Sweet La-La Land

Down-at-the-heels Hollywood private eye Whistler, seen before in In La-La Land We Trust , promises his old flame Faye, who's now running a shelter for teenage girls, that he'll find her 15-year-old son whom she hasn't seen in 11 years and who is part of a ``family'' of street hustlers. The boy's father has just been paroled after serving time for three ``satanic'' murders and is tracking down a sleazy movie producer involved in the deaths. As Whistler and Faye revive their old love, events take nasty turns. By the horrifying end of the story there are seven killings, six of them grisly, and Whistler is once again alone. Although coincidence is often stretched and the mix of melodrama and tough street talk is a little jarring, Campbell shows his usual skill in moving the story at a fast pace, with flashes of wry humor. His depiction of an amoral serial killer--not one we suspect--is bone-chilling. (Apr.)