Blue-Eyed Devil (A Cole and Hitch Novel) Paperback – May 3, 2011

If you like the western genre and book with a lot of dialogue and non-stop action — this is another great one in the series.

Once again Everett Hitch and Virgil Cole return to Appaloosa, the location of an earlier story, and agree to hire on to control the conduct in various saloons in the city. Becoming embroiled in a war between the current sheriff and a local land owner, Hitch and Cole find themselves in a precarious position of not being able to support the law enforcement. Further complications involving the brother of a half-breed Indian result in violence in the streets. As the book progresses, Hitch and Cole make their own law, following Cole's personal brand of right and wrong.The book moves along at a fast pace, wasting little time, without extraneous words or descriptions. The lines of good and evil become slightly blurred occasionally in spite of the clear outline of human integrity and values. This makes for a curious story where Hitch and Cole define the limits regardless of the so called rules. Siding with Laird the father of the son Cole had to shoot, they eventually take down Callico, ending the imperialism and ambition of the sheriff.In the midst of the action, the adopted girl grows up, Allie aligns herself with the sheriff's wife, and Hitch's suspicion of Allie continues although he acknowledge's Cole's love of her. In the end, all works out and the pair continue their strong-arm approach to righting the wrongs and helping the town.Despite the basically unoriginal plot, a story typical of many westerns, the book shines with a glow of excellent writing by master author Robert Parker. The terse, concise language allows for interpretation by the reader yet demonstrates the Cowboy mentality of dealing with problems directly without excess fanfare or rhetoric. This makes for a quick, energetic read and a growing empathy for the characters, particularly Hitch and Cole. They are tough, smart, loyal to each other, and tolerate no nonsense. They typify the American spirit of strength and integrity, traits still treasured today in our complex world.Parker's multi-layered writing is meaningful but not obvious, like a naturalistic painting with hidden depth. This book like all his Westerns is highly recommended and reminds us of the loss of an important American author.

If you are a fan of the Marshal Virgil Cole and Deputy Marshal Everett Hitch series you will enjoy reading this 276 page hardcover book (Blue-Eyed Devil a Cole and Hitch western novel by Robert B. Parker). In this tale, Cole and Hitch are no longer law officers for Appaloosa and the town is run by a corrupt and ambitious police chief named Amos Callico.There is plenty of action in this western novel with lots of gun play involving Cole and Everett. An attack on the growing town of Appaloosa by renegade Indians comes close to burning down the entire town, but Cole and Hitch along with help from another gun man save the town.There are a lot of twists and turns and there is a shootout at the end that makes everything work out in the end. I never give away too much when reviewing a novel because it spoils it for anyone who is considering reading the book. If you like action westerns you may want to check out this book, which you can get on Amazon for a bargain price.Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Chair/Seated Use of the Martial Art Ring (wood and metal) for seniors and the physically challenged: A Quick Course Guide).

Robert Parker is one the the best authors I have ever read. He has been my favorite author for almost my entire life. If you have never read his Spenser novels, start now and read them in order! With his western series, he had begun creating another set of characters that will forever live and breathe in our memories. I am so sad that Robert Parker will not be able to create any more awesome novels and I feel as if a member of my own family has passed on. I recommend this book and any of the other Robert Parker novels. He also wrote the Jesse Stone series, which were made into movies that starred Tom Selleck. All of Robert Parker's main characters have inner strength and the convictions of their morals, to which they stay true no matter what. He will make you laugh, cry, and feel good that you read something worthwhile! Three cheers to a life well lived and to books well written!

Be it western or detective story Robert B. Davis is a true master. His short chapters keep the narrative going and his characters are believable. Cole and Hitch are reunited after Cole returns to the town of Resolution. He had to take care of some unfinished business many miles away. In the end the magnificent Virgil Cole goes against three men on horseback while astride of his own horse. I would ordinarily wonder why his animal wouldn't rear and be startled by a gunshot but my own grandfather who was a Kansas cowboy in the 1890's told me that you trained your horse by firing a gun into the ground over and over until they were not bothered at all. I love a good western and Cole and Hitch through the pen of a grand storyteller contribute to this romantic obsession I have with the old west.