Atomic Lobster

Mixing crime and humor is hard: a delicate balance must be maintained between the clever and the cute, between the cheap cackle and the meaningful guffaw. Dorsey is a master of this high-wire act, and reader Oliver Wyman makes a perfect partner. Dorsey's 10th caper about serial killer Serge A. Storms gives Wyman the chance to show off his amazing vocal range. He starts with a snidely funny old woman (”We call Viagra 'granny abuse,' ” she says) recounting for a TV crew what happened when Serge and his mob of Florida misfits took over a cruise ship she was on. A flashback to the planning stage finds Serge (a smart, edgy and somewhat whiny voice) and his dumber colleague Coleman setting up the deal. There's a gorgeous stripper named Rachel, assorted villains and a passel of DEA agents and other cops. Wyman balances them all with ease, giving listeners who like their comedy bloody and bawdy lots of fun. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 3). (Mar.)