Benny is drawn to the vortex by Vanessa Moss, rising executive at the National Television Corporation, and former passion-magnet from Benny's high school years. Vanessa needs a bodyguard. Someone has taken a shotgun to Vanessa's houseguest. Vanessa was out of town at the time. The houseguest was about the same size and shape as Vanessa, and answered the door to both barrels dressed in Vanessa's housecoat. Everyone thinks Vanessa may have been the intended victim. Even the cops admit it's possible, but they also think Vanessa may have pulled the trigger herself. Cooperman does more investigating than guarding.

This gets him inside and personal with the cut and thrust of multi-media office politics. Turns out there are more bodies, but nobody thought much of them in the race for power and air time. Author Engel had a long career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Hacks in and out public broadcasting are said to be scanning Variations for familiar personalities. Let's see, what attractive twist from St. Catharines, er…Grantham, Ontario, legged through Toronto before becoming an international media darling?

Engel himself gave Cooperman the soft-boiled moniker, a description that always seemed ass-backwards to this reviewer. Brittle on the outside, runny at the centre? Not a dick sent gunless onto the mean streets, however small-time, or however often he returned home for mom's dinners. Cooperman's always been more of a peach: soft and sweet, maybe even a bit fuzzy on the outside, but a heart of stone when it's called for. Cooperman's detachment is more evident, his observations more cynical in Variations.

Here's a passage also swiped for a cover blurb:
"Here, at NTC, there was no job security. No forgiveness, no pity. Yesterday's boy genius was today's has-been. Budgets were quick to follow the wunderkind of the moment, along with suites of offices and charge accounts…Here talented people grew old before their time. Heart attacks were as common as headcolds."

Maybe the world's changed. Maybe it's Benny. Maybe everything and everybody has just gotten older.