Review of "Gunman’s Rhapsody," by Robert B. Parker

Review of

Gunman’s Rhapsody, by Robert B. Parker ISBN 0425182894

Five out of five stars

 Fans of Parker that have read his Spencer and Jesse Stone books with their snappy dialog will find the simple dialog in this book to be quite different. The main characters never seem to use even one extra word and the concept of humor never seems to be a part of their lives.

 The main characters are the Earp brothers, their pal Doc Holliday and the setting is Arizona around the town of Tombstone. While the famous gunfight at the OK Corral is part of the story, it is largely an incidental. The main plot line is how these men face life and support each other, often with one or more guns in their hands. The Earp brothers are together through all things, their motto is truly “One for all, all for one.” Danger, the ire of the women in their lives, nothing fundamentally comes between them.

 While some law has come to their area of Arizona, there are still some significant lawless elements. Rustling across the border with Mexico takes place and the identities of the outlaws is well known. There are known hostilities between the cowboys, miners and townspeople and simple political differences between Democrats and Republicans.

This novel is about the Earp brothers, their place in the world, how they live with it and their approach to difficulties in life, including their interactions with women. They don’t talk a lot, but when they say something, it is genuine and to be taken seriously.