Walking the Cat, by Tommy ""Tip"" Paine: Gordon Liddy is My Muse, II: A Novel

In his second outing, author and amateur spy Tommy ``Tip'' Paine, first met in Gordon Liddy Is My Muse , continues his harum-scarum adventures. This rambling tale gets started near the trash cans at the service entrance of Paine's Manhattan apartment building, where he hears from his neighbor's maid Rosie that her investment banker boss, Charlie Purcell, is in trouble. As a soldier in Korea in the early '70s, Purcell sold some military secrets to the enemy. He's been blackmailed ever since, but the demands have recently escalated beyond his ability to deal with them alone. Rosie, Charlie's wife and her sister inveigle Tip into a major financial commitment so that Charlie can buy back the ``proof'' and finally be rid of his tormentors. Becoming further involved, Tip uncovers miasmic complications far exceeding blackmail. Literate and amusing, Batchelor's stream-of-consciousness prose flies along at breakneck speed, but following the disjointed narrative requires considerable perseverance. (May)