Appaloosa - Parker, Robert B. Review & Synopsis

Synopsis Arriving in a small nineteenth-century western town only to discover that its sheriff has been killed and its residents placed at the mercy of renegade rancher Randall Bregg, itinerant lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch find themselves facing an unusually challenging adversary who works by playing psychological games. By the author of Double Play. 125,000 first printing. Review Robert B. Parker was the author of more than fifty books. He died in January 2010.The town of Appaloosa is in a world of hurt as Randall Bragg and his brutal ranch hands rule. Lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch aim to take back the town. Parker's talent for amplifying meaning from just a few words shines here. Cole and Hitch are complex characters--hard, violent men who live by a strict code of honor. Despite the sparse dialogue, patient listeners will fully grasp the depth of respect and trust these men share. Reader Titus Welliver is the perfect voice: deep, resonant, sometimes as gritty as a sandstorm. With a cadence that matches the nineteenth-century pace of life, his storytelling is just right for this first-person narrative. Listen carefully. Don't miss a word. T.J.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award �AudioFile, Portland, Maine-- Copyright � AudioFile, Portland, Maine Robert B. Parker Omnibus Appaloosa New Mexico Territory, 1882: two itinerant lawmen walk their horses down the long,shale-scattered slope into the frontier town of Appaloosa. Below them, lies rancher Randall Braggs' new kingdom, but Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are here to restore the rule of law. They've done it before, they know what to do only too well: shoot quick, shoot clean, reload. But they aren't the only new arrivals in town. Mrs Allison French has stepped off the train with only a dollar to her name, a keen sense of survival and a good eye for a strong man. Finding one isn't going to a problem - Appaloosa is full of them: Cole, Bragg, Hitch. The problem is that Allie French isn't afraid to hedge her bets... and that Virgil Cole's heart isn't as steady as his gun hand. Resolution The dust has yet to settle in the new frontier town of Resolution. It's barely even a town: a general store, a handful of saloons and a run-down brothel for the workers at a nearby copper mine. No sheriff has been appointed, and gunslingers have taken control. Amid the chaos, itinerant lawman Everett Hitch has created a small haven of order at the Blackfoot Saloon. Charged with protecting the girls who work the back room, Hitch has seen off passing cowboys and violent punters - though it's his scheming boss, Amos Woolfson, who stirs up the most trouble. When a greedy mine owner threatens the local ranchers, Woolfson ends up at the centre of a makeshift war. Hitch knows only too well how to protect himself, but with the bloodshed mounting, he's relieved when his friend Virgil Cole rides into town. In a place where justice and order don't yet exist, Cole and Hitch must lay down the law - without violating their codes of honour, duty and friendship. Brimstone Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch rescue Allie French, Virgil's former sweetie who ran off to become a prostitute, and head to Brimstone, south Texas. The two gunmen sign on as deputy sheriffs, but Brimstone fails to provide a quiet respite. A mysterious Indian is killing locals, and a brutal saloon owner and corrupt preacher are headed for a showdown... Charged with protecting the girls who work the back room, Hitch has seen off passing cowboys and violent punters - though it's his scheming boss, Amos Woolfson, who stirs up the most trouble." Robert B. Parker's The Bridge The next gritty, gun-slinging entry in the New York Times–bestselling series, featuring itinerant lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. Territorial Marshals Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are back in Appaloosa, where their work enforcing the law has been exceptionally quiet. All that is about to change. An ominous storm rolls in, and along with it a band of night riders with a devious scheme, who show up at the Rio Blanco camp, where a three-hundred-foot bridge is under construction. Appaloosa’s Sheriff Sledge Driskill and his deputies are the first to respond, but as the storm grows more threatening, news of troubles at the bridge escalate and the Sheriff and his deputies go missing. Virgil and Everett saddle up to sort things out but before they do the hard drinking, Beauregard Beauchamp arrives in Appaloosa with his Theatrical Extravaganza troupe and the promise of the best in lively entertainment west of the Mississippi. With the troupe comes a lovely and mysterious fortune-teller who is set on saving Everett from imminent but indefinable danger. The trouble at the bridge, the missing lawmen, the new arrivals, and Everett’s shoot-out in front of Hal’s Café aren’t the only things on Cole and Hitch’s plate as a gang of unsavory soldiers ease into town with a shady alibi, shadier intentions, and a soon-to-be-discovered wake of destruction. As clouds over Appaloosa continue to gather, things get much worse for Cole and Hitch… The next gritty, gun-slinging entry in the New York Times–bestselling series, featuring itinerant lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch." Robert B. Parker's Blackjack Itinerant lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch return in the gritty new installment of the New York Times–bestselling series. Appaloosa, the hometown of Territorial Marshals Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, continues to prosper, but with prosperity comes a slew of new trouble: carpetbaggers, gamblers, migrants, peddlers, drifters, thieves, and whores, all boiling in a cauldron of excess and greed. And there’s a new menace in town: a wealthy, handsome easterner—and the owner of Appaloosa’s new casino—Boston Bill Black. Boston Bill is flashy and bigger than life. He’s a prankster and a notorious womanizer, and with eight notches on the handle of his Colt, he’s rumored quick on the draw. When he finds himself wanted for a series of murders, he quickly vanishes. Cole and Hitch locate and arrest him, but Boston Bill escapes once again. Another murder sets the duo on his trail, eventually taking them back to Appaloosa—where one woman in particular may, or may not, prove to be the apple of Boston Bill’s eye. Itinerant lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch return in the gritty new installment of the New York Times–bestselling series." Robert B. Parker's Revelation Itinerant lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch return to confront an escaped criminal in the grittiest entry yet in Robert B. Parker’s New York Times bestselling series. Territorial marshals Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch figured things had finally settled down in Appaloosa when Boston Bill Black’s murder charge was dropped. But all that changed when Augustus Noble Driggs was transferred to a stateside penitentiary just across the border from Mexico. Square-jawed, handsome, and built like a muscled thoroughbred stallion, Driggs manages to intimidate everyone inside the prison walls, including the upstart young warden. In a haunting twist of fate, Driggs and a pack of cold-blooded convicts are suddenly on the loose—and it’s up to any and all territorial lawmen, including Cole and Hitch, to capture the fugitives and rescue the woman kidnapped during their escape. But nothing is ever quite what it seems with the ever-elusive Driggs. Finally free, he’s quickly on his own furious hunt for a hidden cache of gold and jewels—and for the men who betrayed him and left him for dead. With an unlikely and unconventional Yankee detective by their side, Cole and Hitch set off on a massive manhunt. As horses' hooves thunder and guns echo deadening reports, Driggs discovers one of the lawmen on his trail is none other than a fellow West Point graduate he'd just as soon see dead. Ruthless and willing to leave a bloody path of destruction in his wake, Driggs seeks vengeance at any cost. Itinerant lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch return to confront an escaped criminal in the grittiest entry yet in Robert B. Parker’s New York Times bestselling series." Blue-Eyed Devil Hardy Cates is self-made, charming - and determined to carry out his private revenge against the Travis family. So when he crashes a Travis family wedding, the last thing he expects is to find himself kissing his adversary Haven Travis in a dark corner. Hardy has done many things in his life he's not proud of, but now he's trying to rid himself of his roughneck past, which doesn't mean falling in love with a rival - no matter how beautiful she is. Haven, likewise, vows to stay far away from Hardy. Having had her heart quite recently broken - and her body battered and bruised by the man she thought she had loved - she's through with men. That is, until she discovers that the temptation of a tender-hearted, blue-eyed devil is hard to resist. And then, when a menace from Haven's past appears, Hardy may be the only one to save her. . . That is, until she discovers that the temptation of a tender-hearted, blue-eyed devil is hard to resist. And then, when a menace from Haven's past appears, Hardy may be the only one to save her. . ." Robert B. Parker: The Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch Novels 1 - 4 Four outstanding novels set in the Old West, featuring the "smart and resourceful"* gun-slinging duo Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch--from the New York Times bestselling author of the Spenser, Jesse Stone, and Sunny Randall novels. (*Publishers Weekly) Includes: Appaloosa Resolution Brimstone Blue-Eyed Devil Four outstanding novels set in the Old West, featuring the "smart and resourceful"* gun-slinging duo Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch--from the New York Times bestselling author of the Spenser, Jesse Stone, and Sunny Randall novels. ..." Robert B. Parker's Buckskin Lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch must prevent all-out war between rival factions in the latest adventure in the New York Times-bestselling series. When gold is discovered in the foothills just outside of Appaloosa, it sets off a fight between two shrewd local business operations as their hired gun hands square off over the claim. First a young miner disappears, then another. And then one of the businessmen himself is killed, right on his front doorstep. Meanwhile, as Cole and Hitch try to put a stop to the escalating violence, another killer is making his way toward town in pursuit of a long-lost dream, and a mission of vengeance. Cole and Hitch will have their work cut out for them to keep the peace, especially when all these ruffians converge at the huge Appaloosa Days festival, where hundreds of innocent souls might get caught in the crossfire . . . Lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch must prevent all-out war between rival factions in the latest adventure in the New York Times-bestselling series." Resolution The dust has yet to settle in the new frontier town of Resolution. It's barely even a town: a general store, a handful of saloons and a run-down brothel for the workers at a nearby copper mine. No sheriff has been appointed, and gunslingers have taken control. Amid the chaos, itinerant lawman Everett Hitch has created a small haven of order at the Blackfoot Saloon. Charged with protecting the girls who work the back room, Hitch has seen off passing cowboys and violent punters - though it's his scheming boss, Amos Woolfson, who stirs up the most trouble. When a greedy mine owner threatens the local ranchers, Woolfson ends up at the centre of a makeshift war. Hitch knows only too well how to protect himself, but with the bloodshed mounting, he's relieved when his friend Virgil Cole rides into town. In a place where justice and order don't yet exist, Cole and Hitch must lay down the law - without violating their codes of honour, duty and friendship. Charged with protecting the girls who work the back room, Hitch has seen off passing cowboys and violent punters - though it's his scheming boss, Amos Woolfson, who stirs up the most trouble." Brimstone Gunslinging saddle pals Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch rescue Allie French, Virgil's former sweetie who ran off to become a prostitute, and head to Brimstone, south Texas. The two gunmen sign on as deputy sheriffs, but Brimstone fails to provide a quiet respite. A mysterious Indian is killing locals, and a brutal saloon owner and corrupt preacher are headed for a showdown... Virgil and Everett settle on a tricky solution that involves a talented tracker, a bribe, a double-cross, a noxious cloud of gun smoke and a pile of perforated bodies. The result is classic Parker - exciting, suspenseful and entertaining. Gunslinging saddle pals Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch rescue Allie French, Virgil's former sweetie who ran off to become a prostitute, and head to Brimstone, south Texas." Robert B. Parker's Opium Rose Lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch must quell a brewing showdown in the latest installment in the New York Times bestselling series. Marshals Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch haven't seen much trouble of late. Fact is, burgeoning Appaloosa and the territory had been without incident for months. But with recent reports of village raids, coupled with the arrival of a young widow from San Francisco, the lawmen are about to be put to the test. Rose McMaster, the feisty daughter of Virgil's half-brother, ushers in a whole new unsuspected brand of trouble. Just prior to the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Rose's husband, Frank, finds himself in hot water. He is a young and successful attorney representing a large Chinese conglomerate. But as his business problems escalate, he's found dead--an apparent suicide. But just as Rose is moving on, she receives a visit from a Chinese associate and friend of her late husband's, who advises her to depart San Francisco immediately. No sooner does Rose step off the train in Appaloosa than trouble arises. A man from her journey is found dead, putting Virgil and Everett on a path to unravel his identity and curious connection to Rose. As danger intensifies with the militia-like raiders that have a score to settle with Virgil, the two lawmen learn of Frank's involvement in a large-scale opium operation. And they soon deduce that he likely embezzled a large amount of money belonging to the Chinese, who now believe Rose holds the key to the loot's whereabouts... Lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch must quell a brewing showdown in the latest installment in the New York Times bestselling series." Robert B. Parker's Ironhorse Bullets and buckshot fly in this New York Times bestselling Cole and Hitch novel from Robert B. Parker. Newly appointed as Territorial Marshals, Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are traveling by train on a mission to escort Mexican prisoners to the border. But when the Governor of Texas climbs aboard with his wife, daughters, and $500,000 in tow, the journey becomes a lot more complicated. An old enemy—still carrying plenty of scars from the last time he saw Virgil—has hitched a ride. He’s not alone. And he’s got vengeance on his mind. Bullets and buckshot fly in this New York Times bestselling Cole and Hitch novel from Robert B. Parker." Bird There's a predator on the loose in a strange land where women can't leave their houses and children are kept in cages. And it's not just any predator -- it's Russel's father, and he doesn't know how he's going to survive in a place like this where he can't even get out of his seat. Is he going to be a predator like his father? Prey, like his teachers want? Or is he going to rule in his own way, with his own kind? Whatever he does, he knows he needs to get out of this cage... There's a predator on the loose in a strange land where women can't leave their houses and children are kept in cages." Robert B. Parker's Bull River THE NEW COLE AND HITCH NOVEL—"ADD [THEM] TO ALL THE GREAT CHARACTERS THAT ROBERT. B. PARKER CREATED."—BookReporter.com A bank robbery in San Cristóbal is yielding its fair share of surprises for Territorial Marshal Virgil Cole and Deputy Everett Hitch. It also draws the duo into a mystery involving the bank president himself, the daughter of St. Louis’s most prominent millionaire, and a notorious desperado who holds the key to unlocking a family secret that raises revenge to a whole new level. THE NEW COLE AND HITCH NOVEL—"ADD [THEM] TO ALL THE GREAT CHARACTERS THAT ROBERT." Vespasian 4-6 Rome's Fallen Eagle Rome, AD 41: Caligula has been assassinated and the Praetorian Guard have proclaimed Claudius Emperor - but his position is precarious. His three freedmen, Narcissus, Pallas and Callistus, must find a way to manufacture a quick victory for Claudius - but how? Pallas has the answer: retrieve the Eagle of the Seventeenth, lost in Germania nearly 40 years before. Who but Vespasian could lead a dangerous mission into the gloomy forests of Germania? Masters of Rome Rome, AD 51: After eight years of resistance Vespasian captures Rome's greatest enemy, the British warrior Caratacus. But even Vespasian's victory cannot remove him from politics. Emperor Claudius is a drunken fool, his wife Agrippina rules in his absence and Narcissus and Pallas, his freedmen, are battling for control of his throne. Separately, they decide to send Vespasian east to Armenia to defend Rome's interests. In Armenia, Vespasian is captured. Immured in the oldest city on earth, how can he escape? And is a Rome ruled by Agrippina any safer than a prison cell? Rome's Lost Son Britannia, 45 AD: Vespasian's brother is captured by druids, who want to offer a potent sacrifice to their gods - not just one Roman Legate, but two. They know that Vespasian will come after his brother and they plan to sacrifice the siblings on Midsummer's Day. Meanwhile in Rome, Claudius' three freedmen remain at the focus of power. As Messalina's time as Empress comes to a bloody end, the three freedmen each back a different mistress. Who will be victorious? And at what price for Vespasian? BOOKS 4-6 IN THE VESPASIAN SERIES ______________________________________________ Don't miss Robert Fabbri's epic new series Alexander's Legacy Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow and Bernard Cornwell Robert Fabbri. One man's greatest victory. Rome's greatest defeat. ... Don't Buy now and read Appaloosa Parker , Robert B . 9781848875456 304 pages Buy now and." Babylon 'This may be the greatest tale of the ancient world. Hugely enjoyable' CONN IGGULDEN 'Excellent . . . scintillating' THE TIMES Who will conquer the greatest city in the ancient world? Alexander the Great's sudden death has left his vast empire in chaos. War rages, cities fall and the lives of thousands are torn apart as his former generals struggle for a share. Alliances and betrayals are rife, and as one man threatens to gain an advantage, the others will not hesitate to plot his downfall. The one-eyed brute Antigonos is the most formidable power in the Western world and now has his eye on the jewel of the east: Babylon. As he schemes to seize it before returning to the West, his enemies join forces to stop him, mobilising fleets from Greece to Gaza. But only one warrior can claim the city. Babylon is the fourth book in a huge, brutal and bloodthirsty series about the fight to regain Alexander the Great's empire after his untimely death. Let the battles begin... Praise for Robert Fabbri: 'A powerful retelling of one of the most dramatic events in ancient history' BBC HISTORY 'Brutal and bloodthirsty' Sunday Post 'Stuffed with political deviousness and vivid depictions of war . . . shockingly good' Sunday Sport 'Powerfully chilling' Express Readers are raving about Robert Fabbri: 'A delight, full of plot twists and bloodthirsty battle sequences' Goodreads review 'Vivid descriptions and the battles are brutally and compellingly described' Goodreads review 'Action-packed and sumptuous - not for the faint-hearted!' Goodreads review ' Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow's "Eagles" series!' Goodreads review 'Terrific series' Conn Iggulden Robert Fabbri. One man's greatest victory. Rome's greatest defeat. A.D. 9: In the depths of the Teutoburg Wald, ... Don't Buy now and read Appaloosa Parker , Robert B . 9781848875456 304 pages Buy now and." Arminius One man's greatest victory. Rome's greatest defeat. A.D. 9: In the depths of the Teutoburg Wald, in a landscape riven by ravines, darkened by ancient oak and bisected by fast-flowing streams, Arminius of the Cherusci led a confederation of six Germanic tribes in the annihilation of three Roman legions. Deep in the forest almost twenty thousand men were massacred without mercy; fewer than two hundred of them ever made it back across the Rhine. To Rome's shame, three sacred Eagles were lost that day. But Arminius wasn't brought up in Germania Magna - he had been raised as a Roman. This is the story of how Arminius came to turn his back on the people who raised him and went on to commit a betrayal so great and so deep, it echoed through the ages. ______________________________________________ Don't miss Robert Fabbri's epic new series Alexander's Legacy But who will emerge victorious: the half-chosen; the one-eyed; the wildcat; the general; the bastard; the regent? In the end, only one man, or indeed woman, will be left standing... Buy now and read Appaloosa Parker , Robert B ." An Empty Throne 'This may be the greatest tale of the ancient world. Hugely enjoyable' CONN IGGULDEN * FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE VESPASIAN SERIES The third instalment in a huge, bloody and brutal new series from Robert Fabbri, set after the death of Alexander the Great. Who will win the fight to control the largest empire the world has ever seen? Let the battles begin... The cause of Alexander the Great's sudden death is no longer in doubt - it was murder. But by whom? As his former followers struggle for power, the bonds of family, friendship and political loyalties are tested to the limit. As is the strength of the formidable empire that Alexander had wrought. Never before has the Western world seen such turmoil, such a threat to civilisation. As battles rage, armies, cities and thousands of lives are destroyed by the ruthless scheming of those who would be King. Or Queen. Could a marriage be the one thing to bring the broken strands of the empire back together, preventing years of further warfare? Will a woman succeed where no man can? * * * Praise for Robert Fabbri: 'A powerful retelling of one of the most dramatic events in ancient history' BBC HISTORY 'A stonking read' CLASSIC FM 'Shockingly good' SUNDAY SPORT Readers are raving about Robert Fabbri: 'A delight, full of plot twists and bloodthirsty battle sequences' Goodreads review 'Vivid descriptions and the battles are brutally and compellingly described' Goodreads review 'Action-packed and sumptuous - not for the faint-hearted!' Goodreads review ' Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow's "Eagles" series!' Goodreads review 'Hugely enjoyable' Conn Iggulden Robert Fabbri. One man's greatest victory. Rome's greatest defeat. A.D. 9: In the depths of the Teutoburg Wald, ... Don't Buy now and read Appaloosa Parker , Robert B . 9781848875456 304 pages Buy now and." The Complete Vespasian Boxset THE VESPASIAN SERIES: The complete nine-book collection. One man. One destiny. In AD 26, a sixteen-year-old Vespasian leaves his family farm for Rome, his sights set on following his brother into the army. But once through the city gates, the art of war is not the only lesson he must learn. For his new world is one in which allegiance and betrayal are a natural currency, and careless words can be as dangerous as an enemy's arrow. In this series of nine novels, master of historical fiction, Robert Fabbri, narrates the epic rise of Vespasian: the soldier who survived battles, betrayals and the internecine politics of seven emperors before seizing for himself Rome's ultimate prize in AD 69. Fabbri skilfully weaves together history and adventure across continents and civilisations as Vespasian grows from a soldier to a leader to an emperor. THE VESPASIAN SERIES Book One: Tribune of Rome Book Two: Rome's Executioner Book Three: False God of Rome Book Four: Rome's Fallen Eagle Book Five: Masters of Rome Book Six: Rome's Lost Son Book Seven: Furies of Rome Book Eight: Rome's Sacred Flame Book Nine: Emperor of Rome Perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden, Ben Kane, Simon Scarrow, Bernard Cornwell, Giles Kristian, and Harry Sidebottom Robert Fabbri ... Don't Buy now and read Appaloosa Parker , Robert B . 9781848875456 304 pages Buy now and." Archias the Exile-Hunter An Archias the Exile-Hunter short story Archias, struggling actor, quick on his feet and even faster with his words, is at the end of his luck. Having escaped to Rhosos, on the edge of Macedon's territory, to evade the threat of the debt collectors, he has been prevented from going any further by the arrival of Alexander the Great's mighty army. And with it, those very same debt collectors. So when the chance is given to him to earn enough money to be rid of his pursuers forever, he has to take it. Even if it means risking life and limb by attempting the most crazy of rescues - to bring back a kidnapped boy from inside the camp of Darius, King of Kings of the crumbling Persian empire. A camp that is on the eve of battle... As Alexander's troops draw nearer, and Darius's cavalry begin their war-cry, can Archias save himself, the boy, and his fellow rescuers, before it's too late? An Alexander's Legacy novella Robert Fabbri. One man's greatest victory. Rome's greatest defeat. A.D. 9: In the depths of the Teutoburg Wald, ... Don't Buy now and read Appaloosa Parker , Robert B . 9781848875456 304 pages Buy now and." The Three Paradises 'This may be the greatest tale of the ancient world. Hugely enjoyable' CONN IGGULDEN An empire in turmoil. A throne for the taking. Alexander the Great's sudden and unexpected death has left the largest, most formidable empire the world has ever seen leaderless. As the fight to take control descends into ruthless scheming and bloody battles, no one - man, woman or child - is safe. As wars on land and sea are lost and won, and promises are made only to be broken, long-buried secrets come to light in the quest for the true circumstances surrounding Alexander's death. Was he murdered, and if so by whom? Could he have been sowing the seeds of discord deliberately, through his refusal to name an heir? And who will eventually ascend to power at the helm of the empire - if it manages to survive that long? Can one champion vanquish all...? 'An excellent new series by the consistently brilliant Robert Fabbri' Sunday Sport Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow and Bernard Cornwell Robert Fabbri. Appaloosa Parker , Robert B . 9781848875456 304 pages Buy now and read New Mexico Territory, 1882: two itinerant lawmen walk their horses." Cinema Detours Cinema Detours' is a collection of two-hundred and twenty movie reviews written over a period of six years and published in a miscellany of media, including: 'Detour Magazine','Detroit's Metro Times','Mondo Film & Video Guide','Wild Side Cinema','Daily Grindhouse', and more. These reviews have been collected to preserve them in an archival physical form to rescue them from the ephemeral nature of the net. Films in this collection are mostly off the beaten path, representing genres all over the map: Cult, Horror, Sci-Fi, Film Festival Flicks, Action Films, Superhero Movies and even a Czechoslovakian Musical Western. Get in, strap in, shut up, and hold on as we take a breakneck tour of the lesser traveled reaches of the cinematic landscape. Tighten your seat belt and read carefully because everything happens fast. You've never had a trip like this before. CdC Appaloosa (Ed Harris, 2008, USA) The Western has enjoyed resurgence over the last few years, with notable entries including The Proposition and 3:10 to Yuma. Based on a book by Robert B . Parker (Spenser for Hire), Appaloosa really ..." A Fistful of Icons \ufeff After a century of reinvention and, frequently, reinterpretation, Western movies continue to contribute to the cultural understanding of the United States. And Western archetypes remain as important emblems of the American experience, relating a complex and coded narrative about heroism and morality, masculinity and femininity, westward expansion and technological progress, and assimilation and settlement. In this collection of new essays, 21 contributors from around the globe examine the “cowboy cool” iconography of film and television Westerns—from bounty hunters in buckskin jackets to denizens of seedy saloons and lonely deserts, from Cecil B. DeMille and John Ford to Steve McQueen and Budd Boetticher, Jr. One recent representative film that reflects these cultural shifts involving cigarettes, tobacco and the Western is ed harris' Appaloosa (2008). adapted from the robert B . Parker novel of the same name, harris' portrayal, ..." Early Autumn “[Robert B.] Parker's brilliance is in his simple dialogue, and in Spenser.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer A bitter divorce is only the beginning. First the father hires thugs to kidnap his son. Then the mother hires Spenser to get the boy back. But as soon as Spenser senses the lay of the land, he decides to do some kidnapping of his own. With a contract out on his life, he heads for the Maine woods, determined to give a puny 15 year old a crash course in survival and to beat his dangerous opponents at their own brutal game. “[Robert B.] Parker's brilliance is in his simple dialogue, and in Spenser.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer A bitter divorce is only the beginning." In Pursuit of Spenser When Robert B. Parker passed in early 2010, the world lost two great men: Parker himself, iconic American crime writer whose books have sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, and his best-known creation, Spenser. Parker's Spenser series not only influenced the work of countless of today's writers, but is also credited with reviving and forever changing the genre. In Pursuit of Spenser offers a look at Parker and to Spenser through the eyes of the writers he influenced. Editor Otto Penzler-- proprietor of one of the oldest and largest mystery specialist bookstores in the country, New York's The Mysterious Bookshop, and renowned mystery fiction editor whose credits include series editor for the Best American Crime Writing and Best American Mystery Stories, among many others (and about whom Parker himself once wrote, "Otto Penzler knows more about crime fiction than most people know about anything")-- collects some of today's bestselling mystery authors to discuss Parker, his characters, the series, and their impact on the world. From Hawk to Susan Silverman to Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall, from the series' Boston milieu to Parker's own take on his character, In Pursuit of Spenser pays tribute to Spenser, and Parker, with affection, humor, and a deep appreciation for what both have left behind. From Hawk to Susan Silverman to Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall, from the series' Boston milieu to Parker's own take on his character, In Pursuit of Spenser pays tribute to Spenser, and Parker, with affection, humor, and a deep appreciation ..." Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2010 Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2010 is the ultimate source for movies, movie reviews, and much more. For nearly 25 years, Roger Ebert's annual collection has been recognized as the preeminent source for full-length critical movie reviews, and his 2010 yearbook does not disappoint. The yearbook includes every review Ebert has written from January 2007 to July 2009. It also includes interviews, essays, tributes, and all-new questions and answers from his Questions for the Movie Answer Man columns. Fans get a bonus feature, too, with new entries to Ebert's Little Movie Glossary. This is the must-have go-to guide for movie fanatics. Appaloosa Lips shares the news that the venue seats 10,000: “I hear the mayor of Transylvania is going to be there! ... Screenplay by Knott and Harris, based on the novel by Robert B . Parker . Appaloosa started out making me feel the ..." Night Passage Robert B. Parker introduces readers to police chief Jesse Stone in the first novel in the beloved mystery series—a New York Times bestseller. After a busted marriage kicks his drinking problem into overdrive and the LAPD unceremoniously dumps him, thirty-five-year-old Jesse Stone’s future looks bleak. So he’s shocked when a small Massachusetts town called Paradise recruits him as police chief. He can’t help wondering if this job is a genuine chance to start over, the kind of offer he can’t refuse. Once on board, Jesse doesn’t have to look for trouble in Paradise: it comes to him. For what is on the surface a quiet New England community quickly proves to be a crucible of political and moral corruption—replete with triple homicide, tight Boston mob ties, flamboyantly errant spouses, maddened militiamen and a psychopath-about-town who has fixed his violent sights on the new lawman. Against all this, Jesse stands utterly alone, with no one to trust—even he and the woman he’s seeing are like ships passing in the night. He finds he must test his mettle and powers of command to emerge a local hero—or the deadest of dupes. Robert B. Parker introduces readers to police chief Jesse Stone in the first novel in the beloved mystery series—a New York Times bestseller." Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues A Boston-based crime organization is in the process of expanding its activities. Their next stop: Paradise, Massachusetts. One that, if Paradise police chief Jesse Stone has his way, will be their last. A Boston-based crime organization is in the process of expanding its activities. Their next stop: Paradise, Massachusetts. One that, if Paradise police chief Jesse Stone has his way, will be their last." Melancholy Baby When Sunny Randall helps a young woman locate her birth parents, she uncovers the dark truth about her own past. When Sunny Randall helps a young woman locate her birth parents, she uncovers the dark truth about her own past."