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Cover of Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa LutzCurse of the Spellmans
Modern · Fiction, Mystery, Humor

Curse of the Spellmans

by Lisa Lutz
2008 · 409 pages · Fiction
62.5Must-Read
Score Modern
Critics' pick
≈ 10 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Curse of the Spellmans is the sequel to The Spellman Files, Lisa Lutz's comic mysteries about Izzy Spellman, a private investigator in her eccentric family's San Francisco detective agency, where everyone spies on everyone else.

Why it's worth reading

It was an Edgar Award finalist. It's a quirky, very funny mystery.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

Read The Spellman Files first. It's written with footnotes and transcripts.

By the numbers

62.5Must-Read Score
  • Readers50 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics21 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Bestseller8 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
Edgar Award finalist (2009)

Reads as

Gripping, Funny, Uplifting

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Humor booksTop 25 · 35 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 ranked

Quick answers

Is Curse of the Spellmans worth reading?

Yes. It was an Edgar Award finalist. It ranks #2,139 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.5 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Curse of the Spellmans about?

Curse of the Spellmans is the sequel to The Spellman Files, Lisa Lutz's comic mysteries about Izzy Spellman, a private investigator in her eccentric family's San Francisco detective agency, where everyone spies on everyone else.

How long does it take to read Curse of the Spellmans?

About 10 hours (409 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Curse of the Spellmans?

If you liked it, try The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple or Hot Six by Janet Evanovich.