'Trail of the Spellmans'- LIsa Lutz

'Trail of the Spellmans' by Lisa Lutz is the 5th book in the series.  Can I profess my love for this series?

FOR THE FIRST TIME in Spellman history, Isabel Spellman, PI, might be the most normal member of her family. Mom has taken on an outrageous assortment of extracurricular activities—with no apparent motive. Dad has a secret. Izzy’s brother and sister are at war—for no apparent reason. And her niece keeps saying “banana” even though she hates bananas.

That’s not to say that Izzy isn’t without her own troubles. Her boyfriend, Henry Stone, keeps wanting “to talk,” a prospect Isabel evades by going out with her new drinking buddy, none other than Gertrude Stone, Henry’s mother.

Things aren’t any simpler on the business side of Spellman Investigations. First, Rae is hired to follow a girl, only to fake the surveillance reports. Then a math professor hires Izzy to watch his immaculate apartment while he unravels like a bad formula. And as the questions pile up, Izzy won’t stop hunting for the answers—even when they threaten to shatter both the business and the family. (Amazon description)


Izzy, as stated in my previous Spellman review, is the middle kid in a family PI business.  Older brother has gone from golden child to non-existent boring dad; youngest sibling, Rae, is in college and a severe pain in the neck (and still rocking the orange jumpsuit when needed). Her parents are still off, and her grandma is moving in. Izzy is determined to avoid her home with Henry at all costs and has a eclectic client base that would drive anyone to drink.

The Henry situation made me a little sad; his mother, Gertrude,  made me remember why my grandma always advised me to marry someone whose parents have already died.

I loved this book; how many series can you say that about (except J.A. Konrath)? In some ways, Izzy has grown up; in some ways she has stayed the same.

These books are pricey, but I had no problem clicking "buy".

Start at #1- The Spellman Files.

My only concern after finishing this book is will there be another Miss Lutz???