Brimstone

"Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens." -- Genesis 19:24 Be sure to read the first two books in this series before Brimstone, Appaloosa and Resolution. You'll enjoy Brimstone much more if you do. Brimstone is the ancient name for sulfur, that evil smelling mineral that reminds us of rotten eggs. Obviously, Mr. Parker is drawing on the Old Testament habit of picking a name for a place that captures the character of the residents. Let's see what smells. After the events in Resolution, principled gunman Virgil Cole and long-time acolyte Everett Hitch wander across the west, checking out saloons and other places where ladies of easy virtue reside hoping to find Mrs. Allie French, the object of Virgil's affections during the events in Appaloosa. Then, one day they found her . . . and she was a mess. Allie tells Virgil she wants to make a fresh start, and the three head off to another town, Brimstone. Once there, they find there's no permanent law . . . and Virgil and Everett soon take that on. The town is booming, filled with saloons and places where men entertain themselves. There's also a man of God, Brother Perceival, who seems interested in getting rid of the sinning in town. There's also a wild card. Someone is attacking and leaving behind a child's toy arrows. Could this become a threat? A horrible abduction leads to continuing agony that attracts Allie's motherly instincts. Naturally, there's a continuing battle to take over the town. Who will succeed? What role will Virgil and Everett play? Allie finds herself drawn to the church, playing the organ there rather than her habitual saloon piano . . . but just as badly. Her singing still stinks. And her cooking is even worse. But she's devoted to acting as though she can do all the domestic things of a reformed woman. But can she reform? And if she can reform, can Virgil forget that she ran away with another man? Brimstone improves as it goes, developing themes about sin and redemption that are unexpected even in a morality tale like this series. The ending is particularly interesting, providing much encouragement to read the fourth book in this series when it becomes available. As usual, Mr. Parker's plot provides lots of food for thought, but you'll be most drawn to the quiet, principled strength of Virgil Cole (who will remind you of a 19th century Spenser) and the West Point educated Everett Hitch. In fact, you'll probably find yourself imagining that you are one or the other of these characters. Even more reliably, the terse dialog makes the story sing . . . and it's a song you'll enjoy much more than Allie's screeching. Ultimately, you'll wonder if they will be able to avoid looking back whenever they leave Brimstone.

Brimstone is the third book in Robert B. Parker's Appaloosa Western trilogy. Normally known for his "Easterners," particularly those starring Spenser, Parker steps into the Old West and successfully claims some of the dusty streets and cow towns as his own. The books don't read like Louis L'Amour or Larry McMurtry novels, nor do they really spend a lot of time in the hard country where much of the danger comes from the savage land. These books mostly take place in towns where the ideas of law and justice are vague things. The trilogy revolves around two men, Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. Virgil and Everett had been friends for years and have become legendary town tamers. Virgil works on self education and maintains himself through rigid iron discipline. Everett trained at West Point as a military officer, then went his own way and tends to accept things as they come. This friendship is the cornerstone of these books. I love the way it shows up in their conversations and in the way they face down different dangers together. I love tough guy books and these are two of the toughest you'll find. The first novel, APPALOOSA, was made into a movie starring Ed Harris as Virgil and Viggo Mortensen as Everett. Renee Zellweger stars as Allie French, the conniving woman who winds up getting Virgil all twisted up inside for the first time in his life. The second book deals with the reconciliation between Virgil and Everett after the events of the first novel. But the third book has them finding Allie working as a prostitute in a small town. Even after freeing her, Virgil doesn't know what to do with her. I don't much care for Allie as a character. She's too manipulative and shallow to interest a man like Virgil Cole. I didn't understand the attraction in the first book, though I could understand his efforts to save her from herself. However, she's actually even worse in the third book and much of the weakness she displays is kept off screen in this novel. Virgil is aware of it but doesn't deal with it, and Parker doesn't force the reader to acknowledge it until near the end of the book. By that time, Virgil and Everett had more pressing problems. There was no mystery where the danger comes from in this novel either. But I wished there was more background provided for Brother Percival, and more about his relationship with Pike. I like the addition of Pony Flores to the crew and hope that if Parker continues writing novels about Virgil and Everett that Pony puts in an appearance as well. There aren't any real surprises in BRIMSTONE, but Parker keeps the pages turning at a gallop with just enough action and threat. And I'd love to see these novels turned into a trilogy of movies.

Picking up a year after the events of "Resolution," "Brimstone" follows the continuing adventures of Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, the two guns-for-hire as they search for Allie French, the woman who stole Virgil's heart in the town of Appaloosa. After finding her in a town brothel, the trio heads to the Texas town of Brimstone. But it ain't long before trouble finds them yet again. A better-handled sequel than "Resolution," "Brimstone" returns some of the funny banter between Hitch and Cole, while creating a great story with great heroes and villains, strong character development, and several twists and surprises that will keep readers entertained until the climax. Fans of Robert B. Parker's previous novels will find much to enjoy in "Brimstone." Grade: A-

Brimstone by Robert B. Parker is the third in a series of western novels dealing with the characters of Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch (see the movie, Appaloosa, starring Ed Harris & Viggo Mortensen). Cole and Hitch are gunslingers that move from one town to another, taking jobs as sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, and even as lookouts in the local bar, keeping an eye out for trouble and then dealing with it. Continuing where Resolution left off, Brimstone follows Cole and Hitch's search across the state of Texas for Ms. Allie French, who seems to have a problem saying no to any man with a sexual itch. Though Cole doesn't abide by Allie's actions, he is in love with the woman and is determined to give her another chance. Hitch as usual is along for the ride and to protect Cole's back. After a year of searching, the two men find Allie working as a prostitute in a low-life saloon that's in a no-name town and she's just about at the end of her rope. They have to kill four men to get her back. The three of them then ride further and take up residence in Brimstone, where Cole and Hitch become deputy sheriffs and Ms. Allie takes up playing the organ for the Church of the Brotherhood that's run by the charismatic Brother Percival. It isn't long, however, before Ms. Allie is doing more than playing the organ. As if Cole didn't have enough to deal with, there's also an ex-outlaw named Pike, who runs the best saloon in town and has plans for taking over the community and running it his way. Finally, there's an Indian named Buffalo Calf, who's killing settlers in the area and appears to have a grudge against Pike, who used to be an Indian fighter for the Army before he changed to a more profitable career. Cole and Hitch are going to have their hands full with this situation, especially when Pike brings in twenty-five hired guns to deal with Brother Percival and then the two deputy sheriffs. But Cole, being who he is, won't back down and doesn't mind if the odds are a little one sided. Hell, he likes a challenge! As usual, Mr. Parker weaves an excellent story with a multitude of interesting characters that paint a picture of the old West. In fact, what makes this series so darn good are the lead characters of Cole and Hitch. These are the type of characters that quickly become friends with the reader, and you find yourself not only rooting for them, but wanting to learn more about them as fictional creations and to follow their onward journey. There's also the delightful banter between Cole and Hitch, especially when Hitch starts to tease Cole about being famous and having everyone treat him as if he was a hero. Hitch, on the other hand, is hardly noticed by anyone and brings that to his partner's attention more than once. And, after more than fifty novels (including the "Spenser" and "Jesse Stone" series) Mr. Parker's prose is lean and mean. He uses the bare essentials to convey dialogue, keeping the majority of sentences short and precise,

I just finished Brimstone by Robert B. Parker. I may be at a disadvantage in that I haven't read the two prior novels, Resolution and Appaloosa so there may be points in Brimstone that deal with the back story that I was completely oblivious to. However, I didn't feel that I enjoyed Brimstone any less because of this, and I have something to look forward to in reading the first two novels. I can't remember when I've enjoyed two characters more than I did Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. Parker does a masterful job in scripting the dialog between these two individuals, making the banter seem natural and organic. The storyline is also natural. Allie French has Cole tied up in knots emotionally. Cole finds Allie doing what is necessary to survive, and watch Cole deal with this is interesting and adds a very human string to the story. As the characters make their way to Brimstone with the hope of settling down to a more normal life, you just seem to know that that ain't happening. With wonderful characterization, great and natural dialog, and a terrific story you can't go wrong in investing your time reading Brimstone. I'm looking forward to the movie. Peace to all.