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8th out of 17 books
—
14 voters
Small Vices (Spenser #24)
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...
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...
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
March 1st 1998
by Berkley
(first published 1997)
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This is one of those books that gives me a dilemma when it comes to reviewing it because the major event in this one doesn’t occur until well into the story so it seems like some kind of spoiler warning is in order. However, that event is described in the book jacket and even in the plot summary on Goodreads so I’m not exactly giving away the ending of The Sixth Sense. Hell, I guess since no one else worried about it, I won’t either. You have been warned.
Spenser gets hired by attorney and old fr...more
Spenser gets hired by attorney and old fr...more
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OK, I'm a Robert B. Parker fan. I've read them all. And I admire R.B.'s stamina and longevity with the series. I'll miss not having anymore of his books to read - he passed away this year.
Of the 3 characters in his series, Spenser is my favourite, and Small Vices is my favourite of the Spensers. Spenser is good, but he gets shot by the "grey man" and has to rehabilitate himself outside of Boston with his lady love and his long-time friend, Hawk. The description of his rehabilitation is inspiring...more
Of the 3 characters in his series, Spenser is my favourite, and Small Vices is my favourite of the Spensers. Spenser is good, but he gets shot by the "grey man" and has to rehabilitate himself outside of Boston with his lady love and his long-time friend, Hawk. The description of his rehabilitation is inspiring...more
One of the best books in the Spenser series.
This is my second reading of Small Vices . I'd read it before, years ago, and all I remembered was that this is the one in which Spenser gets himself shot and very nearly killed. (The beauty, I guess, of having so many Spenser novels is that it is hard to keep them all straight so I can go back and re-read them like they're new every few years).
If you are familiar with Spenser, most of your favorites see some action. If not, this may be a good one to...more
This is my second reading of Small Vices . I'd read it before, years ago, and all I remembered was that this is the one in which Spenser gets himself shot and very nearly killed. (The beauty, I guess, of having so many Spenser novels is that it is hard to keep them all straight so I can go back and re-read them like they're new every few years).
If you are familiar with Spenser, most of your favorites see some action. If not, this may be a good one to...more
Reminiscent of Philip Marlowe, Spenser beats death to get (both) his men!
Advance the clock forty years from Chandler's Philip Marlowe series, and voila, we have Spenser! (Actually Parker is an admitted Chandler fan and even finished one of his books {"Poodle Springs"} for him and authored a sequel of Chandler's first novel, "The Big Sleep.") Like Marlowe, Spenser's tough-guy, private-eye work is his definition, and without it, he is nothing - a lesson that alternatively threatens then rejuvenate...more
Advance the clock forty years from Chandler's Philip Marlowe series, and voila, we have Spenser! (Actually Parker is an admitted Chandler fan and even finished one of his books {"Poodle Springs"} for him and authored a sequel of Chandler's first novel, "The Big Sleep.") Like Marlowe, Spenser's tough-guy, private-eye work is his definition, and without it, he is nothing - a lesson that alternatively threatens then rejuvenate...more
My lower rating is based on format more than the book itself. I listened to this book on CD in the car.
Issue 1 -- Narrator. I've listened to 2 Spenser books narrated by Joe Mantegna and I absolutely love Joe as Spenser. Small Vices was read by Burt Reynolds. Burt has a beautiful, deep, rich, smooth voice...but he's not Joe and therefore not Spencer. And it seems that his deep melted chocolate range is where I have hearing loss. There were parts that sounded like a bass melody with no words. When...more
Issue 1 -- Narrator. I've listened to 2 Spenser books narrated by Joe Mantegna and I absolutely love Joe as Spenser. Small Vices was read by Burt Reynolds. Burt has a beautiful, deep, rich, smooth voice...but he's not Joe and therefore not Spencer. And it seems that his deep melted chocolate range is where I have hearing loss. There were parts that sounded like a bass melody with no words. When...more
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This is the second Spenser novel in a row, and the only two I've
read, where Spenser is shot and seriously injured. They were
written 13 years apart. Interesting book with an emphasis
on justice. A young prosecutor feels she mishandled a case
and her client was unjustly convicted of murder. She now
gets her law firm to review the case, so they hire Spenser.
When Spenser is seriously injured he goes to Southern
California with Susan and Hawk for 10 months to rehabilitate.
I loved this observation of TV...more
read, where Spenser is shot and seriously injured. They were
written 13 years apart. Interesting book with an emphasis
on justice. A young prosecutor feels she mishandled a case
and her client was unjustly convicted of murder. She now
gets her law firm to review the case, so they hire Spenser.
When Spenser is seriously injured he goes to Southern
California with Susan and Hawk for 10 months to rehabilitate.
I loved this observation of TV...more
The cover of most middle and late Spenser novels tend to say something about "the best Spenser in years" or "Parker rises again." But this one really does rise above. It feels like Parker put more of himself into this one. The spare language, as always, helps propel the story. But there are also whole pages without a paragraph break - shocking for RBP. His descriptions of the Gray Man are great, especially his eyes - bottoms of bottle caps, washers (of the hardware type). Underlying the book is...more
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I'm back to Spenser after a long layoff. Eventually, I may even finish the series.
This one's good. The story is interesting because the case isn't really a sympathetic cause. Once he's committed to it, though, Spenser won't give it up. The gang's all here for this one, too. It's not just Hawk, Susan, and Pearl. We have also: Healy, Quirk (who's been promoted to Captain), Belsen, Farrell, Vinnie, Gino Fish, Paul Giacomin, Henry Cimoli, Patricia Utley, and her butler Steven. Parker was apparently...more
This one's good. The story is interesting because the case isn't really a sympathetic cause. Once he's committed to it, though, Spenser won't give it up. The gang's all here for this one, too. It's not just Hawk, Susan, and Pearl. We have also: Healy, Quirk (who's been promoted to Captain), Belsen, Farrell, Vinnie, Gino Fish, Paul Giacomin, Henry Cimoli, Patricia Utley, and her butler Steven. Parker was apparently...more
I won't go so far as to say that this was the all time best Spenser novel, but it may just be the quintessential Spenser novel- the best for readers who are already Spenser fans, chock full of just about every reoccurring character who's ever appeared in the series. A little like Jimmy Stewart in 'It's a Wonderful Life,' ol Spense finds out how many friends really care about him and how much when a high priced hit man puts him in a comma.
They're talking about making one of the books into a movi...more
They're talking about making one of the books into a movi...more
90 out of 100 for 2010
This may be my favorite of the entire Spenser series. By the mid-Ninties, he had grown a bit predictale, not stale but not fresh. In the early novels, Spenser was vulnerable--tough, lost fights, and, except for the fact that it was series fiction, his fate was in doubt--you knew Spenser could lose, and his vulnerability made him more interesting. By the Nineties, he'd grown invulnerable, and, p'raps, a bit less inteesting.
Then came 'Small Vices.' Spenser loses, and nearly d...more
This may be my favorite of the entire Spenser series. By the mid-Ninties, he had grown a bit predictale, not stale but not fresh. In the early novels, Spenser was vulnerable--tough, lost fights, and, except for the fact that it was series fiction, his fate was in doubt--you knew Spenser could lose, and his vulnerability made him more interesting. By the Nineties, he'd grown invulnerable, and, p'raps, a bit less inteesting.
Then came 'Small Vices.' Spenser loses, and nearly d...more
Aug 04, 2011
Larry Johnson
added it
It had been a while since I had read one of Robert Parker's Spenser novels, but I'm glad I picked this one up. In this one Spenser is hired to prove that a man was wrongfully sentenced to prison. The problem is that the man has a record and nobody wants him to be let out of prison. Spenser must deal with finding the truth, figure out who and why someone wants him dead, and overcome nearly being killed.
It is no wonder the Spenser novels are popular and spawned a TV series. The only draw back I f...more
It is no wonder the Spenser novels are popular and spawned a TV series. The only draw back I f...more
One of my all time favourites. Spenser investigates for Rita Fiore. A black man was sent to prison for the rape and murder of a white woman, but she thinks he didn't get a good defense, so wants to make sure the right man went to jail.
Turns into a race related case, where the good guy (a black man "saved" by adoption into a rich white family) is protected while the bad black man goes to jail. It also introduces The Gray Man, and spans more than a year while Spenser recovers from a near fatal sho...more
Turns into a race related case, where the good guy (a black man "saved" by adoption into a rich white family) is protected while the bad black man goes to jail. It also introduces The Gray Man, and spans more than a year while Spenser recovers from a near fatal sho...more
I've never read a Robert Parker novel before, I really enjoyed this one. A very straight forward read with lots of plot twists. A thrilling read and I definitely will be reading another Robert Parker novel.
Found a first edition at the thrift store for a buck. ($1.06 with tax.) So what the hell.
Meatier than the most recent Spenser novels, and we only get one extended kitchen sequence. ("I sliced the Venezuelan beaver cheese that I get from a guy who lives in a refrigerator crate under the Tobin Bridge. He doesn't volunteer where it comes from, and I don't ask.")
Nice conundrum — if Spenser gets the wrongfully convicted guy out of jail, will he a) get killed for his trouble and b) cause more trouble...more
Meatier than the most recent Spenser novels, and we only get one extended kitchen sequence. ("I sliced the Venezuelan beaver cheese that I get from a guy who lives in a refrigerator crate under the Tobin Bridge. He doesn't volunteer where it comes from, and I don't ask.")
Nice conundrum — if Spenser gets the wrongfully convicted guy out of jail, will he a) get killed for his trouble and b) cause more trouble...more
Spenser is one of those fictional characters that you have to love. And, this one, "Small Vices" ranks up with the best I have read in the Spenser series (that being said, I have not read "Catskill Eagles": everyone seems to think this is the best one of the series.)
Okay, so we have all our favourite characters in the Spenser series: Susan, Hawk, and Spenser himself. We have a couple of minor characters from previous novels (mostly in law enforcement) that have helped Spenser out in the past. So...more
Okay, so we have all our favourite characters in the Spenser series: Susan, Hawk, and Spenser himself. We have a couple of minor characters from previous novels (mostly in law enforcement) that have helped Spenser out in the past. So...more
Read this one already, as I have every Parker book, but I read something about The Grey Man, so I thought I'd give this another shot. Better than I remembered, but not one of his best. The time passing seems oddly handled, and you would think Rugar would find him immediately again once he got his apartment back. Fairly long for Spenser/Parker, but everything good about the series is evident here. All minor characters from the series make an appearance here. Overall, very good and, as usual, addi...more
Well, OK, I've seen a couple episodes of "Spenser: For Hire" back there in the 70's, I guess, but never really got into it. My mother-in-law laid this book on me, describing it as "a piece of fluff you'll finish in tow days." Considering my snail's pace of reading, that wasn't off the mark, relatively. I found the action to go quickly (the murder of a coed and the - well, possible - framing of an African-American man with a pretty sleazy past. Spenser's a pretty fair sleuth (his word for himself...more
Another good Spencer book. Fot Spemcer fans, when Hawk and Vinnie get involved, action is usually not far behind. But in this tale, Hawk and Vinnie are gaurding Susan while Spencer acts as a human target to lure out the killer hired to take keep him from uncovering what really happened in a murder case.
Later into the story, Hawk proves why the two always have each other's back.
With typical slick story-telling, Robert Parker gets us through an unusal tale in brillant style.
Later into the story, Hawk proves why the two always have each other's back.
With typical slick story-telling, Robert Parker gets us through an unusal tale in brillant style.
Not normally a book that I would read, however someone made a special trip to get me this book. It was actually really good. Language a little raw but the story line and characters were really developed. About a former cop turned Private Investigator. Gets a case that involves a wrongly convicted black man of rape and murder. Story goes thru initial murder, family, friends and eventually someone trying to kill him for investigating. Keeps you entertained thru the entire book!
Finished this book about 2 pm this morning, and I really enjoyed it. Not one to give the plot away--I will say that Spenser almost dies, and the Gray Man is the culprit. This isn't a spoiler for Parker fans, cos we love to hate the Gray Man and other villians. The usual sidekicks show up (except for Chollo), and the action is worth reading. This book really highlights Spenser's character--his sense of fairplay and his unwavering sense of self. This was a good read.
April book club selection.
I suppose this is modern hard-boiled detective fiction – it’s well written, but it turns out I do not like hard-boiled detective fiction. (Or maybe I just don’t like Parker’s style, because I looked up “hard-boiled detective fiction” and found Sara Peretsky, Sue Grafton, and Walter Mosley listed as well, and I’ve liked them all just fine.) Whatever the case, it is unlikely I’ll be reading any more Spenser mysteries.
I suppose this is modern hard-boiled detective fiction – it’s well written, but it turns out I do not like hard-boiled detective fiction. (Or maybe I just don’t like Parker’s style, because I looked up “hard-boiled detective fiction” and found Sara Peretsky, Sue Grafton, and Walter Mosley listed as well, and I’ve liked them all just fine.) Whatever the case, it is unlikely I’ll be reading any more Spenser mysteries.
I have always enjoyed reading Robert B. Parker, whether his Spencer novels or Jesse Stone, they are always fast moving and enjoyable to read. Now that Mr. Parker has passed on, I am saddened there will be no new stories, but at least I have so many of his existing books to still read.
Small Vices was good start to finish. Another saga in the Spencer life.
Small Vices was good start to finish. Another saga in the Spencer life.
I was happy to find this old Parker novel I hadn't read - I thought I'd read all his books. The man had a unique gift for writing engaging novels with likeable characters, exciting plots, and sparkling dialog. Thankfully he was prolific throughout his life, so we'll have his writing to enjoy even though he is no longer with us and producing new reads.
Is Spenser henpecked or is he aging and mellowing? He's definitely lost his edge. I don't remember him being nearly this sensitive in the first book. I'm not thrilled with the change.
The book never explains who Susan or Hawk are or how they met. This is a serious omission on Mr. Parker's part. A brief backstory is needed on each character, since they seem to be so important in Spenser's life.
I think I will have to backtrack and read the books in order.
...more
The book never explains who Susan or Hawk are or how they met. This is a serious omission on Mr. Parker's part. A brief backstory is needed on each character, since they seem to be so important in Spenser's life.
I think I will have to backtrack and read the books in order.
...more
My absolute favorite of the Spenser series. Spenser gets shot and undergoes a long difficult recovery with Susan and Hawk before returning to action to track his would-be assassin. This book delves the deepest into Spenser's psyche and into his relationships with Susan and Hawk. Don't watch the TV movie. Joe Montegna is no Spenser.
Mar 24, 2013
Kerstin Lampert
added it
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.
This is my favorite of the Spenser books. The story is excellent and RBP does a nice job presenting the friendship that is a constant between Spenser and Hawke and the love and understanding that Spenser and Susan have. I reread this book a lot!
Excellent; Continuing character: Spenser; he is hired to get a black career criminal convicted of murder of white preppie student out of prison, if he's innocent; in doing so, Spenser comes up against a killer who almost does him in.
The mystery in this story was a good one, but even more riveting was the moral dilemma that Spencer faced. Another dimension in Robert B. Parker's story was the way Spencer faced personal adversity with strength and determination while dealing with personal issues with tenderness and compassion. Tis is be if my favorite Parker books so far.
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database named Robert B. Parker.
Robert Brown Parker was an American crime writer. His most famous works were the novels about the private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the late 1980s; a series of TV movies based on the character were also produced....more
More about Robert B. Parker...
Robert Brown Parker was an American crime writer. His most famous works were the novels about the private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the late 1980s; a series of TV movies based on the character were also produced....more
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“I took my .38 out and looked to see that there were bullets in all the proper places. I knew there would be, but it did no harm to be careful. And I'd seen Clint Eastwood do it once in the movies.”
—
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