Let’s start out with a mystery that you could feel comfortable recommending to a young adult or even your mother because it is completely devoid of violent murders. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz is about a unconventional family (read dysfunctional) of private investigators who often spend more time investigating each other than criminals. It is the first of a six book series (list on authors website.)
Although the books are touted as humorous, be aware that Lutz’s humor runs towards the deadpan. You have to pay attention to catch all the improbably funny situations.
You can get a feel for her wacky humor in this video about another in the series, Trail of the Spellmans.
If you have trouble getting the jokes, you should think about what it might be like to be an author at a book signing.
Speaking of book signings, I met Lisa Lutz at the Tucson Festival of Books last weekend. There she revealed she wrote The Spellman Files as a screenplay first and revised it to be a stand alone novel. She also said that if she had known the Spellmans would become a series, she wouldn’t have killed off one of the characters.
If you are tired of the standard meaty fare, give the The Spellman Files a try. It is a light fruit salad of a mystery, perfect for a warm summer night.
Have you read The Spellman Files? What did you think of it?
Disclosure: This book was purchased and signed at a book signing. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title or image link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website
I loved The Spellman Files. It was a great change of pace from the typical mysteries out there.