If you like Damon Runyon, you'll love Robert Campbell's Jimmy Flannery series, the first of which is The Junkyard Dog. Set in present-day Chicago, Jimmy's day job is sewer inspector, but he's also a precinct captain for the Democratic party, which isn't quite the bagman job it seems at first glance. No, Jimmy says, what he does "is provide services and favors for my people, which is like my family. I admit that I keep the idea in mind that they'll do me favor for favor when election time comes around." Favors Jimmy Flannery does for his people include finding out who bombed an abortion clinic and killed his neighbor Mrs. Klutzman, who was volunteering at the clinic at the time. A truly original voice, wonderful secondary characters (like Jimmy's father Mike, who is Everyfather, squared), and the present-day Chicago setting makes you feel like you've just stepped off the plane.