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Dec 07, 2015
Isabel “Izzy” Spellman is 28 years old. She works as a licensed private investigator for her family’s firm, Spellman Investigations. Her approach to her work is part Nancy Drew, part Dirty Harry. The files of her personal life are largely made up of romantic mistakes, excessive drinking and creative vandalism. The Spellman family finds it impossible to leave work at the office. To be a Spellman is to snoop on a Spellman; to tail a Spellman; to dig up dirt on a Spellman; to wiretap and blackmail a Spellman. Izzy’s parents, Albert and Olivia, take their role as private investigators to heart, and have no regard for personal privacy. The two of them met during a stakeout. They think nothing of placing their daughter under 24-hour surveillance to find out if she has a new boyfriend. Sibling relationships within the Spellman family are equally complicated. Throughout Izzy’s childhood, she envied her overachieving, all-too-perfect older brother David. Today, he is a successful lawyer who believes anything can be negotiated. This penchant towards bargaining and bartering has been an integral influence on their younger sister, Rae. The first installment of the Spellman series focuses on 14-year-old Rae’s growing addiction to “recreational surveillance” and efforts to track down her uncle and namesake, Uncle Ray, who randomly disappears on benders dubbed “Lost Weekends.” From the moment I started listening to this series as a book-on-cd, I became fascinated with the quirky cast of characters. The plotline twists and turns in unexpected ways, which kept me guessing regarding how all of the seemingly unconnected storylines might be intertwined. At the end of each installment in this series, the puzzle pieces come together and make perfect sense. Spellman Files will appeal to those who like humor and mystery. It is mesmerizing from start to finish, and often laugh-out-loud funny. As a protagonist, Izzy is like a grown up Harriet the Spy. If you were a fan of the early books in Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plumb series, you are sure to enjoy this. Available in hardback, paperback, large print, nonmusical sound recording and audio ebook. (LD)