The Curse of the Spellmans

Isabelle Spellman is back in her second adventure as a PI for her family's detective agency, in Lisa Lutz's The Curse of the Spellmans. The wacky antics of Isabelle and her family lead to many humorous, madcap adventures. Isabelle's suspicious nature leads her to take an obsessive interest in her family's new neighbor. Certain he is up to something, Isabelle's investigation lands her in jail more than once. Isabelle is also assigned to investigate a copycat vandal who has been attacking the same holiday lawn tableaux that Isabelle "altered" many years ago. Meanwhile, Isabelle's younger sister Rae has caught the attention of Social Services due to her friendship with a middle-aged police detective. Mrs. Spellman, unconcerned with the relationship, has taken to recording their conversations as evidence. Although this is a mystery series, the actual mystery is not the main appeal of the book. The quirky characters, their relationships with each other, and the trouble they get into are quite humorous and entertaining. This is a fun, quick read, that is sure to please fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Start with the first book, The Spellman Files. The third book in the series, Revenge of the Spellmans, will be released in March.