Nibbled to Death by Ducks

The versatile inventor of the La-La Land and Jack Hatch series, Campbell here features his other hero, Jim Flannery of the Edgar-winning The Junkyard Dog. Living according to the Chicago Democratic principle, ``a favor for a favor,'' involves Jim in occasional charitable illegalities. After his political mentor, Chips Delvin, is committed to Larkspur Rest Home by a distant cousin, Jim is refused admittance and must sneak in. Finding Chips hallucinating and neglected, Jim asks another patient to report anything that could empower authorities to close down the ``rest'' home. But the patient is later found drowned in Larkspur's duck pond, a prelude to fearsome, as well as vastly amusing, events. In the end, having relied on another hallowed local custom, the ``get-back,'' Jim is satisfied that he has outwitted nasty conspirators . (Nov.)