The Spellman Files

• Fiction. By Lisa Lutz. Simon & Schuster, $25. Grade: A-

Book in a nutshell: In this hilarious first novel, the Spellman family is law enforcement's answer to the Sopranos, a family that snoops on one another in the name of love. The parents in the story are private investigators with their own firm. Son David, a lawyer, employs the firm. Daughters Isabel, 28, and Rae, 14, work in the family business, as does the hard-drinking, hard-loving and hard-gambling Uncle Ray.

Narrator Isabel resembles Nancy Drew in her dogged pursuit of the truth, but there the resemblance ends. Her youthful hijinks include vandalism, petty theft, smoking, drinking and men of questionable backgrounds. But Isabel mends her ways, or some of them, when she finds Rae imitating her habit of passing out in the yard. Their sorority is the heart of The Spellman Files.

Intrigue ensues when Isabel pulls Rae off her self-assigned practice surveillance of unsuspecting passersby and gets her to a dentist for a sorely needed checkup. Isabel is dating the handsome Dr. Castillo, one of whose attractions is his complete run of bootlegged Get Smart! DVDs. Rae might have enjoyed the visit, if only Uncle Ray hadn't treated his namesake to a showing of Marathon Man the night before.

It's all just background noise as Isabel pursues a cold case to a surprising conclusion and Rae takes center stage by disappearing, hoping that the resulting crisis will bring the family together.

Sample of prose: Lutz has a good ear for the fun in dysfunctional family communication. Reunited by police after Rae is found, the loving sisters fight about who's in worse trouble, to the point that law enforcement hauls Isabel off. Rae doesn't want to be left out: "Please put the cuffs on me and stuff me in the back of the car next to Izzy," she pleads. Sisterhood is powerful.

Pros: For all their quirks, this family is just like any other: smarty-pants kids, interfering parents and lovable wastrels. And readers will enjoy the snappy dialogue.

Cons: Sometimes it can be too cute.

Final word: An irreverent debut, fresh and fun, with enough gravity to keep it convincing. If Isabel keeps her promise to seek another line of work, where can Lutz take her next?