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Robert B. Parker
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Appaloosa (Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Robert B. Parker (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,922 ratings
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When Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch arrive in Appaloosa, they find a town suffering at the hands of a renegade rancher who’s already left the city marshal and one of his deputies dead. Cole and Hitch are used to cleaning up after scavengers, but this one raises the stakes by playing not with the rules—but with emotion.

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  1. Book 1 of 11
    Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch
  2. Print length
    296 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    G.P. Putnam's Sons
  6. Publication date
    June 6, 2006
  7. Reading age
    18 years and up
  8. File size
    844 KB
  9. Page Flip
    Enabled
  10. Word Wise
    Enabled
  11. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  12. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. It's been years since Parker has won a major literary award for a novel (he did collect a Grand Master trophy from MWA in 2002), but that may change with this stunning western, a serious contender for a Spur. This is only Parker's second western, after the Wyatt Earp story Gunman's Rhapsody (or third if you count the Spenser PI quasi-western Potshot), but he takes command of the genre, telling an indelible story of two Old West lawmen. The chief one is Virgil Cole, new marshal of the mining/ranching town of Appaloosa (probably in Colorado); his deputy is Everett Hitch, and it's Hitch who tells the tale, playing Watson to Cole's Holmes. The novel's outline is classic western: Cole and Hitch take on the corrupt rancher, Randall Bragg, who ordered the killing of the previous marshal and his deputy. Bragg is arrested, tried and sentenced to be hung, but hired guns bust him out, leading to a long chase through Indian territory, a traditional high noon (albeit at 2:41 p.m.) shootout between Cole's men and Bragg's, a further escape and, at book's end, a final showdown. Along the way, Cole falls for a piano-playing beauty with a malevolent heart, whose manipulations lead to that final, fatal confrontation. With such familiar elements, Parker breaks no new ground. What he does, and to a magnificent degree, is to invest classic tropes with vigor, through depth of character revealed by a glance, a gesture or even silence. A consummate pro, Parker never tells, always shows, through writing that's bone clean and through a superb transferal of the moral issues of his acclaimed mysteries (e.g., the importance of honor) to the western. This is one of Parker's finest. Agent, Helen Brann. (June)

From Bookmarks Magazine

Taking a break from his long-running series of Spenser novels, Parker moseys back to the Old West. He’s eyed this back-acre before in Gunman’s Rhapsody, a fictionalization of the Wyatt Earp story, but critics feel Appaloosa’s original plot allows him more room to develop his trademark themes of personal honor and masculine camaraderie. With sharp dialogue and a plot that "gallops to a perfect, almost mythical ending," it’s clear that Parker can swap genres and not lose a step (St. Petersburg Times). In fact, a few critics even note that he seems refreshed by the change of scenery.

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000P2A3Y6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ G.P. Putnam's Sons; Reissue edition (June 6, 2006)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 6, 2006
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 844 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1594131147
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,922 ratings

About the author

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Robert B. Parker

Robert B. Parker

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Robert B. Parker (1932-2010) has long been acknowledged as the dean of American crime fiction. His novel featuring the wise-cracking, street-smart Boston private-eye Spenser earned him a devoted following and reams of critical acclaim, typified by R.W.B. Lewis' comment, "We are witnessing one of the great series in the history of the American detective story" (The New York Times Book Review). In June and October of 2005, Parker had national bestsellers with APPALOOSA and SCHOOL DAYS, and continued his winning streak in February of 2006 with his latest Jesse Stone novel, SEA CHANGE.

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Parker attended Colby College in Maine, served with the Army in Korea, and then completed a Ph.D. in English at Boston University. He married his wife Joan in 1956; they raised two sons, David and Daniel. Together the Parkers founded Pearl Productions, a Boston-based independent film company named after their short-haired pointer, Pearl, who has also been featured in many of Parker's novels.

Parker began writing his Spenser novels in 1971 while teaching at Boston's Northeastern University. Little did he suspect then that his witty, literate prose and psychological insights would make him keeper-of-the-flame of America's rich tradition of detective fiction. Parker's fictional Spenser inspired the ABC-TV series Spenser: For Hire. In February 2005, CBS-TV broadcast its highly-rated adaptation of the Jesse Stone novel Stone Cold, which featured Tom Selleck in the lead role as Parker's small-town police chief. The second CBS movie, Night Passage, also scored high ratings, and the third, Death in Paradise, aired on April 30, 2006.

Parker was named Grand Master of the 2002 Edgar Awards by the Mystery Writers of America, an honor shared with earlier masters such as Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen.

Parker died on January 19, 2010, at the age of 77.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,922 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

John varga
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2024
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I purchased this book as it is one of the materials required for my “History of the American West” class.

I was left astonished at how great this book is. It is an excellent story line and full of action and dialogue.

At times the dialogue can be a little strange but overall it is excellent. It is like I am reading a play.

The plot was incredibly interesting and so were the characters.

Great book!
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gsxr
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid entertaining Western
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2022
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This is a solid entry in the Western genre from an experienced and accomplished author. Some might even refer to this as western “pulp” fiction, but very well done. This first entry in a series is a great place to start for anyone new to the genre. This isn’t an edge of your seat thriller, but evenly paced and a quick, easy read. Veteran western readers won’t find a lot that is new here, but will find an entertaining story that is worth the investment of a few hours time. I saw the movie a few years back, and like many stories, reading the book adds a lot of detail. The movie was also quite good, so I’m hesitant to say the book is better, but both are a worthwhile experience.
4 people found this helpful
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I. C. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Appaloosa is simply wonderful
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2013
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I was intrigued by Appaloosa after, frankly, seeing the movie taken from the book. So I decided to read the book and am glad I did. Parker writes sparingly and with simple eloquence and his development of characters allows one have the feeling they really know these individuals personally. Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are, in essence, hired gunmen who cloak themselves in the law, a law that often times, for Cole especially, becomes more of their own making than that of the towns they have hired on to tame. Cole, in particular, has a violent and dark side, but as Parker reveals, has too, personal vulnerabilities that are more powereful than the demons he lives with on a daily basis. Allie French, who plays the piano poorly, but still, never seems to find that a hinderance in finding work in saloons, becomes Cole's passion, though he is fully aware of the type person she has become, one who knows no boundaries if it ensures her personal survival. One of the more interesting characters is Katie Goode, "...who was a quarter Kiowa, a quarter Mex, and half some sort of travelin' Yankee." Goode is the "love" interest of Hitch and from her profession as a whore, quickly sizes up Allie for the manipulative person she is who targets whomeverf she believes is the most powerful person she's with at the moment, i.e. the "stud" who offers her the most protection. Parker parallel's the story of Cole and Hitch and their epic and protracted battle with the violent and sinister Randall Bragg for control of the little town of Appaloosa with their observations of a wild Appaloosa stallion who battles to retain control of his herd. Hitch notes, as he's leaving Appaloosa for the last time and observes the wild stallion, "He's got the mares, I thought. But the mare's got him, too."

Parker's story is an easy read...some chapters are only a few paragraphs long. The ending, while not surprising as I'd seen the movie, is still intriguing with a somewhat different spin than the movie. Simply stated, this is a wonderfully well constructed story that could be re-read in the future.
9 people found this helpful
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Joseph J. Truncale
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic western story of which there also was a movie made from this book.
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2018
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When I saw the fantastic western movie Appaloosa, (starring Ed. Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons and Renee Zellweger) in 2008 I loved the simple but exciting western story. I did not realize at the time that the movie was based upon a book (Appaloosa) by Robert B. Parker who has a whole western series about the characters of Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch.

I decided to purchase this 276 page hardback copy when I saw it on Amazon for a bargain price. I was pleasantly surprised that this book was even better than the movie, even though it followed closely the movie version. The reason the book was so good is because it made you understand the characters much better. There is no doubt both Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch make a great team, but the difference is the Virgil Cole character is in my opinion has somewhat of a psychopathic personality. Everett has a conscious even though he has had to kill many bad guys in his profession.

In any case, I loved this book so much that I intend to purchase more of Parker’s western novels about Virgil and Everett.
If you like westerns you should check out this book and the movie. I think they are both great.

Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Training Alone in Combatives and Self-Defense).
11 people found this helpful
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Matt Spencer
3.0 out of 5 stars "Just one favor, Virgil"
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2023
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This was a pretty good Western, something of a character study, with a moving, fascinating friendship at its core. The first half reads almost like a hardboiled detective novel set in the old west, before shifting gears into a slower burn, which builds to an abrupt, somewhat undercooked conclusion. Overall, I enjoyed Parker's writing style, particularly his ear for dialogue, and it left me curious how the story of Virgil and Everett could continue as a series.
One person found this helpful
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Richard B. Schwartz
4.0 out of 5 stars On the Stretch
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2005
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As I've written before, it's always good to get Parker off of autopilot, out of Boston and put him on a slight stretch. Under those conditions you see his real skills as a writer. In a different time and a different setting he is forced to develop a sense of place, a sense of language and a sense of character and he's always up to the task. There's no feeling of exaggeration, with heavyhanded indications that he's now in his 'western mode'. The people, places, language, and attentiveness to nuance are all spot on. As in all good genre writing there is a faithfulness to expectation. The plot is traditional--the nasty, tyrannical, lawless rancher vs. the hapless townfolk, who bring in the hired guns--and there are nice set pieces (a tracking scene across great distances, ruminations on gender relationships in the old west, some local color and historical authenticity with a Kiowa brave counting coup). My only reservation concerns the ending, which comes a little too quickly, a little too neatly, and is a tad short on blood, gore, and justice/vengeance. Nevertheless, this is a strong western, at least the equal of its predecessor and top summer reading.
26 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Bhaskar K
4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting Western!!
Reviewed in India on August 7, 2019
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A western, slightly different from the other westerns!!
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Roger Franks
5.0 out of 5 stars First, after the jesse stone series
Reviewed in Australia on May 10, 2023
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The same easy read , I read a lot of reference books and the RobertParker books so just so good to unwind with i like the short chapters and itsvery easy to imagine the characters
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Robert P. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Parker Heads West
Reviewed in Canada on April 25, 2015
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Robert Parker was known primarily for his detective, private eye novels, in particular the Spenser series. But he also wrote westerns and this is a pretty good one.

Virgil Cole and his sidekick Everett Hitch, who narrates the story, are hired to rid the town of Appaloosa of a renegade rancher who has murdered the previous marshal and his deputy. There follows the inevitable gun fights, Indian battle and female love interest.

While lacking the snappy dialogue of the Spencer books, it is a well written, entertaining read, or, as quoted on the cover, "Powerfully good."

Followed by three sequels.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Parker Writing - First rate novel with depths
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2012
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Sadly Robert Parker won't be writing any more PI Spenser books so I gave this one a go. Don't usually read `cowboy books' but this was super.

Told by Everett Hitch, its fifteen years since he teamed (or hitched?) up with Vernon Cole to watch Vernon's back and be at his right hand. For 15 years the two inseparables have worked as Town Marshal and Deputy in the wild west, taken on to tame rough towns by force of Cole's personality, his six shooter and Hitch's shotgun. Job done, peace restored and they move to the next wild town. Cole works within the law, he's fast with his guns but killing has to be justified, has to be `lawful.' Of course, it helps that the law Cole enforces was drafted by Cole.

The men need little: their job pays enough to live with sufficient for whisky and to cover an occasional tumble with a saloon girl.

Enter into this happy life one Allison French, an attractive widow, who sets her eyes on Cole. He can tame towns, fight off bad men, gunfighters and hostile Indians but his pistols are no defence against a pretty woman who wants to tame him.
Can the men's long close relationship survive an intruder?

At first narrator Hitch appears to be very much in the shadow of the famous Vernon Cole but as the story develops we see he has his own steel and a greater understanding of what is happening than Cole. And it is Hitch who makes the sacrifice.

This is a terrific tale with gunfights, an Indian raiding party and a chameleon like bad guy who - despite Coles best efforts - seems will destroy Cole's reputation and happiness as well as take back the town.

The book's title has two references. The town is called Appaloosa and similes are drawn with a wild appaloosa stallion in the hills with his harem of mares.

The writing is tight with a more description that Parkers recently overly pared down Spenser books. This is classic Parker writing, rewarding and satisfying.

Seems there are other books featuring Hitch and Coles but unfortunately none are on Kindle. I'll buy them as soon as they are.
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ematsumoto
4.0 out of 5 stars 男の友情について考えた
Reviewed in Japan on September 7, 2005
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Gunman's　Rhapsodyに続くパーカーの西部劇。舞台はAppaloosaという銅山の町である。主人公はこの町の保安官の助手であるEverett。西部劇につきものの悪役、インディアン、美女が登場し、テンポの早い物語の展開に、ついつい読むスピードも上がる。ただの西部劇と違うのは、主人公と保安官（上司）のVirgilとの「男の友情」がさりげなく描かれているところである。スペンサー・シリーズのSpenserとHawkの関係を連想させられる。無口な二人であるが、その言葉に重みがあるといったところか。　ところで、Appaloosaとは米国産のスペイン系の馬のことであるが、この他にも、日本人には馴染みのない馬の名前（名詞）が出てきて、それも参考になる。
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