Lutz, Lisa 1970–

PERSONAL:

Born March 13, 1970. Education: Attended University of California, Santa Cruz, University of California, Irvine, University of Leeds, and San Francisco State University.

ADDRESSES:

E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer.

WRITINGS:

Plan B (screenplay), Half Moon Entertainment, 2001.

The Spellman Files (novel), Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2007.

ADAPTATIONS:

Film rights to The Spellman Files have been bought by Paramount.

SIDELIGHTS:

Lisa Lutz studied at the University of California, Santa Cruz, University of California, Irvine, University of Leeds, and San Francisco State University but never finished her bachelor's degree. Instead, in 2000 she witnessed her first screenplay produced. Plan B is a mob comedy starring Diane Keaton. However, its premiere on September 11, 2001, was unfortunately timed and the film has been rarely shown in the United States. In a BookPage interview, Lutz explained that the producers made numerous changes to the script, adding: "I don't recommend anyone watching the version that is out right now. Nothing went well. We started to call the production ‘the curse of Plan B.’"

Lutz began working on her novel The Spellman Files while holed up in a 200-year-old house in rural New York during the winter. Published three years later, the book introduces private detective Isabel "Izzy" Spellman. Izzy works for her parents' detective agency. Her brother, uncle, and even her kid sister, Rae, also work for the family business. When Rae goes missing, the family must work together to get her back safely. Donna Freydkin, writing in USA Today, noted that the author "manages to keep the plot dashing along and the reader hooked on her weirdly lovable snoops." In a Mystery Reader review, Lesley Dunlap found that "the characters do have promise." Library Journal contributor Shelley Mosley pondered: "It's hard to believe that this extraordinarily clever book is a debut novel."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Hollywood Reporter, January 31, 2006, "Par Spies Buy on Lutz's ‘Spellman,’" p. 8.

Library Journal, March 15, 2007, Shelley Mosley, review of The Spellman Files, p. 63.

Publishers Weekly, January 1, 2007, review of The Spellman Files, p. 31; January 15, 2007, "PW Talks with Lisa Lutz: Really Smart Snooping," p. 29.

USA Today, April 24, 2007, Donna Freydkin, review of The Spellman Files, p. 6.

ONLINE

Blog Critics,http://www.blogcritics.org/ (March 2, 2007), Scott Butki, author interview.

BookPage,http://www.bookpage.com/ (August 9, 2007), Iris Blasi, author interview.

Bookreporter.com,http://www.bookreporter.com/ (August 9, 2007), Bethanne Kelly Patrick, review of The Spellman Files.

Internet Movie Database,http://www.imdb.com/ (August 9, 2007), author profile.

Lisa Lutz Home Page,http://www.lisalutz.com (August 9, 2007), author biography.

Mystery Reader,http://www.mysteryreader.com/ (August 9, 2007), Lesley Dunlap, review of The Spellman Files.

Spellman Files Web site,http://www.spellmanfilesthebook.com (August 9, 2007), author profile and interview.

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?,http://www.wheredoyougetyourideas.wordpress.com/ (June 1, 2007), author profile.