Rating: 
Summary: SUSPENSEFUL AND HILARIOUS
Review: 'Small Vices' is the second Parker I've read, and it does not disappoint (the first being 'Playmates'). I just wish I had discovered Parker a long time ago. Parker writes a tight prose reminiscent of Sue Grafton, but in the male voice. The main character, Spenser, is charming, tough and a little deviant. He is a PI who is not scared to use his fists when he has to and his brain when it becomes more appropriate.In 'Small Vices', Spenser has to uncover the truth about Alves, a young colored man who has been accused and sentenced for the rape and murder of a white coed, Melissa Henderson. What follows is a tale of treachery, deceit, lies, police corruption, contract killing and violence. When Spenser is shot trying to uncover the truth, he hangs on to his life by a thread. Parker has done another magnificent job at blending humor, suspense and believable settings. We are taken from Boston to New York, and even on a trip to Santa Barbara in Southern California. The sub-plot with Spenser's wife Susan and dog Pearl blends in nicely with the suspense and does not slow down the pace of the story. If you've never read a Parker, you can't go wrong with this one. But then I've got another sixteen of his to read, so I'll let you know as I proceed.
Rating: 
Summary: parker is still good
Review: - It wasn't until I started reading "Small Vices" that I realized how much I'd missed Robert Parker and his Spenser series. During an 18-month period about two years ago I read all of Parker's books. I haven't read any of his books since. And then recently I picked up this new book and, although I was having a bad day, I was soon smiling and laughing. Spenser was back and I was sure enjoying his company. I've tried before to determine exactly why I love this series so much, since the basic concept is so cliched: Spenser is a tough, strong private eye, but with a heart of gold, who usually gets the bad guy. He's very ethical and serious at times, like Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder character, but he is also quite funny at times, a la Donald Westlake. Mostly, though, he is witty, sharp and smart. I suspect that part of me thinks that I could be Spenser if I buffed up and learned how to throw a punch. The writing is always tight in his books. During one conversation, for example, Spenser tells the reader simply, "I had nothing to add to that," whereas other writers would elaborate on that thought. There is also a racial element to the series, with Spenser's buddy, Hawk, a black tough guy who acts dumber than he is and plays to the racial stereotype but is actually quite intelligent and uses people's expectation of him to his advantage. All of this results in great dialogue. At one point in this book, for example, Spenser is injured. "I don't need that much help," Spenser said. "He ain't heavy," Hawk said. "He's my brother." In this book, Spenser is hired by a law firm concerned that a black man convicted of murdering a white girl in an almost all-white college may actually be innocent of that crime. The suspect is guilty, though, of raping other women so few go out of their way to help Spenser unravel the truth. Spenser also encounters great deal of racism. Soon some tough guys tell Spenser to quit his investigation and throw him some muscle. He pretty much ignores the threats until he starts getting followed by a guy who prefers to let his bullets do the talking. And then things get really interesting. Meanwhile, Spenser's long-time girlfriend, Susan, wants to adopt a child but Spenser is against the idea but doesn't want to make her mad either. This is certainly not Parker's best book, but even a weak Parker book is better than much of the novels currently available. Part of the problem may be that Parker has been writing this series for too long, more than 20 years now, so it will be interesting to see how a new non-Spenser book he has out compares. And when I read that one, I'll tell you my conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: parker is still good
Review: - It wasn't until I started reading "Small Vices" that I realized how much I'd missed Robert Parker and his Spenser series. During an 18-month period about two years ago I read all of Parker's books. I haven't read any of his books since. And then recently I picked up this new book and, although I was having a bad day, I was soon smiling and laughing. Spenser was back and I was sure enjoying his company. I've tried before to determine exactly why I love this series so much, since the basic concept is so cliched: Spenser is a tough, strong private eye, but with a heart of gold, who usually gets the bad guy. He's very ethical and serious at times, like Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder character, but he is also quite funny at times, a la Donald Westlake. Mostly, though, he is witty, sharp and smart. I suspect that part of me thinks that I could be Spenser if I buffed up and learned how to throw a punch. The writing is always tight in his books. During one conversation, for example, Spenser tells the reader simply, "I had nothing to add to that," whereas other writers would elaborate on that thought. There is also a racial element to the series, with Spenser's buddy, Hawk, a black tough guy who acts dumber than he is and plays to the racial stereotype but is actually quite intelligent and uses people's expectation of him to his advantage. All of this results in great dialogue. At one point in this book, for example, Spenser is injured. "I don't need that much help," Spenser said. "He ain't heavy," Hawk said. "He's my brother." In this book, Spenser is hired by a law firm concerned that a black man convicted of murdering a white girl in an almost all-white college may actually be innocent of that crime. The suspect is guilty, though, of raping other women so few go out of their way to help Spenser unravel the truth. Spenser also encounters great deal of racism. Soon some tough guys tell Spenser to quit his investigation and throw him some muscle. He pretty much ignores the threats until he starts getting followed by a guy who prefers to let his bullets do the talking. And then things get really interesting. Meanwhile, Spenser's long-time girlfriend, Susan, wants to adopt a child but Spenser is against the idea but doesn't want to make her mad either. This is certainly not Parker's best book, but even a weak Parker book is better than much of the novels currently available. Part of the problem may be that Parker has been writing this series for too long, more than 20 years now, so it will be interesting to see how a new non-Spenser book he has out compares. And when I read that one, I'll tell you my conclusion.
Rating: 
Summary: A "good" Spenser is better than no Spenser at all.
Review: A nice read, as are all the Spenser novels. They are my favorites. As such a I would recommend the book. I do not think it is the best Spenser. The older books had a harder edge, and you were not always sure how the book would end. Here I was sure, as I have been for a while with the series. I still enjoy reading them and will continue.
Rating:
Summary: Spenser dies, revives, acquires depth, and Susan wants more.
Review: After all these years, Spenser, Hawk and Susan discover that they are HUMAN. Susan wants a child and to formalize her relationship with Spenser. She and Hawk lead him back from the dead after he runs into a shooter as cold as he. And it is a cold Charles River which saves him. The book is plainly about community and its saving graces, never a strong part of Parker's canon. Spenser desperately needs his friends and contacts in this book, and I was glad to see him lose his solipsism. It's the best Parker/Spenser in a while and mystery lovers will welcome them back
Rating:
Summary: Spenser is back!
Review: After Chance and Thin Air left me disppointed, I was beginning to think the success of this series had gone to Parker's head and he'd stopped trying. I kept reading the last two offerings in the vain hope that a plot would emerge and that I would recongize some shred of the Spenser who hooked me on this series years ago. But after a string of books that seemed designed solely to put Spenser and Hawk into interesting locales and give them every opportunity to exchange witticisms, Small Vices is the real thing. Spenser has me hooked again. He's a little older and maybe a little wiser than the Spenser who first faced his own mortality in Valediction, but he hasn't lost that sense of honor and the need for justice that's always driven him. What he has finally shed is another layer of his stubborn autonomy, as his brush with death makes him dependent on his friends. Plenty of people care about this guy, with good reason... but for a few years there, I was starting to wonder why anyone stuck with him. Small Vices made me remember.
Rating:
Summary: Parker Piques
Review: After more than 20 crime novels, Robert Parker can still pique my interest. And twenty of almost anything usually equates to a snore. Not so here. In "Small Vices", we revisit one of the best known ensembles of the genre; sexy invincible Spenser, seductively naive Susan, and without a doubt, the intimidating irrepressible Hawk. We also meet "The Gray Man", who wishes to put Spenser into an earlier grave than anyone, including the self-effacing Spenser, desires. Add a friend asking for Spensers help in his framing of a murder of a young female college student, the search of suspects through Boston to the elite Manhattan crowd, and voila, another gritty up front Parker crime action in full motion. The dialouge snaps, the plot crackles, and the .22 pops. Thank you for your interest & comments--CDS
Rating:
Summary: Parker Piques
Review: After more than 20 crime novels, Robert Parker can still pique my interest. And twenty of almost anything usually equates to a snore. Not so here. In "Small Vices", we revisit one of the best known ensembles of the genre; sexy invincible Spenser, seductively naive Susan, and without a doubt, the intimidating irrepressible Hawk. We also meet "The Gray Man", who wishes to put Spenser into an earlier grave than anyone, including the self-effacing Spenser, desires. Add a friend asking for Spensers help in his framing of a murder of a young female college student, the search of suspects through Boston to the elite Manhattan crowd, and voila, another gritty up front Parker crime action in full motion. The dialouge snaps, the plot crackles, and the .22 pops. Thank you for your interest & comments--CDS
Rating:
Summary: Good old dependable Spenser
Review: Ah, good old Spenser. It seems like I read a couple of these mysteries a year, and every time I do, it's like putting on an old sweatshirt that brings back great memories. In fact, with every new book, it seems like Parker brings back characters from his previous books (like his pseudo-son Paul, the cop Quirk, etc.), giving the reader a real sense of community and continuity. Like the other Spensers, Small Vices is a solid effort. The usual traits are there - glib, self-deprecating humor from Spenser, lovey-dovey dialogue between Spenser and Susan Silverman, and of course, Hawk. It's like visiting old friends - does it matter what the case is (career criminal wrongfully sentenced), where it takes place (somewhere near Boston), or what happens to Spenser (almost dies)? Not really. As long as the plot isn't stupid enough to distract us, we read these novels because Parker has created one heck of a genuine character (and supporting players equally as real). Sidenote you won't understand until you read the book: Is it only me, or did the "Gray Man" pop Terence Stamp into your brain? If they ever make this into a movie, I'd vote for Stamp to play the cold-blood dude. - SJW
Rating:
Summary: Audio version is terrific!
Review: An avid Spenser fan, I bought, read and enjoyed this book when it came out. A gift of the audio version let me hook up again with Spenser, Hawk & Susan during my commute. Burt Reynolds does a marvelous job on this unabridged version, and I was not ready for it to end.
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