SMALL VICES, by Robert B. Parker; Putnam; $21.95.
Boston's toughest private eye, Spenser, is nearly killed when he matches skills with a would-be assassin in "Small Vices."Robert B. Parker's 24th novel in this series is as fresh, funny and difficult to lay aside as the first one, which appeared in 1974.
Acting on a friend's request, Spenser reopens an old murder case to learn whether Ellis Alves was unjustly convicted and imprisoned for killing a Pemberton College student, Melissa Henderson.
Alves has a long record of sexual assaults but tells Spenser that he is innocent. He warns the P.I. that "You gonna get buried" for taking the assignment.
Melissa's parents refuse to cooperate with Spenser. And he gets no help from the wealthy family of Clint Stapleton, a college tennis star who acknowledges that he dated Melissa several times but says it wasn't serious. Spenser thinks he's lying.
Four thugs and the state trooper who arrested Alves attempt to pressure Spenser into quitting. He's also threatened by an imported killer, nicknamed the "Gray Man" because of his clothes.
The hit man catches Spenser off guard and shoots him three times. Spenser goes into a coma for three weeks, but the Boston media report that he died. Facing a long rehabilitation, he goes underground in the California mountains, where his longtime lover Susan and sidekick Hawk take care of him.
It takes 10 months, but Spenser makes a full recovery. When he goes home, he encounters the Gray Man again - this time, Spenser wins.
Threaded throughout the novel is the debate between Spenser and Susan about adopting a child. At the end, Spenser thinks he might have won this battle as well.