for Spring Break and mostly grown children!)."
— Connie (5 out of 5 stars)
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“The plot churns on Izzy’s work deconstructing two missing person cases…investigations that cause her to question just how much family dysfunction she can tolerate. It’s not the mystery of how these cases ultimately resolve that will pull readers through, but the whip-smart sass of the story’s heroine, ace detective of her own heart.”
— People -
“She’s part Bridget Jones, part Columbo. Lisa Lutz’s resilient PI Isabel Spellman emerges as a thoroughly unusual heroine in her delightful, droll debut novel.”
— USA Today -
“A fun and irreverent debut.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“A spirited, funny debut from screen writer Lutz that mixes chick-lit, mystery, and a dose of TV nostalgia…[The] various mysteries all come together in a rush of humor and chaos. It’s all casual, swift, and hip. But an underpinning of reality, the complex emotions of growing up and letting go, shows through occasionally, warming up this hilarious debut.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A 2008 Anthony Award Finalist for Best First Novel
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Winner of the 2008 YALSA Alex Award
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A USA Today bestseller
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A 2008 Macavity Award Finalist for Best First Mystery
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A 2008 Barry Award Finalist for Best First Novel
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A 2008 Dilys Award Finalist
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
The Spellman Files Listener Reviews
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" Fun and funny -- this families dysfunction is thoroughly entertaining! "
— Jacqui, 2/16/2014 -
" Fans of Janet Evanovich and Stephanie Plum (I'm one) will enjoy The Spellman Files. Lisa Lutz has the same wacky, over-the-top wacky approach to crime fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My kind of relaxation. I'm looking forward to spending some more time with this dysfunctional family of private investigators! "
— Laura, 2/13/2014 -
" Very witty writing about a very dysfunctional family! Great read! "
— Craig, 2/11/2014 -
" Fun, lose yourself in the action kind of book. Characters were kooky and well written. "
— Danielle, 2/10/2014 -
" A fun read that we listened to while traveling. Will read more in series. "
— Scottlmoritz, 1/31/2014 -
" Super funny. The footnotes give voice to the sarcastic inner monologue that I'd have if I were Izzy! "
— Janice, 1/26/2014 -
" If you're Stephanie Plum fan, then you'll love Izzy Spellman! Sassy, obnoxious, and always in trouble - she's a PI for her family's PI firm. And...the rest of her family is crazy! Read it! :) "
— Deela, 1/14/2014 -
" I liked all the books, just had way too many footnotes. It got kinda distractiing and even annoying at times that I had to keep going to a footnote. "
— Krista, 1/14/2014 -
" This book was so much fun to read. Throughout the book I wanted to meet the Spellman family; they are quirky in a delightfully charming way. I finished the book and was eager to read the next in this series. "
— Kathi, 12/29/2013 -
" Fun start to the series. "
— Vince, 12/17/2013 -
" Comedy. Uh, this is the story of an insane family which spends much of its time feuding with each other, but generally in a cute and funny way. It is character-based humor, so I'm not sure how well it will last in the sequels, but I'm planning to get them. "
— Dan, 12/17/2013 -
" Highly entertaining. Good lunch time or airplane read. And I didn't solve all the mysteries before the book revealed them! "
— Alisa, 12/11/2013 -
" This was a fun read. I enjoyed that crazy dysfunctional Spellman family and their private investigation business. I will be reading more in the series. "
— Ana, 8/3/2013 -
" I liked the book. It was recommended to me as something similar to Janet Evanovich Plum series, only funnier. I didn't find this first book all that funny, but it was entertaining and an easy read. A little predictable. "
— Yvonne, 7/7/2013 -
" Funny light good summer reading. The author has a very humorous way of writing that makes you want to read all her books. "
— Pam, 12/29/2012 -
" I would have given a five but lisa killed uncle ray, that too at the end, It would have been better if she had killed him off due to cancer at the beginning, Thats my only minus point in this book "
— Thirukkumara, 10/8/2012 -
" One of the funniest books I have ever read. It's rare that a book will make me laugh out loud, but this one did! "
— Brenda, 8/14/2012 -
" I thought it was a bit unusual the way the chapters were set out and the story jumped back and forth so much but I really enjoyed the storyline and it was very funny. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. "
— Jess, 7/31/2012 -
" A smart and funny detective novel aptly referred to as a grown-up Harriet the Spy. The Spellman family is totally dysfunctional but completely fun to read about, and I'm looking forward to reading more about them in the next book. "
— Rachel, 3/8/2012 -
" really cute series. "
— Shoshana, 12/29/2011 -
" It started off as a slow read, but definitly got into it at the end. It is funny and the characters are easily liked. Love their sarcasm. They are just an odd family but you gotta love them! "
— Carlota, 6/9/2011 -
" Really good book! Super fast read. I was done in a couple of days. Nice to read something so quick once in a while. I found myself laughing out loud at times. Love the author. "
— Angie, 5/16/2011 -
" Hilarious! Great quick and easy read. "
— Karen, 5/10/2011 -
" Since I'm really into non-thinking books lately, this one fit the bill. <br/> <br/>The Stop You're Killing Me website suggests Lisa Lutz for Janet Evanovich fans. Reading did not invoke the out right belly laughs of early Evanovich, but there are some humorous moments. "
— Denise, 5/9/2011 -
" Finally got to read the first of the Spellman novels, and I was actually surprised at how *angry* Izzy was in this one! Although the ending of the case Izzy was trying to solve only surprised me slightly, overall it's a fun and relatively quick read. "
— Sio, 5/9/2011 -
" Thoroughly enjoyed it! Have ordered the next two in the series so I can start them as soon as possible..... "
— Tom, 5/7/2011 -
" I read the book a couple of years ago and really enjoyed and all of the series. Made me laugh out loud. "
— Reenie, 5/3/2011 -
" Overall, a very light-hearted story about a family of spies and Izzy Spellman, the one who wants to get away from the family business. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and its comical and suspenseful tone. "
— Catherine, 5/1/2011 -
" A main character to match Bridget Jones. Deliciously funny!!! "
— Beth, 4/27/2011 -
" I thought it was a bit unusual the way the chapters were set out and the story jumped back and forth so much but I really enjoyed the storyline and it was very funny. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. "
— Jess, 4/25/2011 -
" Crazy funny characters. Loved that it in SF and places I know.<br/>Good for kitchen listening "
— Kathy, 4/23/2011 -
" A great, fast read. Good reading for the beach. I took it with me to Mexico. "
— Debbie, 4/20/2011
About Lisa Lutz
Lisa Lutz is the New York Times bestselling, Alex Award-winning author of the Spellman Files series and The Swallows, among other novels. She has also written for film and TV, including HBO's The Deuce.