Reviews

Blue-Eyed Devil by Robert B. Parker

ayaktruk's review against another edition

3.0

Finished just before leaving for our Hawaii trip. Sad to think this is the last of this series we'll see from RBP. Given that thought, I thoroughly enjoyed the continuation of his western heroes.

holly_young's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.25

jrobles76's review against another edition

4.0

Now that I know there is a finite number of Parker books coming out, I'm even sadder than when he first passed. (On Amazon, I didn't see any future Cole & Hitch novels, but I did see Spenser and Stone books) If this is the last of the Virgil Cole series, it ended well. You could see in this book that he was setting up a lot of new characters that were going to appear in the books to come. He introduced Teargarden, who reminds me a lot of the Gray Man from the Spenser series, in that the friendship develops from respecting the skills of the man sent to kill you. Cole is still in love with a woman who doesn't share the same idea of love as he does. In the end this book is again a meditation on honor and justice. Cole lives by a moral code so great that even the man who hired the best gunslinger in the U.S. to kill Cole, ends up leaving Cole his Ranch on his death bed.

I was just getting to love Cole and Hitch, I'll miss you guys.

ericbuscemi's review against another edition

4.0

A fitting conclusion to the tales of Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch -- one that I didn't expect existed, since Parker died not long after the third Cole/Hitch book, [b:Brimstone|6006715|Brimstone (Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch, #3)|Robert B. Parker|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348389159s/6006715.jpg|6181807], was released.

Update: While this was the conclusion of [a:Robert B. Parker|397|Robert B. Parker|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1354149354p2/397.jpg] writing these characters, it was not the end of the characters, as they live on in [b:Robert B. Parker's Ironhorse|15824167|Robert B. Parker's Ironhorse|Robert Knott|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355825279s/15824167.jpg|21554973], which was written by [a:Robert Knott|828924|Robert Knott|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg].

auri_underthing's review against another edition

adventurous funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Ponder. Gunshot. Dust.

I didn’t like this book as much as the previous 3. It felt a bit boring, and not that much happened to be honest. 
Still fairly good though.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Rape

nickyxxx's review against another edition

3.0

I breezed through this in 3 days, which is actually a long time for a book this easy and short. The writing style is nothing exciting, and at times even a little too simple, and the plot itself was super similar to the sequels in the series. The characters are exactly the same, almost without showing any growth and don't do anything surprising or peculiar in this book. All in all, it was okay, and I liked it, but it's very predictable and a little dull, even.

koshpeli's review against another edition

3.0

I do love Robert Parker. I love his Spenser series and I love the Appaloosa series. But later in life his books got more and more formulaic. And somewhere along the way, he added a new part to the formula where all the old "manly" characters from past adventures come together despite their various and sundry pasts and histories together.

It's a great formula and this book does a good job seeing it out. But I get a bit bored of it to be honest, reading the same plot and the same dialogues over and over in the Applaoosa books and the later Spenser books.

Spoiler

Bad guy that they also respect to some extent. Check.

New shooter who may be as good or better than Virgil and who may be on Virgil's side or not. Check.

Discussion about the rules. Check.

Constant references to the fact that Virgil is the best in so many respects. Check.

Reference to the past and how Allie is a pain in the ass but he still loves her. Check.

Riding into the sunset. Check.

Substitute Spencer for Virgil and Susan for Allie where necessary.

So if you want to be a completist, read this book. It won't disappoint you. But it won't wow you either. I'd prefer to reread [b:Appaloosa|297478|Appaloosa (Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch, #1)|Robert B. Parker|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309286254s/297478.jpg|22710] or watch the movie. Or read an old Spenser. But I am glad I saw the series out because I love Mr. Parker's work that much!

the_weirdling's review against another edition

4.0

Same comment I always have on these books. They are good, but I am not really sure why they are good. The stories are good and so is the writing, but neither is great. I love the two main characters. Cole's stoic, controlled reserve and Hitch's simple, philosophical way outlook are very appealing. I plan on trying the next in the series, though not written by Parker, just because I like the characters.

spinnerdriver's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

2.5

lindakay99's review against another edition

4.0

I now have a new respect for Mr. Robert B. Parker... He was a good writer.

Sad that there won't be anymore novels in this series. May have to read his other series someday.