Good read about Spencer, P. I., as he investigates a killing that may have convicted the wrong person. Good characters, a different "bad guy," scattered story line and an interesting ending. Be prepared for some drama and, for Mr. Parker, a LENGTHY story.

Small Vices
(Spenser #24)
by Robert B. Parker
4.03 · Rating details · 5,218 ratings · 249 reviews
Ellis Alves is no angel. But his lawyer says he was framed for the murder of college student Melissa Henderson...and asks Spenser for help.

From Boston's back streets to Manhattan's elite, Spenser and Hawk search for suspects, including Melissa's rich-kid, tennis-star boyfriend. But when a man with a .22 puts Spenser in a coma, the hope for justice may die with him... (less) think I read!!!!!!!

This was a rather violent Spenser. His enemy is an unknown Gray Man who stalks him while Spenser is trying to find the truth behind the killing of a college girl, and free the innocent black man who has been imprisoned. Spenser is shot up, left for dead--which he nearly is, and he, Susan, Hawk, and Pearl drive to California where he recovers for about a year, leaving an obituary, so it is thought that he really is dead.

finished 29th july 2023 good read three stars i liked it kindle library loaner spenser #24 and from time to time spenser writes about some topic or another that matters to many people...in this one adoption. we don't get the abortion adoption twist with a water chaser just a tickling of adoption...and...trying to think of another topic or two treated in the same fashion in other stories. blank. anyway, susan would like to adopt, to have a child, to experience motherhood. can we say motherhood without incurring the wrath of the commm? fuck em. and on of the lads in story was adopted older now and a potential murder suspect...and a shade of black, colored may it do ya fine...and that angle is experienced per our century. you know how some are feeling guilty about slavery and all its attendant costs and are hell-bound to treat one of them favorably? or cast their vote to illuminate their generosity and benevolence? that kind of treatment. and spoiler spenser gets shot...this must be the first appearance of the gray man who features in at least one other story, possibly more than another. long rehab. an entertaining read as always...you can count on a number of sit-downs at restaurants, bars, diners and other place-settings as they discuss events.

Like the series - this one holds up.

An entertaining read.

Spenser Series, Book 44, by Robert B. Parker
Publish date: February 11, 2007 (First published in 1997.)
EAudiobook/OverDrive/Lexington County Library
*Narrated by Burt Reynolds.


Others’ Reviews:
rob w
5.0 out of 5 stars Murder, Justice and a Good Meal
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2021
“The Spenser novels are in the tradition of Hammet and Chandler with his deceptively well educated private detective always ready with witty reply and a sense of justice. Aided by his partner Susan and his dangerous friend Hawk Spenser investigates the wrongful imprisonment of a man who is of questionable character who is guilty of many things but not the crime he was convicted of. This investigation nearly kills Spenser but our hero is nothing if not persistent!! What I like about the Spenser novels is that they are well written tales but what makes them really fun to read is the food Spenser is never short of a good meal after reading a chapter you can end up feeling mighty hungry !! in this novel the lamb risotto sounds particularly delicious. So a novel that is not just a thriller but a culinary adventure.

The usual cast of characters, Spenser, Susan, Pearl
The Dog, Hawk and others, come together in this fun book from Robert B. Parker, and Spenser almost dies trying to get a black man out of prison for a murder he’s convicted for but didn’t commit. A mysterious “Grey Man” goes after Spenser and shoots him. There are anxious moments in his recovery and the reader is shown that Spenser is not immortal after all.

Robert Parker's Spenser series will always hold a special place in my heart. I lived in Boston from 1986-1991, while the television series starring Robert Urich was being filmed there. (It ran from 1985-1988.) Many of my fellow actors at Emerson College - where I got my M.A. in Performing Arts - served as extras on the show.

I never did.

But I once almost ran into (literally) Avery Brooks who played Hawk in the series. I was late for class and took a sharp turn onto Charles St. without thinking that someone might be in the sidewalk on Charles coming my way. That someone was Mr. Brooks. Thank god I stopped in time because I have no doubt that I would have hit his large, muscular frame and ended up down on the brick sidewalk. Although I didn't actually hit him, I apologized profusely for the near miss, and was happy to get a polite "That's quite all right" in response.

I also met Robert Parker once when he came to sign books at the old Lauriat's bookstore in Downtown Crossing, where I worked during graduate school. Honestly, he was a bit of a curmudgeon who absolutely HATED the television version of his books. But it was still exciting to talk with him about his series of books before he started his signing.

Over the years, I've read each book in the series, some numerous times. But ever since Parker's death in 2010, I've felt as if it might be time to retire the series. First, Spenser seems a bit dated in today's modern world. Although in fairness, maybe it's just me getting older.

More importantly, after what I thought were a good couple of first efforts on his part, Ace Atkins' continuation of the series has fallen flat. He's a talented writer, but his efforts are too much of a rehash of early Parker works. So his plots leave a lot to be desired. Also, he hasn't ever completely mastered Spenser's voice (IMHO).

Consequently, I've decided to read through the entire series in 2021 one last time and then bid Spenser adieu. It will be sad, but it's just not the same for me anymore.

As I've mentioned in my earlier reviews, I don't think Spenser really becomes the Spenser I grew to love until Susan Silverman, Hawk, and Paul Giacomin are fully entrenched in Spenser's world. And by this point in the series, they are. The good news is that interactions and dialogue between Spenser, Susan, and Hawk are as solid as ever in this entry. And even Paul Giacomin makes a cameo appearance in this novel.

I enjoyed this 24th entry in the serious. I never go deeply into plots to avoid spoilers, but I will say that the only reason I didn't give it five stars is that Spenser's surviving and recovering from an assassin's bullet - a plot development that is right on the jacket cover, which means it doesn't count as a spoiler - was a bit over the top.

Still, this was a pleasure to read, and I look forward to continuing my farewell read of this series. Next up is "Sudden Mischief" - a novel that features Susan's ex-husband, if memory serves me.

There are still very rich people out there who know they are above the law! What happens when they screw up, confess, but still APPEAL??!!! Susan wants to adopt and boy or girl the younger the better, oops, lololol

Page 94 . . . "Well, isn't she the a princess," Susan said.

Page 95 . . . I shook my head. That description fit Hawk, but he and Elayna didn't seem a match. The thought of him with Erika, however, made me smile.

Page 96 . . . Susan's black silk robe. . . .
. . . I had given her that dressing gown last Christmas and it had cost me far more than I generally earned. . . .
I smiled pleasantly at Susan.
"Well, isn't she a princess," I said.
"Shut up."

Page 97 . . . Pearl paid me no heed. Her every desire was focused on dashing into the bedroom and biting Erika. I kept a hand on her collar to forestall that though I was embarrassingly eager for it to happen. Susan looked at me very hard. . . .
. . . "No need, " Susan said. "Really. I've had that gown forever. It was just something to wear around the house."
She was careful not to look at me while she said it. I was quiet, holding Pear's collar. I did not comment that the robe was pure silk and was meant to be worn in front of a fire while sipping champagne. . . .

Page 98 . . ."Should I have let Pearl go?" I said.
"Do you think she'd really have bitten her?"
"with proper coaching," I said.
"God, wasn't she awful."
"Awful," I said.
"My beautiful silk robe," Susan said.
"Now I guess you'll have to sit around naked and drink champagne," I said.
Susa smiled at me, almost sadly.
"There's always a silver lining," she said. "Isn't there."

Page 202 . . . first bullet hit me . . . right shoulder, . . . second bullet got me . . . right arm. . . . third shot in my back, near my spine, . . . left leg felt numb. . . fell twenty feet . . .

Parker is always fun to read, nice and easy, sharp dialogue, plenty of hooks at the end of chapters. All that. He's one of several go-to authors I'll choose when I need an easy and fun book. This book meets all those criteria.

My only complaint is that whenever there's a situation that might involve a bit of proper detective work, let's say, detecting and identifying a particularly bad man, then Spenser doesn't need to dig deep, instead he just calls up an old acquaintance - of which he seems to have an inexhaustible supply: a police captain here, someone in the State police there, someone in the CIA, a high-class madam, a lawyer, a Mafia don... So life is extremely easy for our sharp-talking hero.

It feels like weak-plotting, and I suppose it is, but we forgive Parker because the writing is so much fun. Still knocks a couple of stars off, though.

Hawk was prevalent in this one so it moves up on my list. Good overall story line but some of the derogatory slang was a bit much for me. Read by Burt Reynolds, he is my favorite reader of Spenser after Joe M.