Robert B. Parker's Bull River

A Cole and Hitch Novel

By: Robert Knott

Narrated by: Rex Linn

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Itinerant lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are back in the saddle with guns blazing in this gritty, intense addition to the New York Times best-selling series.

After hunting down the notorious desperado Alejandro Vasquez, Territorial Marshal Virgil Cole and Deputy Everett Hitch return him to San Cristóbal to stand trial. No sooner do they remand him into custody than a major bank robbery occurs and the lawmen find themselves tasked with another job: investigating the robbery of the Comstock Bank, recovering the loot, and bringing the criminals to justice.

But when their primary suspect is found severely beaten outside a high-class brothel and turns out to be using a false identity to escape a torrid past, it is Alejandro who becomes the key to their investigation. Cole and Hitch are soon on the trail of the money, two calculating brothers, and the daughter of St. Louis’s most prominent millionaire in a Cain and Abel story that brings revenge to a whole new level.

©2014 Robert Knott (P)2014 Random House Audio

Parker's Legacy Continues

If you could sum up Robert B. Parker's Bull River in three words, what would they be?

Everett Virgil Continue

Who was your favorite character and why?

Everett Hitch; his narrative continues the Parker tradition of terse dialogue.

Have you listened to any of Rex Linn’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes! As good as or better.

If you could rename Robert B. Parker's Bull River, what would you call it?

Rio Toro

Any additional comments?

Two of my favorite characters, ever since Appaloosa.

Cole and Hitch alive and kicking

Knott brings Virgil's detective skills to the fore. Same clipped dialogue that Parker is known for.

Titus Welliver should have narrated this book.

Great book, true to the characters. Having such a difference in narration was very jarring for me. If I had realized that Titus Welliver wasn't the reader for this book I would have opted for a printed copy. It really makes the book less appealing.

Enough "Said"

Would you try another book from Robert Knott and/or Rex Linn?

While Knott got some of the flavor of the series right, the dialogue was very difficult to listen to because of the shear volume of the word "said". Some paragraphs, when there were more than 2 characters, contained so many "said"s that it was very. distracting.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Predictable, which isn't always awful in series like this.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Rex Linn?

In addition to the incredible number of he said, she said they saids in the book, Linn's decision to change voice intonation at each one was distracting to say the least.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

no

Any additional comments?

no, enough "said"

Bad choice of narrator

I loved the first of Robert Knott's "Robert B. Parker's ..." novels (Ironhorse). It was very faithful to the style of Parker, along with being a great yarn. In particular I liked Titus Welliver as the narrator. Welliver did all the previous Cole-Hitch books, and he was excellent. Rex Linn, not so much.

Linn does a fair job of sounding like a Gary Cooper playing a old time western marshal, as Cole and Hitch are intended. But they sound identical in his rendition. In fact almost everyone sounds the same, with the exception of the Mexicans in the story who sound the same but with an atrocious Mexican accent.

Mexican accents aside, there were other problems with the narration.

You know those parts in dialogs where the author inserts things like "he said", "Hitch replied" (and every prepubescent boy's favorite, "Jack asked")? Welliver did a great job of easing those into the background. WIth Linn, they have the same emphasis as the dialog, and it is jarring.

Equally jarring were the very often repeated one-word responses from Cole or Hitch (Hitch: "It's what we do." Cole: "Is.") Linn just can't pull these off, and he makes Cole's "Is" sound clumsy and inappropriate to the dialog.

I liked the story fine (despite wondering if Parker would have given a woman the nickname "Slingshot"). But given the narration, this book would be a lot better in print than narrated by Linn.

Good story bad narrator

I think the reader of this book was not nearly as good as there previous ones. Ever time I hear “Virgil said” I could just cringe.

Compelling Story - voiced in a comfortable style.

Totally engaged with story and lost several nights sleep. Worthy and fun plot with a few curves.

Expecting Titus Welliver to narrate.

What did you love best about Robert B. Parker's Bull River?

Familiar characters.

What did you like best about this story?

The trip into Mexico.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Rex Linn?

Not a Virgil Cole novel..

Who was the most memorable character of Robert B. Parker's Bull River and why?

Virgil Cole

Any additional comments?

Rex Lin is not a bad narrator, but Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are soft spoken lawmen.Titus Welliver narrates in in a soft spoken but firm voice..I was disappointed with the narration of this book.

Movie Please

Where does Robert B. Parker's Bull River rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 10 easily but what I did like the development of the characters. I just don't want to spoil the book for others but it was just well done. By the way I have listen to every booked ever put into audio by Robert B. Parker.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Everertt, a man who is his own man and understand it and why. Still he is a side kick to Virgil. He has no problem with doing this but his true wish is to settle down with a that special woman and he just can't do it.

Who was the most memorable character of Robert B. Parker's Bull River and why?

Alejandro Vasquez, development of the character was so well done. For all the wrong reason you can't help but like the guy.

Any additional comments?

He goes back to Robert B. Parker in what you will tolerate as a listener. Even when only two people are talking and it Everett is telling the story you get "he said or Virgil said" or "I said". I know it correct but with a little work and changing of the voice a little you could delete this situation.

someone says...

"I said", "he said", "Virgil said";
sums it up in a "someone said" nutshell.
I said.