Lisa Lutz is a New York Times bestselling American author, known for her mystery novels and screenwriting. Born on March 13, 1970, in Southern California, Lutz had a diverse educational background, attending several universities including UC Irvine, Leeds University, UC Santa Cruz, and San Francisco University. However, she did not obtain a degree from any of these institutions.
In the 1990s, Lutz worked a series of low-paying jobs while writing and rewriting her comedy screenplay, Plan B. Her first screenplay was optioned in 1997 and was eventually made into a movie in 2001, though it received mixed reviews. After facing challenges in selling her subsequent screenplays, Lutz decided to use the basis of one of her rejected screenplays to create a novel series. This decision proved to be a turning point in her career.
Lutz's novel series, The Spellman Files, became a bestseller, and she established herself as a prominent author. The series is based on a private investigator family called the Spellmans. After the success of The Spellman Files, Lutz went on to write several other bestsellers, including Heads you Lose, How to Start a Fire, The Passenger, and The Swallows. Lutz has won the Alex award and has been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel.
In addition to her Spellman series, Lutz has also co-written a novel, Heads You Lose, with David Hayward, and has written a children's book, How to Negotiate Everything. She is also the author of a psychological thriller, The Passenger, which was published in March 2016. Lutz's work is known for its blend of crime, comedy, and humor, and she has built a dedicated following of readers who appreciate her unique storytelling style. She currently resides in the Hudson Valley, New York.