The Spellmans Strike Again
Library Journal
The zany Spellmans are back, but, sadly, this fourth series entry (after Revenge of the Spellmans) is the final chapter. Now that her parents are older, Isabel "Izzy" Spellman, age 32, has agreed to head up Spellman Investigations. She is also dating boyfriend number 12, an Irish bartender. Even so, Mother Olivia, determined that Izzy marry a professional, blackmails her into dating men of Olivia's choice (preferably lawyers) every other week. Youngest daughter Rae, a genius teen who's supposed to be studying for the SATs, is wrapped up in her internship researching pro bono legal cases, using any means?legal or illegal?to get an innocent man out of jail. And the whole family wants to make sure brother David marries Maggie Mason, the lawyer who oversees Rae's internship. In addition, the Spellmans look for a missing butler, locate a stolen screenplay, and unearth the skeletons in their competition's closet. VERDICT Fans of this side-splitting series will also go for Leslie Langtry's family assassins, the Bombays ("Greatest Hits" series), Jess Lourey's librarian/reporter Mira James, ("Murder-by-Month" series),Toni Causey's Bobbie Faye, and, of course, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/09.]?Shelley Mosley, Glendale Community Coll. Lib. Media Ctr., AZ