Ten Big Ones

June 7, 2004
Audio reviews reflect PW
's assessment of the audio adaptation of a book and should be quoted only in reference to the audio version.
Fiction
TEN BIG ONES: A Stephanie Plum Novel
Janet Evanovich
, read by Lorelei King. Audio Renaissance
, unabridged, five cassettes, 8.5 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 1-55927-783-1

"I think of myself more as an entertainer than as a writer," Evanovich says in a bonus interview at the end of this audiobook, and indeed, her latest offering (following To The Nines
) will leave listeners with little doubt that she is a master of screwball comedy. At the start of this adventure, bumbling New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her sassy sidekick, Lula, witness a gang member known as the Red Devil rob a convenience store and attempt to bomb it with a Molotov cocktail, which hits Stephanie's car instead. Stephanie gets a good look at the Red Devil, making her a key witness and a target for a nasty gang called the Slayers. Her sometime boyfriend, vice cop Joe Morelli, insists she stay home and out of danger, but Stephanie would rather be bringing in two-bit criminals than lying low. Narrator King steps neatly into Stephanie's shoes, her agile voice conveying not only Stephanie's fear and frustration, but her plaintive, why-does-this-always-happen-to-me attitude. King also nails the manly, mysterious voice of gorgeous bounty hunter Ranger, Stephanie's sometime superhero. Although the high-pitched voice King gives Stephanie's adventure-loving grandmother may grate on some listeners nerves, her vocal stylings are generally as superb as Evanovich's zany characterizations. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's hardcover (Forecasts, June 7).

February 15, 2004
Plum handles a scary gang robbery/cop shooting combo; her tenth outing.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2004
Although the strain of keeping her formula fresh and funny shows a bit in this latest adventure of New Jersey's most unusual bond enforcement agent, Stephanie Plum, there's still enough to entertain readers hooked on the wacky, wildly popular series. Plenty of familiar characters and running gags are here: Lula and Grandma Mazur are as comical as ever, and Stephanie still can't hang on to handcuffs and cars or decide between the two men in her life--sexy cop Joe Morelli and scary Ranger, who is hot, hot, hot. This time, though, the tale starts quickly (Stephanie pegs a convenience-store robber as a member of a vicious Trenton gang, then becomes a target on a hit list) but seems swamped by more than the usual absurdities. Fortunately, a dynamite finish--unexpected and very funny--saves the day for both Stef and her fans. Also on the plus side this time are some extraordinary new, hope-to-see-again additions to the roster, particularly the cross-dressing rocker Sweet Sally. Not the high mark of an outstanding series, then, but still good fun for the legions of devotees.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)

Starred review from June 7, 2004
Evanovich is at her best in her 10th Stephanie Plum adventure (after 2003's To the Nines
), which reads like the screenplay for a 1930s screwball comedy: fast, funny and furious. The Trenton, N.J., bond enforcement agent (bounty hunter), accompanied by her trigger-happy friend Lula, an errant file clerk, is after a quirky collection of bail-jumpers—a man who killed a neighbor's rosebushes relieving himself on them, a drag queen musician/school bus driver accused of assault, and a woman who claims she robbed a Frito-Lay truck because she hated her low-carb diet—when she witnesses a convenience store robbery. Unfortunately, Anton Ward, the holdup man, learns that Stephanie can identify him and puts out a contract on her. After she tells her colleague Ranger her predicament, he offers her sanctuary. As usual, she's torn between sexy Ranger and her longtime lover, cop Joe Morelli, with whom she's living. The rollicking plot, replete with car chases, family squabbles, massive doughnut consumption and a frantic, wacky finale, keeps the reader breathless. As usual, Evanovich's eccentric characters—fun-loving Grandma Mazur, anxious to accompany Stephanie on her job; self-absorbed sister Valerie and her hapless fiancé Albert Kloughn (pronounced Clown); Sally Sweet, the transvestite who shows a talent for wedding planning—are a treat. Agent, Robert Gottlieb. (On sale June 22)

Forecast:
Billed as a "Tenth Anniversary Collector's Edition," this should debut at #1 on many lists.

June 1, 2004
Hard to believe, but Evanovich's popular series is ten years old. In this outing, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is on the run from a vicious gang she ticked off. All the usual suspects are here: Grandma Mazur, plus-sized Lula, sexy cop Joe Morrelli, and the mysteriously cool Ranger. Too bad the slapstick, cartoonish humor overwhelms the slim plot. Only for fans who can't get enough. A Jersey girl no longer, Evanovich lives in New Hampshire. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/04.]

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.