Beating the Babushka

A movie producer hurtles to his death from the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, an apparent suicide that shocks the film community and puts a two hundred million dollar production in jeopardy.

His colleague, Grace, doesn’t believe it was suicide and turns to private detective Cape Weathers to find the truth. To solve the case, Cape and his friend Sally—an assassin raised by the Triads—take on the Russian mob, a major movie studio, and a recalcitrant police department by enlisting the help of rogue cops, computer hackers, and an investigative journalist who just doesn’t give a damn. But with a sniper on their trail, the challenge will be staying alive long enough to find out the truth.

Beating the Babushka is the second book in the Cape Weathers series following Stealing the Dragon earlier in the year. As with the earlier book Beating the Babushka is a lot of fun to read. I normally am not one to get caught up in a series but Maleeny's books have quickly become must-haves for me upon their release.

It is not necessary to have read the earlier book in the series to understand and appreciate what happens in Beating the Babushka. But I will say this, that a fuller understanding of Sally, one of the reoccurring characters in the series and Cape's back-up in tight situations, can only be had with a reading of the earlier book. But, Sally's character is just as vibrant and interesting without that prior knowledge though readers of the first book may feel that she is underused here after she had such a dominating role in the earlier book. Like all of the great deadly sidekick characters her time spent in the story isn't enough but Maleeny knows better then to spoil a good thing and ultimately leave us wanting more.

One of the things that are interesting here is the sustained Hollywood theme. Not only is the death of a movie producer at the heart of the story here but Beating the Babushka is filled with movie allusions and references as well as offering up a behind the scenes look at the business side of movie making.

Reflecting the shift in the power structure of organized crime in the U.S. it’s the Russian mob that dominates here. An outline of their history and their methods of dealing with other organizations (both legal and not) provide an interesting sub-plot. One of my favorite characters in Beating the Babushka is the retired Russian mobster known as The Pole. It will be an anecdote of his that will provide the title of the book. His character is one that you see sometimes in fiction, regardless of medium. A kind of idealized, gentlemen criminal, usually from the old country, who has a strict code of conduct. He doesn't care who he deals with as long as they adhere to this code and those that follow it have his trust and friendship. He proves to be a carefully crafted, intelligent, thoughtful friend to Cape who just happens to be on the wrong side of the law.

During the climatic fight scene at the end of Beating the Babushka it will be revealed to the astute reader that the events here take place a year before those in Stealing the Dragon, making it a prequel. This shows Maleeny's willingness to jump around in the timeline of these characters, which could make for some interesting stories down the road.

--Brian Lindenmuth

Other Reviews of works by Tim Maleeny

Stealing the Dragon - Mar 27, 2007