Detective Superintendent Simon Kenworthy of the Yard is a sleepy-eyed character with a wide-awake mind who drives his assistant Sergeant Wright to distraction with his ""exasperatingly leisurely approach to pending urgencies."" Leisurely maybe, but lively indeed in a complicated killing that involves political corruption, and World War II blackmarketeering and blackmail. Not to mention a pretty little bird named Putty Pearson whose owl-wise view helps Kenworthy narrow his very long list of suspects. Worthy Kenworthy, a nice new Yard arm.