Review of "Robert B. Parker’s Ironhorse," by Robert Knott
Review of
Robert B. Parker’s Ironhorse, by Robert Knott ISBN
9780399158117
Five out of five stars
Cole and Hitch fight really bad guys
Virgil Cole and
Everett Hitch are now territorial marshals and are aboard a train. They are
engaged in their first action as marshals, and it appears to be very tame
compared to what they have done in the past. Their job is to escort some
prisoners to the Mexican border.
However, the
scene is set for a dramatic change when the Governor of Texas and his family board
the train along with their bodyguards and a significant cache of money. As
marshals, the authority of Cole and Hitch extends throughout the United States,
so they immediately have to accept some responsibility for the governor’s entourage
and assets.
The train is
attacked by a group of bandits led by an unknown mastermind and a ruthless
killer called Bloody Bob Brandice. Cole and Brandice have a violent history,
Cole once put two bullets in Brandice. As the danger becomes apparent and
increases, Cole and Hitch must become very resourceful as they battle both
known and unknown adversaries. Not only do they have to fight off and defeat
the bandits, they also have to do all they can to keep the governor and other
innocent bystanders from being injured or killed. At all times they have to
concern themselves with trying to determine which bystanders are in fact
innocent.
The action is an
excellent combination of thoughtful violence so well done in the Parker
characters. The reader finds themselves trying to predict the next move, a few
times it is clear but most times the plot misses their mental target. Knott hits
a home run in this continuation of the great Robert B. Parker legacy.
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