I learned of an author, Robert B. Parker with a strange way of telling the story of a detective with street smarts....and a worldly approach to life. He has friends with special skills, like "Hawk" who seems to stay with the program as long as Spenser, needs him.

NAH BC THE ENDING WAS SO FUNNY AND FOR WHY. FOR WHY!? literally fav mystery novel ever. spenser (the main character) is so funny and real and I kept finding myself laughing at stuff he’d say to criminals or bad cops, my fav line was when spenser talked to the ex boyfriend of the dead girl and the ex said he was with her until she was killed and spenser said something like “don’t you hate it when they go and do that?”, had me laughing out loud at the absurdity of it.

This was my first Robert Parker read and I rather enjoyed it. Much of the story is covered by other reviews so no need to repeat. The dialogue between Spenser, Susan and Hawk and, indeed, with their allies was quite entertaining and amusing and quite refreshing. I hope it continues in others in the series.

From my uncle. One of the things I love about Spenser books is how they show the frustrating, time-consuming parts of being a PI as well as the action sequences. Spenser often runs into dead ends, conducts surveillance without learning anything, and decides that he's better off going to sleep for the night than trying to continue. In this book he gets shot and almost dies, and he spends a year recovering before coming back to Boston to finish the case.

My favorite quote from the book: (he's talking about his long-time significant other, Susan) "The dress was black and simple with a short skirt. She did look stunning in it, but it wasn't the dress. She still harbored the illusion that what she wore made a large difference in how she looked. I had years ago given up explaining to her that whatever she wore she was beautiful, and clothes generally benefited from being on her."

In Small Vices, Spenser takes on the job of re-investigating the murder of Melissa Henderson, a student at Pemberton College. The police arrested a career criminal named Ellis Alves for the murder, but now that he’s been convicted and is serving time, his young defense attorney worries that she didn’t do a good enough job of defending him and thinks that, despite his long rap sheet, he was not guilty of this particular crime.

Spenser’s investigation soon leads him to suspect that Alves was framed. The witnesses stonewall him. The state police officer who arrested Alves threatens him. Finally, a man tries to kill him and almost succeeds. Spenser has no doubt that the man is a professional killer.

Spenser’s recovery takes him away from the case for months. Once he’s back, he goes after the attempted assassin, who he believes holds the key to unlocking the truth about how and why Alves was framed.

Spenser’s brush with death doesn’t diminish his tough-guy ethos or his wise-cracking persona, but it does seem to make him even more thoughtful, philosophical, and even caring than usual. He’s always known that he can count on Hawk, but when Hawk stays by his side to motivate him and help him with his lengthy rehab, he gets a new opportunity to appreciate the depth of their bond.

The book contains the usual helping of mutual congratulations by Spenser and Susan on their exceptional qualities and the extraordinary nature of their relationship. But these conversations are somehow more fitting and (mostly) less annoying in Small Vices, for two reasons: First, there is a subplot about Susan wanting to adopt a baby, which Spenser resists, so they have a substantial issue that they need to resolve. And second, Spenser’s near-death experience brings home for both of them the danger of his work and Susan’s fear that the next time he may not survive.

Ultimately, Small Vices becomes a meditation about equality before the law and about what constitutes justice. Spenser is fully aware that by trying to establish Ellis Alves’s innocence, he is working to free a man who is a blight on society. But even so, he can’t bring himself to allow the particular injustice of this case to stand, especially when it means that rich and powerful people will not be held accountable. In Spenser’s world, that isn’t justice.

It is not the strongest of the Spencer mysteries. This one has a lot of filler, since it’s pretty obvious by halfway through who killed a female college student; it just takes Spencer a long time to get the proof. He’s badly injured and his recovery period takes up an awful lot of the novel, as does Susan’s idea that they should adopt a baby. Burt Reynolds is not that great a reader. Even though most of the novel is set in Boston, many of the characters sound southern, with one state trooper sounding like he was left over from In the Heat of the Night.

This is the 6th in the Spenser series that I've read in the last 10 years. I enjoyed it generally but there were a lot of empty chapters; however, there are always redeeming components in the Spenser books. This was no different in that regard.

If there were 3 1/2 stars, that's what I would give this book. It is the usual, self-satisfied Spenser, he with the feigned humility. He still thinks he is the smartest, handsomest, toughest guy in any room. I do like his long time paramour, Susan. At any rate, this is a fairly good story, with a lot of Spenser's snappy dialog. The plot moves along nicely, but I could use fewer descriptions of what people are wearing and eating.

Disclaimer. I am a big Spenser fan. Kicking back with a Spenser book is always a fun way to wile away some time. That being said, this is one of my favorites in the series. The sense of place, sense of Spenser's physical struggles, and his deep bonds with the other characters are each compelling.

I took a break from non fiction to read this book (guns at last light). It was nice to not fall asleep within 2-3 minutes of reading every night. Spenser never knows what is going on until towards end seems to be a recurring theme. Also I would like to know how he couldn’t move his right arm and left leg, but didn’t have a spinal cord injury! Also Hawke apparently is a PT! Running him up hills to facilitate normal gait is interesting approach.

This is my favorite Spenser book yet. Well-written, lots of character development, and an intriguing plot line that doesn't get confusing. Will read it again for sure.

This is one of my favorite Spencer books. It's about love, friendship and perseverance.
07/14/21 Just finished reading this book for the fourth time. I now own this book and will probably read it every year.