TEN BIG ONES

New Jersey bond enforcement agent Stephanie Plum's tenth outing gets an adequate, if uncompelling, performance by Lorelei King. She does well enough with the supporting players but is wrong for Steph herself--not young-sounding enough, not Jersey enough, and not emotional enough. Even in the midst of carnage, she sounds like an executive briefing the board. In the abridged format the story, in which Steph is targeted for killing by a Trenton gang because she can ID a robber/arsonist member, is thin and abrupt even for this series. All that said, King's portrayal of the regulars, the over-the-top humor, and Steph's continued flirtation with Ranger and affair with Morelli should keep fans listening. W.M. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 05]