First sequel to The Spellman Files finds private investigator Isabel (Izzy) Spellman in top form (i.e., very funny), trying to uncover the mystery behind the family's new neighbor, who sets off Izzy's alarms by refusing access to a locked room in his new home. Back for the fun are younger sister Rae, their parents, their older brother with marital problems, and family friend and rescuer Henry, an inexplicably friendly cop. Author Lisa Lutz is consistently funny and has a great ear for dialogue - she also wrote the excellent "The Swallows" last year - and I look forward to reading the next. Highly recommended for good natured fun.

If you laugh out loud at the phrase "It's not my fault" because you picture Stephanie Plum and Lula watching another SUV explode, then get ready for another catchphrase to make you snicker at inappropriate moments. I don't think I'll ever be able to believe another person who says, "I don't know what you are talking about." Strange relatives still plague Izzy, the 44-year-old cop is now spending hours each day with her 14-year-old sister which requires multiple CPS visits to the family, and Izzy's best friend vanishes just when some of their worst teenage crimes are being reenacted.

Also, as a lifelong devotee and faithful reader of footnotes, I am willing to admit these are the first ones I've ever laughed at. IF you miss the footnotes, you are missing half the fun.

Hilarious! I absolutely love this series!

This is the second book in the series and was only slightly less entertaining than the first. This was primarily due to the fact that part of the fun of the first one was getting to know the characters, whereas in this one you already do. However, hijinks ensue like in the first one, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

The Curse of the Spellmans was the next book in the Spellman series, and I think that there was too much reiteration of knowledge learned from the previous book, in this book. Izzy became a little too repetitive (and I understand that it would be helpful if you didn’t read the first book, but this is a series—usually you already read the first one! It ended up being a little like the Baby-sitters Club series, where the whole first chapter of each of those books was stuff already known from the previous books). However, the plot was different—less ex-boyfriend oriented :) I was a little disappointed with Petra in this book however, but I really liked Henry Stone. Izzy ended up showing a great flaw, but I liked that she acknowledged it. It helped her character. Rae of course was intellectually manipulative, and yet so lovable.

Definitely better than the first.

This entire series, overall, was well-written, fun, engaging and smart.

Funny main character who finds herself in interesting situations.