finished reading

I first read Lisa Lutz's The Spellman Files back in 2009, and returning to it in 2026 was just as much fun! The shenanigans of the Spellman family: a group of private investigators who can't help but investigate each other, remain the gold standard for 'weird and funny' character work. This series came out before the domestic thriller craze, so this mix of family snark and actual mystery still works.

The stories are told through Izzy’s chaotic perspective, but the youngest Spellman, Rae, might just be my favorite. Her intense dedication to surveillance-- and snacks--is a highlight. Honestly, this family dynamic is so cinematic, it’s a wonder it hasn't been turned into a limited streaming series yet. I needed a break from heavy thrillers; this re-read reminded me why the Spellmans are so special.

From the publisher:

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.

Part Nancy Drew, part Dirty Harry, 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.