Book Review

Resolution by Robert B. Parker

This is the second western tale about the two stern lawmen partners’: Virgil Cole and
Everett Hitch who previously tamed the town of Appaloosa. After a separation, they
reunite again to clean up the raw mining town of Resolution. Everett Hitch, with his
eight-gauge shotgun arrives in Resolution first and hires on as a lookout in Amos
Wolfson’s Blackfoot saloon. Virgil, due to his soft heartiness and protective inclinations
inadvertently becomes the protector of the town whores. Things however heat up and
Virgil rides in alone later to back up Everett’s play. Allie, Virgil’s love, had run off from
him.

They forge their own law to the best of their ability. Virgil gets involved with a married
woman but breaks it off while protecting her from her wife beating homesteader husband.
Wolfson gets greedy and starts a war over the town’s control with the mine owner Eamon
O’ Malloy and his crew of hired guns. When O’Malloy is killed, Virgil and Everett join
forces with two other hired guns to protect the town. It all ends with Virgil confronting
Wolfson and two hired guns out in open range country shooting them in a fair but one-
sided fight. The two lawmen, now out of work drift off to Texas. Hardscrabble fast
paced western that has plenty of action.

Parker, Robert B. Resolution, G.P. Putnam Son’s: New York, 2008. 292 pages.

Rating: 4

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Type: Western Novel

July 16, 2010