The Spellmans Are Back!

March 21, 3:26 PMEast Bay Literary ExaminerTony R. Rodriguez

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Comic novelist Lisa Lutz returns with Revenge of the Spellmans, her third installment to the laughably quirky Spellman detective family saga. This time around, Isabel “Izzy” Spellman begins her next chapter unemployed from her family’s San Francisco private investigation firm. Nevertheless, Izzy soon decides to continue her craft as a freelance detective by taking on a client of her own. But as usual, Izzy unfortunately catches a litany of bad luck. She finds herself mandated to attend court-ordered trips to her therapist, which doesn’t seem to make things any easier for her new job as a part-time bartender at The Philosopher’s Club. But it doesn’t matter because Izzy soon gets fired and looses her bartending gig to Milo, an Irishman who enjoys shooting her dicey come-ons. Alongside all of this, Izzy’s living arrangements are in distress, her sleep patterns eventually become heavily depleted, and moments spent with her dysfunctional family are becoming esoterically maddening — and often filled with vibrant bouts of subtle jealousy, questionable distrust, family doubt, and emotional uncertainty.

Revenge of the Spellmans is a must-read for fans of the comedic crime novel.

LISA LUTZ

The narrative of Lisa Lutz follows in the comic tradition of John Kennedy Toole, Janet Evanovich, and Dave Barry. But Lutz certainly stands proudly on her own. With this third novel, Lutz branches away from these comic greats and humbly carves her name on the great wall of American Writers. Revenge of the Spellmans will guarantee a kaleidoscope of laughter, comforting endearment, and poignant gloom to any bookworm who rips through Lutz’s ingenious storytelling. And be sure to read everything in the book, especially the often clinically humorous footnotes that often pepper the bottom of the pages — they’re the candy sprinkles on a tasty cupcake.

So pick up a copy of Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz and relish in the quirky idiosyncrasies of Izzy Spellman, the very same character People magazine called “the love child of Dirty Harry and Harriet the Spy”.

Revenge of the Spellmans

by Lisa Lutz

Simon & Schuster, March 2009, 384 pages, hardcover

ISBN 978-1-4165-9338-6

$25.00 (USA) $32.00 (CAN)

FOR MORE INFO: tonyrodriguez (at) hotmail (dot) com

Copyright © 2009 Tony R. Rodriguez, Examiner.com