Boston PI Spenser is approached by firefighter Jack McGee, who's convinced that the apartment blaze that took the lives of five residents and two firefighters was arson.

When Spenser is hired to conduct a surveillance job on an unfaithful husband, he discovers a second investigator, hired by the husband to look after his wife, in a case that embroils him with corporate corruption and murder.

Thirty years after an unsolved bank robbery leaves a woman dead, Paul Giacomin, whom Spenser regards like a son, and Daryl Gordon, the son of the robbery victim, turn to Spenser to seek out clues about the crime.

Called upon by The Hammond Museum and renowned art scholar Dr. Ashton Prince, Boston PI Spenser accepts his latest case: to provide protection during a ransom exchange, money for a stolen painting. The case becomes personal when Spenser fails to protect his client and the valuable painting remains stolen.

"It's December in Boston, and Spenser is busy planning the menu for Christmas dinner when he's confronted in his office by a young boy named Slide. Homeless and alone, Slide has found refuge with an organization named Street Business, which gives shelter and seeks job opportunities for the homeless and lost. Slide's mentor, Jackie Alvarez, is being threatened, and Street Business is in danger of losing its tenuous foothold in the community, turning...

Spenser is investigating the Port City Theater Company, where the director claims he is being stalked. When an actor is shot dead during a performance, all clues lead to the local Chinese mafia whose roots run deep in this drab waterfront city. With Hawk and ex-mobster Vinnie assisting, Spenser eventually triumphs in one of his most compelling adventures.