As is usual in a Spenser novel, both Spenser himself and Parker's crew of regular characters are given center stage.

In Small Vices, Spenser's own wounding and struggle to recover takes center stage.

In addition to giving evidence that the seemingly indestructible Spenser is mortal, Parker's handling of these episodes stresses Spenser's will to return from the dead, so to speak, and to achieve some kind of just ending to his quest for the truth about Melissa's murder.

Spenser's close friend, Hawk, is a helpful presence in the novel; he accompanies Spenser and Susan to Santa Barbara and acts both as protector and guide in Spenser's rehabilitation. During the long period of Spenser's rehabilitation in Santa Barbara, Hawk abandons his work as a professional hit man (and the money he might have made) in order to help Spenser. In other respects, however, Hawk plays a smaller role than...