Landscape Genres - Westerns

Blue-eyed Devil by Robert B. Parker

Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch cleaned up the town of Appaloosa once, but when they return some time later, a new corrupt chief of police, Amos Callico, has taken over with 12 deputies.  Cole and Hitch are asked to protect some local merchants who are being harassed for protection money from Chief Callico.  Cole and Hitch are true friends who clean up the town and try to figure out women, with considerable more success at the first than the latter. Along the way, Cole is forced to draw on the spoiled son of an influential landowner, defend himself against a hired killer, and keep a party of angry Chiracahua Indians from destroying the town.  Parker’s spare but elegant prose, flawed characters with a strict code of honor, and witty dialogue, along with the fast-paced action make this book hard to put down.

Elements of Appeal:

Setting - Blue-eyed Devil takes place in the Old West of the late 1800s.  The descriptions are vivid and atmospheric.

Storyline – Classic good vs. evil, but in this case, the law is the evil and Cole and Hitch find themselves in the difficult position of fighting for good without the law on their side. 

   

Mood – This story is fast paced, exciting, gritty and a little melancholy, but hopeful. 

Characterization – The main characters, Virgil and Everett, are witty and intelligent with a strong code of ethics that doesn’t always line up with the law.  Virgil loves Allie even though he doesn’t always understand her.  There are cleanly defined good guys and bad guys and a couple who might go either way.

Style/language – The language is spare, but elegant.  Virgil Cole is quiet man who speaks little.  He reads and has a larger vocabulary than he knows how to use.  Everett Hitch is a West Point graduate.  The dialogue is sharp.  Everett and Virgil have a great understanding of each other and communicate easily with a few words and a nod of the head.

Point of view – Everett tells the story in first person. 

 

My opinion:  I chose Blue-eyed Devil as my western because I am a huge fan of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series.  The friendship between Cole and Hitch is much like that between Spenser and Hawk.  Cole, who is not the narrator, but is in truth the main character, has as strong a moral code as Spenser. The dialogue is also sharp and witty, so I enjoyed this very much.  I am not usually a fan of Westerns, but I think I will pick up the other books in this series to spend more time with Hitch and Cole.

If you liked Blue-eyed Devil, you might also like:

Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker

This is the book that introduced Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch.  It has been made into a movie of the same name.

Brimstone by Robert B. Parker

Cole and Hitch track down Cole’s sweetheart, Allie and the three head to Brimstone to start over.  Cole and Hitch have a reputation and hire on as lawmen in the town.  When trouble arises, the two struggle to keep peace.  

The Book of Murdock by Loren D. Estleman

Page Murdock is and honest lawman going undercover as a priest to catch a gang of bandits.  This story of the Old West is also fast-paced, melancholy, and atmospheric with rich dialogue.

The High Rocks by Loren D. Estleman

The High Rocks, another fast-paced Page Murdock tale, also features flawed characters, rich dialogue, and a melancholy, atmospheric tone.

The Big Gundown by Bill Brooks

Doctor Jake Horn is a fugitive from the law for a murder he didn’t commit.  He finds refuge as a lawman in a small town in the Old West where he also serves as doctor and coroner.  

Potshot by Robert b. Parker

Robert B. Parker’s tough guy protagonist, Spenser and his faithful companion Hawk team up with a mix of old friends from both sides of the law to protect Potshot, a small town in Arizona from local thug “The Preacher” and his gang of bad guys.  While not set in the Old West, this book has the friendships, values, and sharp dialogue found in Blue-eyed Devil, and a plot-line very similar to many Western novels.