Law enforcement in Appaloosa had once been Virgil Cole and me. Now there was a chief of police and twelve policemen. Our third day back in town, the chief invited us to the office for a talk. The new chief is Amos Callico, a tall, fat man in a derby hat, wearing a star on his vest and a big pearl-handled Colt inside his coat. An ambitious man with his eye on the governorship—and perhaps the presidency—he wants Cole and Hitch on his side. But they can’t be bought, which upsets him mightily. When Callico begins shaking down local merchants for protection money, those who don’t want to play along seek the help of Cole and Hitch. When Cole is forced to fire on the trigger-happy son of politically connected landowner General Horatio Laird, Callico sees his dream begin to crumble. The guns for hire are thorns in the side of the power-hungry chief, and he’ll use any excuse to take them out. There will be a showdown—but who’ll be left standing?
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"Virgil Cole and Everitt Hitch ride again - back to Appaloosa where we first met them. There they find a new kind of problem, but they solve it in the same old way - by being tougher, more honorable men than the opponents. Parker's dialogue driven style works great in these westerns."
— Cindy (4 out of 5 stars)
" So sad this book is the last Cole and Hitch book Parker wrote before his untimely death. Another great read. "
— Craig, 2/8/2014" I hate to speak ill of the dead, but this posthumous western from Robert Parker is greatly tiresome. Like others in the last few years, each paragraph in this is one sentence. These guys don't seem to be able to speak more than four or five words at a time. Consequently, I finished this in nearly record time. The story revisits gun-slinging saddle pals Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch as they try to once again bring justice to the frontier town of Appaloosa. And you really don't care if they do or not . . . "
— Rebecca, 1/26/2014" As always, Robert B. Parker does dialogue like no one else. "
— Deanna, 1/19/2014" A low-grade Parker. Too many "we are pretty good." "Yep, we are pretty good" conversations. "
— Steve, 1/11/2014" I only finished this one because it was such a quick read. It seemed to be all dialog and no action. The times the action finally came it was over in a few short sentences. I have read a lot of westerns from Lamour and decided to try someone else for a change. The only good that came out of it was that I appreciate Lamour's books more then ever. This was my first of Parker's books and will probably be the last. "
— Steven, 12/22/2013" Well after Parker died I decided to read the last book he had written and part of his western series, one of which had been made into a decent movie. This wasn't much. Cliches abound and there is absolutely no interior life to any of the characters. "
— David, 12/16/2013" Very fast read. Doesn't get into long and drawn out descriptions of what is being said or going on. Rather refreshing actually. "
— Larry, 12/13/2013" Oh my! Not the smoothest to listen to... "
— Diane, 11/23/2013" Well written western story although hard to read it and not think it too closely copies the work of Zane Grey. As usual the good guys are fast on draw and side with right against the powerful and evil. "
— Hasan, 10/15/2013" 4th and sadly the last in this series as Robert Parker died. Simple westerns but fun and quick reads. Find myself laughing out loud. 4 books to the series, Appaloosa, Resolution, Brimstone and Blue Eyed Devil. "
— Michelle, 10/2/2013" This was a fun, quick read and it was nice to get a little full circle/closure for Hitch and Virgil. "
— Heather, 8/16/2013" Sweetness in a cowboy hat. Spare prose, strong, silent gunmen talking philosophy and kicking butt. "
— Matthuvius, 8/10/2013" I don't think I liked this as must as the other 3 Cole and Hitch stories...it seemed to drag on a bit aimlessly for awhile. "
— Midge, 8/8/2013" Great Western Story. "
— Dan, 11/24/2012" I'm kind of sad this series is over, the author is dead, so that's the end of that. I'm happy with the way it ended though, pretty much the way it started, with Hitch and Cole back in Appaloosa. "
— Dodie, 11/21/2012" Simple western story with short punchy dialog and considerable hidden meaning pertaining to how politics really works, from the local to the national levels. Liked the characters. "
— DWGibb, 9/26/2012" Don't usually read westerns but I love this series. Even better than Mr. Parker's mystery books. "
— Kelasher, 8/28/2012" As a huge fans of westerns, I absolutely love the Virgil & Cole series. "
— Erica, 2/2/2012" Was glad to find another Virgil & Everett novel. I couldn't really tell how much time had passed between books. Everything seemed to pass to quickly this time around. What was described would've taken years to accomplish appears to have happened in a few short months. "
— Cassi, 12/31/2011" Generic and light but fun. "
— Bob, 10/3/2011" A good conclusion to the series. "
— Daniel, 6/24/2011" It was ok. Western Spencer & Hawk without Susan. "
— Carol, 5/28/2011" As always, Robert B. Parker does dialogue like no one else. "
— Deanna, 4/25/2011" I enjoyed this audio book as much as the previous 3 in the series: great characters, great (or what I would imagine to be great) Old West dialogue, great reader!! "
— Sarah, 3/9/2011" It was ok. Western Spencer & Hawk without Susan. "
— Carol, 3/4/2011" I gave it a four, probably should have given it a five. I just don't care that much for westerns. But this book was very will written, made you want to continue to read it instead of putting it down, in other words, every thing I like about a book except the subject matter. "
— Michael, 2/20/2011" This book deserves four stars for characterization; I'm a big fan of Virgil and Everett. <br/> <br/>But, this book deserves a two for crumby story/moral ambiguity. <br/> "
— Rusty, 2/18/2011" Great series with wonderful Characters, sparse realism with complicated characters who get better with every book. "
— Michael, 1/22/2011" I would have preferred that Cole end up with that woman he met in Brimstone I think it was (maybe Redemption). But other than that, very happy with this book as with the others in the series. "
— Lois, 12/7/2010Robert B. Parker (1932–2010), long acknowledged as the dean of American crime fiction, was the New York Times bestselling author of the Spenser mysteries, as well as the Jesse Stone novels. He was named Grand Master at the 2002 Edgar Awards by the Mystery Writers of America, an honor shared with earlier masters such as Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen. He has more than fifty books to his credit.
Titus Welliver, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an actor best known for his starring role as Harry Bosch on the Bosch television series, as well as roles in the television’s Deadwood, Lost, Sons of Anarchy, and The Good Wife. He has also starred in numerous movies, including Argo, Man on a Ledge, Gone Baby Gone, and The Town.