Parker does not introduce any radically new techniques in Small Vices. As usual, Spenser narrates the story in a series of sharply observed encounters and vignettes, punctuated by Spenser's own sardonic and self-deprecating humor.

However, when Spenser is wounded, his fall into the Charles River and his period of unconsciousness afterward, with haunted dreams, are vividly described.

During the period of Spenser's convalescence and rehabilitation in Santa Barbara, Spenser's perceptions of reality are presented in a form showing Spenser's intense concentration on the physical details of his life. Spenser's description of his struggles to climb a certain high hill in Santa Barbara are used to dramatize the progress of his recovery.