Greasing the Piñata

Cape Weathers Investigation #3

by Tim Maleeny

A former U.S. Senator vanishes days after his son goes missing. When they're both found dead on a golf course in Mexico, body parts missing, the Senator's estranged daughter Rachel resolves to discover what happened. Private investigator Cape Weathers doesn't really want the case. He can't stand politicians and doesn't know the terrain. But when it looks like the daughter may become the next victim, Cape crosses the border looking for answers. Cape asks his deadly companion Sally, trained by the Hong Kong Triads, to watch his back as he stumbles onto a conspiracy that leads from corporate boardrooms in San Francisco to drug cartel strongholds in Mexico. Together they confront a killer determined to bury the past as well as anyone trying to dig it up. Miles away from home and nowhere near the answers, Cape manages to get kidnapped, steal from the mob, piss off the DEA, alienate the local police, confound a computer genius, and somehow lose the client he's been protecting all along.

Genres: Mystery

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Tim Maleeny is the bestselling author of the award-winning Cape Weathers mysteries, including STEALING THE DRAGON, a novel about the Chinese Triads that was named a Killer Book of the Year by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.

Publishers Weekly said his series “engages the reader without insisting that it be taken too seriously, with writing that will resonate with Elmore Leonard fans.”

His latest is a global art heist called HANGING THE DEVIL, which Library Journal praises for its "relentlessly fast-paced plot and delightful dry humor" in a starred review. San Francisco Magazine calls it "a riveting thriller you won't be able to put down, guaranteed."

Tim's standalone comedic thriller JUMP was described as "a perfectly blended cocktail of escapism" by Publishers Weekly and was named Best Mystery of the Year by Foreword Magazine.

Tim won the prestigious Macavity Award for his short fiction, which appears in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen, and several major anthologies, including Thriller 2, Uncage Me, Fear, and Death Do Us Part.

Crimespree Magazine said “Maleeny gives readers a fresh and fast take that enthralls,” and Bookreporter called him “one of the new princes of detective fiction.” A member of the International Thriller Writers, Sisters In Crime, and Mystery Writers of America, Tim currently lives and writes in New York City.

Reviews

[Mac Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cape Weathers is at it again. He's gone to Mexico to locate the missing brother and father of a client. While he's successful, he doesn't feel that finding parts of them qualifies as a successful case. He might have been better just taking the win and calling it a day, but that would not have made for a very interesting story, and this is an interesting story. The mystery takes Cape from Mexico to San Francisco and back again while he chases down some dark characters. I am thoroughly enjoying this series.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the absurdly high body count (human and animal), the predominance of sadists, and the general lack of coherence to the almost surreal plot, it was quite enjoyable.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Greasing the Pinata”, third in the 'Cape Weathers Investigation' series, works on perpetual motion to avoid any serious attempt at believable plotting.
Or, to put it another way, there's madness in Cape's methods.
As in previous episodes Sally will be on hand to dig him out when he's facing imminent death. And his limited circle of friends will provide the information he so badly needs.
The author, Tim Maleeny, sticks to a tried and tested formula but I am beginning to find the writing predicable.
The son of a Senator has gone missing, soon afterwards the Senator also disappears. Cape is hired to find out what happened.
It's the last in the series I will be reading.
3 Stars.

[Gabriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice and entertaining book that will fill your time in a pleasant way, however, is nothing remarkable about it, nothing to make me at least come back eager to discover more, just a book to help you pass some time in case you travel and need to read something in the airport, on the plane, or at the hotel while you're focusing on your regular stuff...

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got to page 63 and wondered why I was reading this series. I only started this series on the recommendation of a friend. I think she was drunk when she did. I really don't like the stories, the writing, the characters, etc. Stopping the insanity now!

[Lee Thames · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good misdirection.

What this series needs is the backstory on Cape and Sally.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody's mad at Cape Weathers but he lives to solve another crime. Love this series and the characters. Really fun to re-read.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This starts out as a nice pi investigation, but turns into a fiasco in Mexico.

Entertaining if you can dispend disbelief long enough.

I borrowed a copy from the public library.

[Sunnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author, Tim Maleeny has chosen to go down the wise-cracking PI route and it does serve him pretty well. What doesn’t is a plot that is a little too long on action and short on depth. There are only so many times Cape can fall into the hands of the bad guys and be rescued by Sally before it begins to become a little stale.

GREASING THE PINATA does have some genuinely humourous moments, However, the fight scenes and action sequences overshadow them. My opinion is coloured because I’m not really an action fan. It’s fine on the movie screen, but for the most part I find it tedious in books.

If you’re looking for a quick pacey read, then GREASING THE PINATA might work for you. If you want something with more substance and credibility you may find yourself disappointed.

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd in a series about PI Cape Weathers. This story takes him to Mexico where he gets tangled up with several Mexican cartels while searching for a missing Senator and his son at his client's request.

While this can stand on its own, it might be better to read the first two first to get a better feel on the background between Cape and Sally and figuring out how he met Sloth & Linda.

(more to follow)

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was too dark & gory for me, plus I had trouble keeping track of the characters (few of them had distinct personalities or characteristics) and couldn't get interested in the storyline. I did, however, think the book made some interesting points about the politics of environmentalism (for example, comparing carbon offsets to the medieval sale of indulgences).

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not his best.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun but grisly!

[Suzanne]

Voted Best Humorous Mystery for 2009

[Kari Wainwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this book better than the last Cape Weathers because Sally was more involved in this one once again.

[Ron Gilmette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good adventure yarn with a few plot twists.